Wildlife Services: Take some of the damage out of wildlife damage management
Did you know that a hefty chunk of your tax dollars go to an efficient squad of killers known to employ an array of heavy armaments and poisons to liquidate millions of targets every year?
No, it’s not the Delta Force or the CIA…
These guys are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture!
Wildlife Services is part of the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS). They are brought download action movies in to solve problems when human and animal activities come into conflict. But the zeal with which they address those conflicts has left them open to justifiable criticism…
…from folks whose pets have been poisoned, shot, or snared accidentally…
…from the folks at EPA, who were forced to cite them over using a controversial poison on public property…
…from folks concerned by indiscriminate bird slaughter…
…from folks horrified by the idea of helicopters used as aerial gunning platforms to take out endangered wolves, bears, bobcats and more…
Yeah, those guys. They are pretty busy in Alaska right now.
In 2007, they killed 90,262 coyotes, 338 mountain lions, 511 black bears, 2,090 bobcats, and lots of vultures. Sure, those are not the most cuddly critters and it is important to address chronic predators, but couldn’t Wildlife Service handle their “wildlife damage management” duties with a bit less…damage?
In 2007, the toll came to 2.4 million animals.
NRDC and the Green Group are pushing strongly for this group to re-examine its priorities and tactics. We should not be spending millions of dollars on a carnivore killing spree. There needs to be a download comedy movies better evaluation of nonlethal methods, particularly in the northern Rockies where the focus has been tilted strongly to the desires of ranchers rather than an acceptance of a changing landscape, even as conflicts have not been reduced.
While we need to address chronic livestock conflicts with all the tools available, an itchy trigger finger is not a long-term wildlife management plan. It is time to see if that hundred million tax dollar price tag can be used a bit more thoughtfully.
Otherwise, maybe we could save some cash by just calling in the Orkin man…
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