USDA Signs Technical Service Provider Agreement with The Wildlife Society

Sylvia Rainford (202) 720-3210

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2003—The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a cooperative partnership with The Wildlife Society that will increase options available to landowners seeking conservation technical assistance on wildlife issues.

USDA and the society signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during the Wildlife Management Institute’s 68th North American Wildlife and Natural Resource Conference. Bruce Knight, chief, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Robert Warren, president, The Wildlife Society, signed the MOU.

This partnership allows the society to recommend certified wildlife biologists to USDA as technical service providers. The 2002 Farm Bill expanded the availability of technical assistance to private landowners by encouraging the use of third parties—called technical service providers—to assist USDA in delivering conservation technical assistance services.

“This agreement will allow the society’s certified wildlife biologists to deliver wildlife resources and habitat advice and recommendations to private landowners and others,” Knight said.

This five-year agreement recognizes The Wildlife Society as an approved certifying organization that can recommend its members to USDA for consideration as certified providers. Once approved by USDA, these wildlife biologists are placed on a web-based registry called TechReg that is available to landowners, farmers, ranchers and others seeking conservation technical assistance.

“Technical service providers will help ensure all landowners receive timely technical assistance services, such as conservation planning and the design, layout, installation and review of approved conservation practices,” Knight said.

Additional information on technical service provider assistance is available at http://techreg.usda.gov. Information on the 2002 Farm Bill can be found at www.usda.gov/farmbill.

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