Managing wildlife conflicts : the mission of the APHIS Wildlife Services program

18 Pages·2003·0.92 MB·English

by  United States. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Historic, Archive Document
Do assume
not content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

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APHIS
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No. 1753
The U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture
(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its
programs and activities on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, religion,
age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, or marital orfamily status.
(Not all prohibited bases applyto all
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require alternative meansforcommunica-
tion of program information (Braille, large
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USDA'sTARGETCenterat (202) 720-
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Tofile a complaintofdiscrimination, write
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,
Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and
IndependenceAvenue, SW, Washington,
DC 20250-9410 orcall [phone]
(voice andTDD). USDAis an equal
opportunity providerand employer.
This publication supersedes "Managing
Wildlife Damage: The Mission ofAPHIS'
Wildlife Services Program" (Miscellaneous
Publication No. 1543), published in
October 1997 and last revised in July
1999.
Issued October2003
Wildlife, a Valuable Resource
Wild animals are an important part • People admirethe industrious
of ourenvironment, and for beaver. However, beaverdams
centuries they have served our may causeflooding that damages
needs in a numberofways. valuable timberstands, roadways,
Historically, manyspecies were private property, andfarmland.
used forfood, clothing, oradorn- In November2002, the North
ment. But in those earlieryears, Carolina DepartmentofTransporta-
wildlife was seldom managed. tion (NCDOT) realized it might have
Some species, such asthe to close busy Interstate 85 in
passenger pigeon, became extinct; Greenville County because a
and otherspecies, like the bison beaverdam in adrainage structure
and beaver, became seriously underthe highwaythreatened to
depleted. Modern wildlife manage- causeflood watersto makethe
ment ofthe twentieth century road impassible. NCDOTcon-
reversedthe decline ofwildlife tacted the Wildlife Services (WS)
populations in the United States division oftheAnimal and Plant
and resulted, formanyspecies, in Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
WS
the mostabundantpopulationsever toevaluatethe problem.
known. removed the dam atconsiderable
costsavingsto NCDOT. This
Today, wildlife continuesto provide solution avoided havingtoclose
peoplewith numerous benefits. the Interstatefor2 or more days
Wild animals contributeto our and maintained publicsafetyalong
enjoymentofoutdoor recreational 1-85.
activities such as camping, hiking,
photography, and hunting.The
knowledgethatabundantwildlife
exists is importantformany people.
Diversewildlife species are major
components ofa healthyenviron-
ment; beavers, forexample, can
create aquatic habitats beneficial to
fish, waterfowl, and manyother
plantand animal species.
Wildlife is receiving increased
attention as people develop a
broadened environmental con-
sciousness. Wildlifeis recognized
as having esthetic as well as
practical value and is managed by
the Federal and State Governments
to ensurefuture abundance. But in
some instances, this abundance
has led to conflicts with human
interests, asthefollowing examples When populations increase, encounters
illustrate. withwildlife, like mountain Hons inthe
West, become morefrequent.
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• In the Southeastern United States predation cost U.S. sheep produ-
alone, beavers cause an estimated cers $9.6 million and goat produ-
$200 million worth of damage cers another$1.2 million. In 2000,
annuallyto public and private coyotescaused $31.8 million in
WS
property. In 12 Eastern States, cattle losses nationwide. Even in
prevented an estimated $23.7 Eastern States, where coyotes
million ofbeaver-caused lossesto were relatively unheard of 15 years
agricultural resources and property ago, incidents of predation on
in 2002. Thesesavings representa livestockareincreasing.
benefit-cost ratio of$6.01 in
resourcessavedforevery$1.00 •Wildlifecan adverselyaffectpublic
spentfordamage management. safetyandthe economics of
aviation when commercial and
•The mournful howl ofacoyote has military aircraftcollide with birds
long been a symbol ofthewild and mammals ("wildlife strikes")
West. Today, coyotesthrive both in during takeoffor landing. Accord-
the Westand in Eastern States, ing tothe FederalAviationAdminis-
wherethey inflict heavyeconomic tration (FAA), approximately6,200
lossesto producers ofsheep, wildlifestrikeswith civil aircraft
goats, andcattle. In 1999, coyote were reported in 2002. FAA
Each year, coyotescause millionsofdollars'worthof
lossestosheep, goat, andcattle producers.
4
a
WSworkswiththe FAAandthe U.S.AirForceand U.S.
Navyto reducewildlifestrikes. WS providedassistance
atmorethan 500airportsand airbases in 2002to reduce
wildlifehazardstoaviation.
officials estimatethat only20 among susceptiblewildlife and
percent ofthe strikes that actually domestic animals, including
occurredwere reported. The U.S. livestock.
Air Force reported more than 3,800 —
bird strikes involving military planes Thevirusthatcauses rabies
the same year. In all, these diseaseth—at is alwaysfatal if left
collisionscostthe U.S. aviation untreated mutates as itspreads
industrywell over$500 million a through specificwildlife reservoirs,
yearin damages and downtime. In such as raccoons, skunk, foxes,
addition, the potential for human and bats. Species-specificvaria-
injuryand death is increased tions in rabies make monitoring,
significantlywhen wildlife is not surveillance, and control a broad
keptawayfrom airports. World- and challengingtask, but ajob well
wide, morethan 155 people have worth doing. By eliminating
died as a resultof bird strikes since individual strains ofthe disease and
1990. preventingthe spread of rabiesto
newareas, theAmerican taxpayer
•Wildlife-bornediseases can pose can expecttosavesubstantial
serious threatsto public health, amounts of moneyovertime. Right
domestic animals, and populations now, rabies-related costs exceed
ofthreatened and endangered $300 million ayear. And thatfigure
wildlife. Rabies, tularemia, and does nottake into accountthe
plague are among zoonotic anxiety, fear, and psychological
diseaseswherewildlife presents a trauma among human populations
public health risk. Rabies and impacted bythis oldestof recorded
bovinetuberculosis aretwo diseases.
diseasesthatcan betransmitted
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During 2001 the U.S. Public Health U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture's
,
Service's Centersfor Disease (USDA) NationalAgricultural
Control and Prevention reported Statistics Service (MASS) and other
7,437 cases of animal rabies in 49 researchers have previously
States, the District of Columbia, documented annual predation
and Puerto Rico. Ofthese cases, lossesto selected commodities
nearly 93 percentwere in wildlife. across the United States. Annual
losses include more than $140
Many people do not realizethat million worth of blueberries, apples,
everyone is adverselyaffected by grapes, corn, and sunflowers, and
the actions ofwildlife at one time or more than $14 million worth of
another. Everyconsumerpays catfish and trout. MASS estimates
moreforcommoditieswhen thatwildlife-caused damageto U.S.
supplies are decreased ordam- agriculture (excluding forestry) is
aged bywildlife. Thetotal value of worth between $600 million and
that damage is extremelydifficultto $1 6 billion ayear.
estimate on a national scale. The
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Responsible Management
ofWildlife Damage
Maintaining a balance between Departmentofthe Interior's U.S.
human and wildlife needs requires Fish and Wildlife Service has
sensitivity. In addressingthe primary responsibilityfor managing
conflicts between wildlife and migratory birds andfederally listed
people, wildlife managers must threatened and endangered
thoughtfullyconsider notonlythe species. Statewildlife manage-
needs ofthose directlyaffected by mentagencies have primary
wildlife damage butalso a range of authorityforthe management of
environmental, sociocultural, and nonmigratory birds and all other
economicfactors. speciesofwildlife notfederally
listed asthreatened orendangered.
Wildlife is avaluable public Legislation authorizes USDAto
resource. Federal and State provide assistance upon request of
Governmentsare responsiblefor State Governments, private
maintaining healthy, stablewildlife individuals, and other Federal
populations. Accordingly, when agenciestocontrol and prevent
wildlife causesdamage, govern- damage and disease caused or
ment has an obligation to manage carried bywildlife. Cooperative
thatdamage. Wildlifedamage- agreements provideforthe
management responsibilities and managementofvarious species,
authoritiesfall to differentagencies including managementforthe
depending on the species, type of purpose of reducing and preventing
problem, and location. The U.S. damagecaused bywildlife.
Fish-eating birds representa majorthreattothe
profitabilityofaquacultureoperations.
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The Role ofWildlife Services
—
Wildlife—Services a unitof USDA's
APHIS assists in solving prob-
lemsthat are created when species
ofwildlife cause damageto
WS
agriculture. personnel also
assistwith wildlife problems
involving propertyand natural
resources as well asthreatsto
human health andsafety. WS'
National Wildlife Research Center
(NWRC) istheworld's only
research centerdevoted entirelyto
thedevelopmentofmethodsfor
effectivewildlifedamage manage-
ment. NWRC is providing an
expanded rangeofscientific
information and environmentally
Canadagoosepopulationshave
pbraosteedctminegthroesdosutrhcaetsaarnedefcfoencstievrev-in cIanucsreiansgeddadmraamgaetitcoalrleyalinesrteacteen—tyferaorms,
ingwildlife. golfcoursestoswimming pools.
WS
is committed tothe well-being accordancewith all Federal and
ofthe environmentand wildlife and State guidelines and in cooperation
acts as a protective bufferbetween with wildlife managementprofes-
wildlifeand people. Failureto sionalsfrom Federal and/orState
provide solutionstowildlife damage agencies. In all instances, WS
sometimes leads individualstotake programs are conducted to ensure
actions thatare ecologically and no negative impacton wildlife
biologically harmful. Professional populations.
wildlife biologists andtechnicians
employed byAPHIS' WS program WS helps reducewildlifedamage
can sometimes preventsuch to
unwise reactions. By providing a
—
biologicallysound, economically •Agricultural crops grain, sunflow-
efficient response coupled with ers, vegetables, fruit, and nuts;
education to individuals —
experiencing damage, WS benefits •Livestock cattle, sheep, goats,
individuals, the public, wildlife, and swine, horses, and poultry;
theenvironment.
•Commercialforestsandforest
WS
isa Federal cooperative products;
program that respondsto requests —
by persons and agencies needing •Aquaculture cultivated trout,
help in managingwildlifedamage. catfish, baitfish, and marine
Itsfield operations are conducted in shellfish and lobsters;
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