USDA Providing Grants To Address Feral Swine Damage
Talk about ironic timing! While spending time with extended family this past week and viewing some old vacation videos shot on now-outdated camcorders, we came across one scene showing wildlife in Florida, including some wild boars trolling around a campground. This led to a discussion about how these creatures were destroying the ecosystem down there.
As if it were fate, we now find that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week announced that is was making $75 million in federal grant funding available for the eradication and control of feral swine through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program in a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The 2018 Farm Bill included this new pilot program to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.
NRCS is accepting applications from nonfederal entities through Aug. 19 for $33.75 million in funds to work with landowners on pilot projects in select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. APHIS has determined that these states have among the highest feral swine population densities and associated damages in the country.
Pilot projects will consist broadly of three coordinated components: (1) feral swine removal by APHIS; (2) restoration efforts supported by NRCS; and (3) assistance to producers for feral swine control provided through partnership agreements with nonfederal partners. Projects can be one to three years in duration.
“The projects selected for funding will allow APHIS and NRCS to collectively reduce the damage and disease caused by one of the most destructive and formidable invasive species in the United States,” said APHIS Administrator Kevin Shea. “Overall, this pilot program builds upon and expands work already underway by APHIS’ National Feral Swine Damage Management Program to both manage feral swine and eliminate populations in partnership with local government, the private sector, industry and academia.”
NRCS will provide funding for these services through partnership agreements. The funding limit for a single award is $1.5 million, and awardees will be required to provide at least 25 percent of the partnership agreement budget as a match to NRCS funding.
Considering the videos we watched were shot in the late 1990 and the feral swine were already threatening the environment back then, it’s good to see that action now is being taken to address this concern 20 years later.
