As winter gave way to spring last year at Bryce Canyon National Park, Moyle Johnson noticed fresh burrowing around a well he was charged with protecting from contamination.
Suspecting prairie dogs were the culprits, Johnson shoveled dirt into the burrows. He hoped to get a count on how many of the critters were there by seeing which burrows they reopened. Once he had a tally, the prairie dogs could be removed.
While the Garfield County Commission is saluting the 30-year maintenance staffer at Bryce Canyon as an inventive hero, federal wildlife officials are investigating him for possibly disturbing protected wildlife.