Allowing trained wildlife professionals to conduct management activities reduces the 

possibility that other individuals will resolve damage with environmentally harmful results.

Cover Photos: Disease biologists on an emergency response 

dust prairie dog holes with insecticide for protection of blackfooted ferrets in South Dakota, while staff carry out a trapvaccinate-release in New York City during a rabies outbreak 

in raccoons. A WS biologist prepares to relocate a snowy owl 

away from an international airport in the Midwest.

Photo Credits: On cover, upper photo by Dr. J. Caudell; owl 

relocation by Alan K. Shumacher. All remaining images are by 

APHIS photographer R. Anson Eaglin or from the APHIS photo 

collection.

Serving the American Public

WS conducts several national programs:

• The National Rabies Management Program 

implements a coordinated program to contain, 

and eventually manage, rabies in wildlife. In 

collaboration with its partners, the program 

distributes oral rabies vaccine and conducts 

enhanced surveillance in 25 States. The program 

focuses on specific virus strains in raccoons, 

coyotes, gray foxes, and feral dogs and works with 

international partners through the North American 

Rabies Management Plan. 

• The National Wildlife Disease Program safeguards 

agricultural trade by conducting surveillance in all 

50 States with its partners. The program is APHIS’ 

first line of defense against wildlife diseases that 

are transmissible to humans and livestock. Its 

emergency response wildlife biologists can mobilize 

and be onsite within 48 hours of a wildlife disease 

event.

• The Airport Wildlife Hazards Program provides 

leadership throughout the country to minimize 

strikes and protect public safety. Working with civil 

and military aviation since 1990, the program’s 

cornerstones are habitat modification, active 

dispersal of wildlife, personnel training, and 

research. 

• Other activities focus on specific wildlife damage 

concerns including feral swine, blackbirds, and 

specific invasive species.

(above) WS biologists certified in the safe and effective use of 

explosives remove beaver dams to protect property, including 

transportation infrastructure.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

Revised December 2010 • Program Aid No. 1523

Protecting People | Protecting Agriculture | Protecting Wildlife

Responsible Lethal Approach

Not all damage problems can be resolved using 

nonlethal techniques. Livestock losses to predators 

often continue despite the use of nonlethal tools. Other 

situations may require lethal control: management of 

invasive species, protection of endangered species, and 

response to overabundant or poorly located wildlife. 

Allowing trained wildlife professionals to conduct lethal 

control reduces the possibility that individuals will try 

to resolve damage independently, which can have 

environmentally harmful results.

When considering lethal management, WS evaluates 

potential tools for humaneness, effectiveness, and 

human safety. It also assesses the ability of these 

techniques to target specific individual animals or 

species. Typically, lethal means are used either along 

with nonlethal methods or after such options have been 

considered or tried. 

The U.S. Government Accountability Office documented 

that WS’ predator management efforts neither threaten 

predator populations nor significantly impact nontarget 

species. A 2009 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

review reached the same conclusion. 

When lethally removing game species, WS often provides 

the animals as a charitable food resource. In FY 2009, 

the program donated more than 91 tons of wild game. 

Creating a Balance 

Between People and 

Wildlife Damage

The Wildlife Services Mission

More Information and Assistance

• Toll-free: (866) 4USDA-WS or (866) 487-3297

• www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage

• Director, WS Operational Support Staff, USDAAPHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 87, Riverdale, MD 

20737-1234

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
WS’ goals and objectives have evolved significantly 

since its establishment in 1895 as part of USDA. 

Initially, the program focused on rodent management 

and predator control for livestock protection. Although 

the program’s overall mission and legal authority have 

not changed, its range of activities has increased due to 

changing social needs.

From 1939 until 1985, WS was part of the U.S. 

Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, 

returning to USDA in 1985. It is part of APHIS, the 

agency with the mission of protecting the health and 

value of U.S. agriculture, natural, and other resources. 

WS remains committed to the principle that wildlife is 

a publicly owned resource, held in trust and carefully 

managed by State and Federal agencies.

The program’s philosophy has evolved along with 

societal values and perspectives, reflecting changes 

in the wildlife management profession as a whole. WS 

seeks a balance among various priorities, including 

wildlife and environmental conservation, human health 

and safety, financial considerations, and social factors. 

WS’ managers and biologists emphasize resolving 

conflicts and managing damage—not eradicating or 

suppressing wildlife populations. 

Driven by increasingly diverse requests for assistance, 

WS has expanded its operations and research to include 

the protection of public health and safety, disease 

surveillance, threatened and endangered species 

conservation, emergency response, and other programs. 

WS also plays a vital role in eliminating the negative 

environmental effects of invasive species. 

The program’s mission is to provide Federal leadership, 

among many partners, to address wildlife-related 

problems in a science-based manner. Its primary statutory 

authorities are found in two Congressional actions: 

the Act of March 2, 1931 (46 Stat. 1468; 7 U.S.C. 

426-426b), as amended, and the Act of December 22, 

1987 (101 Stat. 1329-331, 7 U.S.C. 426c). 

“Prevention or control of wildlife 

damage, which often includes removal 

of the animals responsible for the 

damage, is an essential and responsible 

part of wildlife management.”

The Wildlife Society 

Direction and Cooperation 

Policy directives, also on APHIS’ Web site, guide 

daily work. APHIS personnel meet the public’s 

requests by relying on science-based decisionmaking, 

building connections with professional and academic 

communities, and cooperating closely with other 

government agencies and organizations. Conflicting 

public values are considered during decisionmaking. 

WS implements activities through national operations, 

research programs, and State offices. Most WS State 

Directors are certified by The Wildlife Society, an 

international scientific association of professional wildlife 

biologists. Program employees, skilled in practical wildlife 

management techniques, are educated in the scientific 

disciplines of wildlife biology and wildlife damage 

management.

WS’ State offices collaborate with State and Federal 

agencies, land-grant universities, and others to 

implement program delivery. WS is the recognized lead 

Federal agency for addressing wildlife strike hazards at 

airports and wildlife damage on public lands. 

Wildlife Services (WS)—a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)—provides Federal leadership and expertise to 

resolve wildlife interactions that threaten public health and safety and agricultural, property, 

and natural resources.

WS works in every State to administer a program of integrated wildlife damage management. The 

program operates through a user fee system in response to local requests.

Program Policy and Approach

The science of wildlife management developed significantly 

during the 20th century. Damage management is one of the 

fastest evolving disciplines within the wildlife management 

profession. WS employs an integrated wildlife damage 

management (IWDM) approach. This approach relies 

on a variety of methods and techniques—including both 

nonlethal and lethal approaches—to resolve conflicts. A 

range of management approaches and alternatives must be 

evaluated before selecting a course of action. 

The IWDM approach incorporates all practical methods 

of prevention and control to minimize wildlife damage. 

As a leader in the research and development of new and 

effective wildlife damage management techniques, WS has 

investigated nonlethal methods since the 1950s. Since 

1993, the program’s National Wildlife Research Center 

has spent approximately 75 percent of its annual research 

budget on the development of nonlethal tools 

and techniques. 

Nonlethal methods include vaccines, repellents, 

contraceptives, visual or auditory devices, livestock guarding 

animals, predator-proof fencing, and practices such as 

shed lambing, herding, and night penning. WS personnel 

frequently recommend nonlethal methods, which are often 

implemented by those who have requested assistance. 

For example, cattle and sheep ranchers reportedly invest 

more than $193 million annually in nonlethal methods of 

livestock protection.

WS responds to more than 200,000 human-wildlife 

conflicts annually. The public resolves many conflicts using 

WS’ recommended science-based, legal, and humane 

methods. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, WS personnel used 

nonlethal methods to resolve conflicts involving 27.6 million 

animals—more than 87 percent of those encountered 

during the year. 

To foster this approach, WS has established a 

resource management specialist position, which 

works with producers and others to promote a variety of 

nonlethal methods. Special attention is given to the use 

of guarding animals and other nonlethal means to reduce 

livestock predation. 

Public Input 

Since 1986, the National Wildlife Services Advisory 

Committee (NWSAC) has convened to discuss program 

direction. NWSAC advises the U.S. Secretary of 

Agriculture concerning needed policies, program issues, 

and research. The Committee serves as a public forum, 

enabling those affected by WS to have a voice in its 

policies. It is comprised of individuals from agricultural, 

environmental, conservation, academic, animal welfare, 

and related interest groups. 

In decisionmaking, WS adheres to the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate alternative 

actions and the potential impact of programs and 

activities at regional, State, and local levels. The program 

integrates current scientific information and various 

social considerations (such as aesthetics and religious 

views concerning wildlife) into its decisionmaking. 

The NEPA process helps protect the public interest 

by ensuring that WS’ actions do not jeopardize native 

wildlife populations or the ecosystems on which they 

depend. NEPA documents are accessible on APHIS’ 

Web site.

WS works with the APHIS Freedom of Information Act 

office to respond to requests. The program publishes 

commonly requested information on APHIS’ Web site 

in program data reports, which include details about 

management efforts and protected resources.

WS emphasizes resolving conflicts and managing damage—

not eradicating wildlife populations.

National APHIS Wildlife 

Services programs include 

airport hazards management, 

disease surveillance, rabies 

management, research, and 

State-based operations.

(left) An oiled wood 

duck retrieved by a 

WS biologist during an 

all-hazards emergency 

response was transferred 

to cooperating agencies 

for rehabilitation.

(right) WS personnel 

assist at an aquaculture 

facility, just one of the 

diverse agricultural 

resources they protect.