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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Wildlife Services Protects Resources

Last Modified: Jul 17, 2020
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Agriculture     Health and Safety     Natural Resources     Property    
WS personnel recommend and conduct wildlife damage management activities to protect many types of resources, including expansive sunflower fields in the Dakotas, small vegetable gardens in suburban backyards, orchards in Oregon, pasture land and cattle in Texas, bridges, roads and airports throughout the nation, rare wetland ecosystems, threatened and endangered shorebirds, air passenger safety, and industrial facilities in towns and cities. WS personnel use an integrated wildlife damage management approach, in response to requests for assistance to protecting agriculture, natural resources, property, and human health & safety.

Agricultural Resources

Agricultural resources are those associated with farming and ranching, and associated industries. This includes livestock (e.g. sheep, cattle, calves, fowl, and swine), crops (e.g. corn, soybeans, strawberries, and pecans), rangeland and timber, aquaculture (e.g. farm raised catfish and trout), agricultural animal feed, and animal products. WS activities to protect agriculture may include predation management to protect livestock, alleviation of bird damage at aquaculture facilities, and application of integrated waterfowl and deer damage management programs to reduce crop damage.  Learn More

Natural Resources

Natural resources are those associated with publically managed parks, lakes, state and national forests, wildlife and fish, (including sensitive, threatened, and endangered species), and wetlands. Natural resource protection includes the protection of natural areas from the impacts of invasive species such as nutria and feral swine, the safeguarding of rare, threatened and endangered wildlife species from the negative impacts of more abundant ones, and the provision of information and education on the ecology and values associated with wildlife encountered by the public.  Learn More

Property

Property resources are non-agricultural possessions. This resource category includes business and residential buildings and structures, equipment, vehicles, and machinery, pets and other companion animals, and a myriad of other items that are valued by people.

WS work to protect property may consist of waterfowl management to protect golf courses, dispersal of vultures to protect vehicles and homes, and provision of recommendations to reduce deer damage to backyard gardens and landscape plantings.  Learn More

Human Health Safety

Human Health and Safety work is associated with the protection of humans from death, injury, and threats. This category includes human safety protection and response related to wildlife-aircraft collisions, attacks on people by mountain lions and other wildlife species, and rabies management activities.  Learn More

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