United States

Department of

Agriculture

Animal and

Plant Health

Inspection

Service

Miscellaneous

Publication No. 1549

Fiscal Year 1997

Wildlife Services

Program Highlights
2

The U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all

its programs and activities on the

basis of race, color, national origin,

gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or

marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Persons with disabilities who require

alternative means for communication

of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–

2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination,

write USDA, Director, Office of Civil

Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or

call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider

and employer.

Mention of companies or commercial

products does not imply recommendation or endorsement by USDA over

others not mentioned. USDA neither

guarantees nor warrants the standard

of any product mentioned. Product

names are mentioned solely to report

factually on available data and to provide specific information.

Issued July 1998

This publication reports research

involving pesticides. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies

before they can be recommended.

CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious

to humans, domestic animals, desirable

plants, and fish or other wildlife—if

they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and

carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus

pesticides and pesticide containers.

Photo Credits: Photos are from the

APHIS library, NWRC, and scientists

with APHIS. The shot of the Canada

geese and the airliner on p. 10 was

taken by USDA photographer Larry

Rana.
3

Since 1985, the Federal

Government’s efforts to manage

wildlife damage to agricultural and

other resources have been

centralized in the U.S. Department

of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal

and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS). APHIS’ Wildlife

Services (WS) program (formerly

Animal Damage Control) works to

minimize the effects of wildlife on

livestock and crops and to protect

human health and safety and

threatened and endangered wildlife

species from wildlife damage as

well.

INTRODUCTION

This report documents WS’

accomplishments during fiscal

year (FY) 1997. Preparing the

1997 highlights report is one way

we are working to keep the public

and our State and local

cooperators better informed about

WS activities. To learn more about

our research activities, you are

encouraged to request a copy of

the National Wildlife Research

Center Highlights Report, Fiscal

Year 1997. Write to USDA–

APHIS–NWRC, 1201 Oakridge

Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

For more details about the overall

WS program, please write to:

Director, WS

Operational Support Staff

USDA–APHIS

4700 River Road, Unit 87

Riverdale, MD 20737–1234

You may also visit WS on the

Internet: point your Web browser

to the WS home page at

www.aphis.usda.gov/ws

Name

Change

On August 1, 1997, Animal

Damage Control officially changed

its name to Wildlife Services. The

new name captures the essence of

the program’s current mission of

balancing the needs of humans

and wildlife in many different

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Strategic

Planning

Since 1993, WS has been

implementing a new strategic

vision for the program, a vision

focused on improving the

coexistence of people and wildlife.

Since that time, WS has continued

to move strategically toward a

future in which damage by wildlife

is reduced to lowest possible

levels, while at the same time

reducing wildlife mortality.

In FY 1997, WS continued to

focus on four programwide goals

established in 1996 to support the

strategic plan: (1) providing

wildlife services, (2) developing

methods, (3) valuing and investing

in people (i.e., our workforce), and

(4) providing enhanced

information and communication to

our publics. Management and

administrative systems and

processes have been aligned with

and are being driven by these

goals, including leadership

performance management,

management team meetings, and

program accomplishment

reporting. Employees across the

Nation continue to participate in

workshops to identify how they

may contribute to these goals.

Additionally, WS’ strategic

management process has

simplified the program’s

preparation to comply with the

requirements of the Government

Performance and Results Act

(GPRA). The GPRA requires

government agencies to have a

strategic plan and to report

annually to Congress

accomplishments toward program

goals supporting that plan. In

1997, six State programs pilottested methods to gather data to

evaluate the effectiveness of their

efforts, positioning WS ahead of

the curve in meeting the

requirements of the GPRA.

Measurement areas included

protection of (1) humans from

wildlife–aircraft collisions and

from rabies, (2) livestock, (3)

sunflowers, (4) threatened and

endangered species, and (5) roads

from beaver flooding.

situations, including protecting

agriculture, safeguarding private

property, protecting threatened and

endangered species, and

protecting human health and

safety. The change also reflects

the program’s vision of “living with

wildlife” and, most importantly,

acknowledges the program’s

standing in the wildlife profession

and with the program’s customers.
4

Workforce Planning

Initiatives

In 1996, Deputy Administrator

Bobby Acord assigned a team to

evaluate the most significant

current and future needs of the WS

workforce and to develop

strategies to meet those needs. In

1997, the WS Workforce Plan was

completed and Management Team

members selected priority areas of

the plan to champion. These

priority areas included

(1) maintaining a broad base of

technical skills, (2) enhancing

public outreach and public

involvement skills, (3) applying

innovative research tools in the

field, (4) building leadership

skills, and (5) increasing diversity

of the workforce and leadership.

The WS Workforce Plan will

ensure that, despite the changing

and complex nature of wildlife

damage management, WS will

continue to have the right people

at the right place with the right

skills to meet the needs of its

customers. While WS’ strategic

plan provides a road map to a

successful future, the Workforce

Plan ensures the availability of our

most important resource, prepared

employees.

In support of the Workforce Plan,

WS graduated the first class of the

Leadership Excellence Program

(LEP). The class consisted of

diverse individuals from different

areas within the program. Both

operations and research were

represented. The LEP is an 18-

month development program

designed to help WS meet

anticipated vacancies in some of

its top leadership positions in the

near future. Participation in the

LEP gave graduates an opportunity

for leadership skills assessment,

exposure to individually and

group-tailored learning curricula,

developmental work details,

mentoring from a senior-level

leader, small- and large-group

work projects, and networking with

agency leaders in and outside of

the WS program.

In addition, WS provided continual

learning opportunities for five

administrative personnel through

APHIS’ ExCel Program. ExCel is a

flexible, competency-based

training program that offers a

variety of training opportunities

that can be tailored to individual

developmental and training needs.
5

During FY 1997, total funding

supplied to WS cooperators

increased by approximately $3.5

million. Much of this funding

was allocated for projects on

predator and beaver damagemanagement and human health

and safety. Examples follow.

• Cooperative funding of

$80,000 from the North Dakota

Fish and Game Department. Of

that total, $40,000 was reserved

for general wildlife damage

management activities, $10,000

for technical education in wildlife

damage management, $20,000

for cost-sharing with cooperators

on aerial hunting activities, and

$10,000 for cost-sharing with

producers on the purchase of

guard animals and/or electronic

guard devices.

National Agricultural

Statistics Service

WS continued its agreement with

USDA’s National Agricultural

Statistics Service (NASS) to

determine the extent of wildlife

damage to agricultural resources.

In January 1997, NASS surveyed

1,465 catfish producers. Results

indicated that 68 percent of the

respondents spent some effort to

avoid wildlife-related losses to

their catfish crops. Of all losses

reported, 67 percent of the catfish

were depredated by wildlife,

primarily birds. In Mississippi,

where 81 percent of damage was

due to wildlife, cormorants were

cited as the cause 53 percent of

the time. Other birds causing

damage included egrets, pelicans,

gulls, and other waterfowl.

Wildlife-related damage and

prevention of further damage were

projected to have cost catfish

producers $17 million in 1996.

The survey also included

questions about WS. Of the

producers surveyed, 44 percent

were familiar with WS. In that

group, 51 percent had contacted

WS. Of the producers who

requested service, 55 percent used

the methods suggested by WS to

reduce the losses themselves,

while 40 percent received direct

assistance from WS.

Program Development

Activities

• Cooperative funding of

$300,000 from the Washington

State Department of Fish and

Wildlife for predator damagemanagement activities. The

funding is appropriated for a

2-year time period.

• Cooperative funding of $50,000

from general funds through the

Iowa Department of Natural

Resources for wildlife damage

management.

• Additional cooperative funding

of $150,000 from general funds

through the Alabama Department

of Agriculture to be used for

wildlife-related damage to

aquaculture and for other wildlife

problems, especially beaver

damage.
6

• Cooperative funding of

$131,500 from the North Dakota

Department of Agriculture for

wildlife damage-management

activities.

The West Virginia Integrated

Predation Management Program, a

cooperative arrangement between

WS and the State of West Virginia,

was established in 1996 to assist

livestock producers in managing

livestock losses to predators.

Under this new program, WS

reduced livestock losses by 91

percent in three eastern mountain

counties. In FY 1997, the State

has provided additional funding

for WS to expand its predation

management services into

Greenbrier, Grant, Hardy, and

Monroe counties.

WS entered into a cooperative

program with the Department of

Energy to manage deer damage at

the Fermi National Accelerator

Laboratory near Chicago. An

environmental assessment was

developed to evaluate alternatives

for reducing environmental

damage caused by the

overpopulated deer herd before

implementing a management plan.

About 400 white-tailed deer

occupy the 10 square miles of

laboratory property.

WS will be a key player in the

reintroduction of the Mexican wolf

in New Mexico and Arizona. In

cooperation with the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (FWS), the WS

western regional office negotiated

an agreement for a wolf specialist

to be based in Springerville, AZ.

The specialist will develop and

carry out individual wolf damagemanagement programs and assist

cooperating agencies with other

aspects of monitoring and

managing the reintroduced

population of Mexican wolves.

WS personnel from Oregon and

Washington participated in a

meeting in Oregon with State and

Federal officials to review

information regarding conflicts

between Canada geese and

people. Numbers of geese in the

Willamette Valley of Oregon are

300 percent above target levels,

and their damage to agriculture is

increasing annually. WS provided

technical and operational

assistance to the farmers, but the

high numbers of geese remain

difficult to manage. Participants at

the meeting discussed short- and

long-term plans to deal with the

problem.

Beaver damage in Oklahoma and

Texas has resulted in millions of

dollars’ worth of property loss

each year. Beaver populations

have multiplied in both States’

water drainage systems. The

beavers’ burrowing activities

weaken earthen dams, highway

foundations, dikes, and railroad

trackbeds. Dam-building

activities cause the flooding of

roadways, pastures, and crop and

timber lands by blocking water

systems, plugging culverts, and

stopping up drain pipes. The

beavers’ feeding activities result in

the loss of trees and shrubs in
7

urban, suburban, and rural

locations from girdling and

cutting. Annual damage from

beavers in Oklahoma has

increased exponentially, along

with their populations. WS has

documented more than $500,000

worth of damage annually since

1984, increasing to nearly $1

million annually. The WS Western

Region expects an increase in the

beaver population and increased

requests for technical assistance

or direct control.

The WS cooperative beaver

damage management program in

North Carolina proved to be

popular among State highway

officials, soil and water

conservation districts,

municipalities, and private

landholders, who collectively

funded 97 percent of the 1997

The National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) process has become a

management and planning tool for

WS State programs. NEPA

environmental assessments (EA’s)

are routinely developed by Federal

agencies to analyze the impacts of

proposed actions and to provide

the best environmental information

available for planning and

decisionmaking. A growing need

for these EA documents outside of

National Environmental

Policy Act

Federal agencies is emerging. In

Virginia, WS has developed 10

EA’s for various municipalities.

The documents are used by city

governments to make informed

decisions about wildlife conflict

management and to inform the

public. During FY 1997, a total of

25 supervisors and managers

received training on applying the

NEPA process.

program. WS’ beaver

management activities saved an

estimated $3.8 million in damage

to forest and agricultural

resources, waterways, highway

infrastructure, and other property.

Comparing the resources saved to

expenditures, the benefit-to-cost

ratio of WS work in North Carolina

was 5.8 to 1, or $5.80 saved for

every $1.00 spent.

Recent technology has enabled

WS specialists to use global

positioning system (GPS) units for

the purpose of mapping

equipment placements. Fixedwing aircraft have been equipped

with GPS units and are being used

to record equipment placement.

This technology has potential to

help WS become even more

proficient.
8

The brown tree snake (BTS)

program in Guam continues to

expand. In 1997, the FWS

augmented WS’ budget to expand

training services to surrounding

islands. The military bases rely on

WS to train military personnel on

inspecting shipments of personal

belongings prior to leaving the

island. To further reduce the

spread of the BTS onto neighboring islands, WS hired two

additional wildlife specialists

and trained two additional snakedetector dogs (Jack Russell

terriers) in 1997.

Brown Tree Snake

Control Program

In cooperation with Department of

Defense (DoD) and the State of

Hawaii, WS has produced two

training videos to aid this effort.

Guam WS personnel attended a

“Safety Stand Down Day” hosted

by the Commander-in-Chief of

Guam’s naval facilities. A major

change in base personnel

prompted the 4-hour event, which

centered on educating more than

500 newcomers and their families

on base operations and

procedures. WS demonstrated the

use of snake-detector dogs and

techniques for identifying hiding

places for the BTS.

WS continued its “Living With

Wildlife” public information

campaign during 1997. WS

started this outreach program in

January 1994 to better inform the

general public, especially young

people, about wildlife, wildlife

damage, and the goals, mission,

and objectives of the WS program.

An active campaign to place WS

educational materials in

classrooms has also continued.

During 1997, more than 100

positive news items were placed in

national and regional publications,

as well as on national and regional

TV news shows. Inside Edition

did a story on the BTS program,

and National Geographic TV did a

story on crow roost problems.

Other articles ran on bird–aircraft

Public Information

and Activities

strike work at airports; beaver

damage management in the South;

the rabies program in Texas, New

England, and Ohio; urban wildlife

problems; new research initiatives;

and wolf damage management in

Minnesota and the Greater

Yellowstone area. Major news

organizations picking up our story

included the Associated Press, the

Los Angeles Times, The New York

Times, the Wall Street Journal, the

Washington Post, the Chicago

Tribune, the Miami Herald,

Smithsonian Magazine, People

Magazine, National Geographic,

the Discovery Channel, CBS

News, and CNN.

North Dakota WS specialists

presented information to 200

people at the North Dakota State

University research–extension

field day on reducing or

preventing damage caused by

predators, waterfowl, and

blackbirds. In addition, a seminar

entitled “Hooked on Wildlife—Not

Drugs” was presented to 70 young

people ranging from 12 to 16

years of age.

A public television film crew from

Weisbaden, Germany,

accompanied WS personnel as

they investigated a wolf predation

incident on a northern Minnesota

farm. WS personnel were filmed

performing damage management

activities to reduce wolf depredation on livestock and were

interviewed about the cooperative

WS wolf management program in

Minnesota. The film crew is

producing a television

documentary about the eastern

timber wolf that will include the

wolf’s natural history, research

studies, depredation management,

and wolf conservation education

programs in Minnesota. The

documentary will air on public

television stations throughout

Germany.

WS personnel provided training in

wildlife damage management to 32

Mississippi Department of

Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks

conservation officers. This annual

3-day seminar is one of several

training programs that make up

the Department’s continuing

education curriculum. Course

participants consistently rate the

wildlife damage-management
9

training as the best part of the

entire curriculum.

Arizona WS personnel were

involved in field demonstrations

for The Humane Society of the

United States during a wildlife

exposition in Phoenix in February

1997. WS provided a classroom

lecture and field demonstrations

on techniques used in capturing,

handling, and deterring urban

wildlife.

Wyoming WS personnel

participated in the annual “Ag in

the Classroom” program at Casper

College. Over 3 days, more than

1,200 third-, fourth-, and fifthgrade students and their teachers

visited the WS display. The

children viewed the “Living With

Wildlife” video and learned about

the damage wildlife causes to

American agriculture.

The Colorado Foundation for

Agriculture invited Colorado WS

employees to staff a booth for 4

days at the National Western Stock

Show in Denver. Thousands of

visitors from across the country

attend the show, billed as the

largest stock show in the Nation.

WS personnel had many

opportunities to visit with the

public, describe the WS program,

and answer questions about

wildlife damage management.

Specific information regarding WS’

“Living With Wildlife” campaign

can also be found on the WS

home page. Point your Web

browser to http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/ws/

wsmain.htm

NWRC

Activities

On August 4, 1997, the Denver

Wildlife Research Center in

Lakewood, CO, was officially

closed and the National Wildlife

Research Center (NWRC) in Fort

Collins, CO, was opened. As of

that date, all NWRC headquarters

personnel began working out of a

combination of permanent and

GSA-leased facilities in Fort

Collins. Work on the new

headquarters office and laboratory

building on the Foothills Research

Campus of Colorado State

University began in 1997, and

occupancy of that building is

expected in late 1998. At that

time, all headquarters personnel

will finally be located at one site

after 4 years in transition.

During 1997, NWRC personnel

began new and continued ongoing

work on existing cooperative

agreements. For more comprehensive information about NWRC’s

strategic planning and the scope

of its research activities, request a

copy of the Center’s annual

highlights report (USDA Miscellaneous Publication No. 1547)

from the NWRC Library. See the

introduction on p. 3 for ordering

information.

The following bullets describe a

few of NWRC’s cooperative

agreements.

• An agreement with the Texas

Sheep and Goat Commodities

Board to study the immunological

and behavioral effects of

immunocontraceptive technology

on coyotes in facilities at Utah

State University.

• An agreement with DoD to

continue research into the

development of chemical control

methods for BTS management on

Guam. Work in 1997 emphasized

evaluating toxicant delivery

devices and attractants.

• An agreement with the

California Department of Food and

Agriculture to evaluate potential

new chemicals to reduce rodent

damage to agricultural resources.

• An agreement with the

Washington Forest Protection

Association to support research to

help alleviate wildlife damage to

forest resources. Recent research

has delineated many of the

variables associated with black

bear damage to Douglas-fir.

Researchers are now trying to

assess the effectiveness of various

methods to reduce black bear

damage.

• An agreement with the U.S.

Army to conduct research on

reducing waterfowl deaths caused

by white phosphorus at Eagle
10

River Flats, AK. Telemetry studies

were conducted to determine

mortality rates and to evaluate the

effectiveness of Alaska’s WS

hazing program. AquaBlok®, a

sediment barrier, was also shown

to be effective in reducing white

phosphorus-caused waterfowl

mortality.

Wildlife strikes to aircraft are a

serious economic and safety

problem for civilian aircraft in the

United States. Bird strikes are

reported to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA). However,

until now, this information has not

been entered into a computerized

data base so that the wildlife strike

data can be analyzed. Through an

agreement with the FAA, NWRC

took over management of the FAA

wildlife strike reporting system in

1995. More than 17,000 strike

reports from 1989 through 1997

have been edited and accurately

entered into the National Wildlife

Strike Database. The data base

helps biologists to define

problems by species, time of year,

and other factors so that sciencebased management and preventive

plans can be developed. NWRC

has already handled more than

140 requests for information on

wildlife strikes nationwide.

As part of this data-base entry

process, NWRC, again in

cooperation with the FAA, recently

completed the first multiyear

analysis of reported wildlife strikes

to civilian aircraft in the United

States. In 1993, 1994, and 1995,

an average of 2,200 strikes to

civilian aircraft was reported

annually. Gulls (30 percent) and

waterfowl (13 percent) were the

most commonly struck wildlife.

Mammal strikes included 123 deer

and 24 coyotes. It is estimated

that less than 20 percent of strikes

were reported to FAA, indicating

that the nationwide economic

losses from strikes to civilian

aircraft in 1993–95 exceeded $150

million/year. Other researchers

have estimated losses from

wildlife strikes to U.S. military

aircraft to average $112 million/

year.

Several species of blackbirds

congregate near Louisiana rice

fields in winter roosts that may

exceed 15 million birds. These

birds cause extensive damage to

sprouting and ripening rice, with

losses to rice growers estimated

up to $11.5 million annually.

Repellants, such as anthraquinone

and methiocarb (MesurolTM), were

tested for repellancy in a series of
11

trials to identify treatment levels

appropriate for field evaluations

on newly seeded rice. In one

series of tests, consistent, effective

repellancy with no adverse effects

on seed germination and growth

was obtained when the

compounds were applied to

soaked rice seed. In other cage

tests with anthraquinone,

blackbird consumption of treated

rice seed was reduced an average

of 92 percent. In field evaluations

conducted in Louisiana, a

formulation of anthraquinone

significantly reduced sprout

losses to birds.

Research by NWRC scientists and

cooperators has resulted in the

registration of an oral tranquilizer

trap device. The drug, propiopromazine hydrochloride, has

been authorized by the U.S. Food

and Drug Administration (FDA) for

investigational–operational use by

WS for coyotes, wolves, and other

predatory species to reduce

injuries associated with restraint

traps. WS personnel have

developed training materials and

protocols for implementation of

the tranquilizer trap device. Field

use will include WS personnel and

university researchers certified by

WS. Full field implementation is

expected in late FY 1998.

WS manages wildlife–human

conflicts by using an integrated

approach that employs some

vertebrate pesticides. NWRC was

responsible for helping to maintain existing product registrations

for APHIS, for applying for a new

registration for an end-use product

with a new active ingredient

(Mesurol), and for obtaining two

Investigational New Animal Drug

(INAD) authorizations for vaccines

used as immunocontraceptives.

For 17 consecutive years, NWRC

has cooperated with the FWS in

trapping cowbirds in Michigan to

protect the endangered Kirtland’s

warbler from nest parasitism.

About 100,000 cowbirds have

been removed from warbler

nesting areas since the trapping

program began. During this time,

nest parasitism by cowbirds

decreased from more than

50 percent to less than 5 percent

of nests, and the nesting populations of warblers has increased

from 180 nesting pairs to more

than 600.
12

West Virginia sheep producers

estimated that they lost 3,917

lambs to coyotes in 1995. In

1996, a cooperative agreement

was signed between the West

Virginia Department of Agriculture

and WS to conduct operational

and educational assistance to

sheep producers in Pendleton,

Pocahontas, and Randolph

counties. In the 12 months prior

to the agreement, 40 sheep

producers in that 3-county area

lost a total of 1,111 goats and

sheep to coyotes. In the 6 months

after WS began operational

activities to reduce coyote

predation on goats and sheep,

only 101 goats and sheep were

lost to coyotes. This represents a

PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

91-percent decrease in coyote

predation on goats and sheep on

the 40 ranches that participated in

the program. In 1997, the WS

program was expanded into seven

eastern mountain counties, where

66 percent of the State’s sheep

producers are located.

Over several years, unseasonably

cool, wet weather stunted cotton

crops in Alabama. The small plant

size resulted in a dramatic

increase in wildlife damage. Some

producers reported up to 40

percent of their crop damaged,

primarily by deer. WS coordinated

with the Alabama Game and Fish

Commission and provided

frightening devices and other

technical assistance to producers.

Producers reported a reduction in

damage after implementing the

WS recommendations.

In FY 1997, the livestock

protection collar (LPC) was

successfully used in Texas and

California to reduce coyote

depredations to sheep, lambs, and

goats. The LPC is a control

method that selectively removes

depredating coyotes by focusing

on the coyote’s behavior of killing

by crushing an animal’s windpipe.

In Texas, 43 LPC projects were

conducted by WS personnel. Of

the 43 projects, 25 (58 percent)

were successful. The immediate

predation stopped on 18 LPC

projects as a direct result of

coyotes puncturing collars. In

California, 14 LPC projects were

conducted in 1997; 7 of the 14

projects (50 percent) netted results

with 9 coyotes taken.

Del Monte Fresh Produce, one of

Hawaii’s largest producers of

pineapples, requested WS’

assistance in controlling feral

swine in its Oahu fields. The

swine were consuming plants,

resulting in damages in excess of

$35,000. WS personnel used leg

snares to capture and remove five

swine from a 65-acre field to stop

the damage.
13

WS work for the protection of

threatened and endangered wildlife

species is expanding throughout

the Nation. California WS personnel negotiated an annual agreement with DoD to protect the

endangered loggerhead shrike on

San Clemente Island. This species

is one of the most endangered

birds in the United States. Also in

FY 1997, new projects were

started and annual projects were

renewed in a number of States to

protect animals such as blackfooted ferrets, California least

PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES

AND OTHER NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

Specific Endangered Species

Protection Efforts

terns, California clapper rails,

light-footed clapper rails, western

snowy plovers, Utah prairie dogs,

Aleutian Canada geese, salt marsh

harvest mice, California redlegged frogs, least Bell’s vireos,

and numerous species of birds on

the Hawaiian Islands.

In response to a request from the

Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the FWS,

assistance was provided in

protecting endangered and

threatened sea turtles and the
14

PROTECTION OF PROPERTY

During the summer of 1997,

Wisconsin WS personnel

responded to 203 complaints

involving beaver damage. A total

of 140 beaver dams causing

damage to roads, 472 dams

damaging 750 miles of trout

streams, and 23 dams affecting

wild-rice production in natural

lakes were removed. These

activities were conducted in two

national forests (Chequamegon

St. Andrews beach mouse from

coyote predation at the St. Joseph

State Park in western Florida.

Four coyotes were removed from

the park. Predation of sea turtle

eggs decreased from 52 percent in

FY 1996 to less than 5 percent in

FY 1997.

Damage to commercial beehives

in southwestern Mississippi from

Louisiana black bears, a federally

protected threatened species, has

been severe in recent years. WS

organized a multi-agency taskforce

of employees from Federal, State,

and university conservationists to

implement a successful damage

management strategy. The

taskforce formed patrols and used

frequent site visits to hives,

harassment, and electric fencing to

disperse the bears and protect

38,000 beehives. Hive damage

was reduced by 80 percent

compared to previous years. The

project received favorable press

from newspapers around the State

and convinced producers that this

type of damage can be managed

without harming or relocating

animals.

South Dakota WS personnel

recently completed a 3-month

predator control project to protect

newly released black-footed

ferrets, another endangered

species. This is the fourth year of

introducing black-footed ferrets on

the Badlands National Park and

Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.

In the previous 3 years, ferret

deaths during the initial release

ranged from 62 percent to 78

percent. Most if not all of this

mortality was attributed to

predators, both terrestrial and

avian. WS was asked to provide

predator management for 63 newly

released ferrets in FY 1997. In the

3 months after initial release, only

three losses (5 percent) have been

documented. Two released ferrets

were apparently killed by coyotes,

and one was believed taken by an

eagle. Predator management will

likely be a key factor in the

successful reintroduction of blackfooted ferrets.

A WS wolf specialist in Wyoming

responded to a complaint of

wolves killing lambs and ewes on

property leased from the Bridger–

Teton National Forest. WS verified

that a single wolf had killed 38

lambs and 3 ewes, and injured 5

additional lambs that later died.

The wolf was captured the first

morning after traps were set

around the depredation site. The

radiocollared female was relocated

within Yellowstone National Park.

WS continues to participate in the

gray wolf reintroduction program

in the Northern Rockies, and wolf

damage-management in the State

of Minnesota. Not surprisingly,

complaints about wolf depredation

in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and

Minnesota increased as a result of

the expanding wolf population.

WS personnel spent more than

1,700 hours responding to more

than 75 incidents of wolves

damaging livestock in Idaho,

Wyoming, and Montana. The WS

program in Minnesota expended

more than 2,300 hours responding

to more than 65 incidents

involving wolf damage. By

controlling depredation by

individual animals, the majority of

the reintroduced wolves are able to

coexist with livestock operations

in the area. Wolf numbers in the

Northern Rockies now total about

160 animals as a result of the

reintroduction program. The wolf

population in Minnesota is

estimated to be 2,400 animals.

WS cooperated with Kershaw

County, SC, officials to control

beaver-induced flooding that

threatened two historically

significant Indian burial mounds.

The mounds entomb King Haigler

of the Wateree Tribe and his queen

and have been featured in a

Other Natural and Cultural

Resources Protected

documentary by the National

Geographic Society. WS removed

several beaver dams and problem

beavers to restore natural water

drainage and alleviate flood

damage to the mounds and

adjacent timber and agricultural

land.

and Nicolet), and encompassed

8 counties and 45 townships.

County commissioners requested

assistance from WS in dealing

with beaver damage in the towns

of Pitcher and Cardin, OK. The

aquatic rodents had built several

dams that caused the flooding of

25 homes with an estimated

$20,000 damage to property. WS

specialists used a variety of

methods to remove the beavers

and prevent further damage.

Eastern woodrats caused more

than $34,000 in damage to several

new cars parked in a grass lot at a

vehicle dealership in Manhattan,

KS. The rats damaged the cars by

chewing on wiring and building

nests in the cars’ engines. The

most severely damaged vehicle, a

1997 Toyota Celica GT convertible,

was totally destroyed when a rat’s

nest ignited after the car was

started. Fire, smoke, and fire

suppressant spray damaged the

car beyond repair. A private pestcontrol operator, acting on behalf

of the dealership, contacted WS

and was provided technical

assistance on controlling

woodrats.
15

Recent attacks on pets and a

growing concern for human health

and safety has prompted State,

county, and local government

officials to ask for WS’ assistance.

Wildlife–human conflicts relating

to human health and safety,

including problems at airports, are

on the increase.

PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH

AND SAFETY

Public

Safety

During the summer of 1997,

Canada geese posed potential

health problems at Tennessee

Valley Authority (TVA) recreation

areas and at the Watts Bar Nuclear

Plant in Tennessee. Goose

droppings created unsanitary

conditions on swimming beaches

at three TVA reservoirs, on

sidewalks, and in other public-use

areas. The landscape around the

nuclear plant administration

building complex was covered

with goose droppings. In

cooperation with the State wildlife

agency, WS relocated more than

500 geese and used harassment

techniques to disperse remaining

birds from the problem sites.

Sanitation problems were virtually

eliminated.
16

An 86-year-old woman contacted

WS in Mariposa County, CA, after

she had been attacked at her home

by a gray fox. She kept the fox at

bay by hitting it with her cane. On

arrival at the residence, the WS

specialist was shown the cane,

which had numerous bite marks.

The WS representative located the

fox, was immediately attacked, and

quickly removed the animal. It

tested positive for rabies.

In September 1997, a boy

swimming at Jordan Lake State

Park near Raleigh, NC, was

attacked and bitten by a rabid

beaver. This incident prompted

Park officials to close the

swimming areas and seek

assistance from WS. State Park

personnel and WS staff conducted

intensive day and night searches

and removed several beaver, one

of which tested positive for rabies.

This was the second case of a

rabid beaver attacking a person in

the Park. Earlier in the summer, a

rabid beaver attempted to climb

into a boat with several fishermen.

Rabies in beaver is extremely

unusual: only 14 cases

nationwide have been reported to

the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention over the past 40

years.

The Texas WS program helped the

Texas Department of Health

complete the third year of an oral

rabies vaccination program to

control canine rabies in coyotes.

In January of 1997, 2.6 million

baits were dropped from aircraft.

The expansion of the rabies

outbreak has been contained, and

cases of canine rabies have been

dramatically reduced throughout

the primary vaccination zone. In

March 1997, 87 percent of the

coyotes tested from the target area

had shown evidence of exposure

to at least one bait from the aerial

drop. In addition, 82 percent of

the coyotes tested showed

evidence of an immune response.

Since the completion of the 1997

program, only two cases of rabid

coyotes have been identified in

South Texas.

During 1997, WS participated in a

multi-agency effort to stop the

advance of raccoon strain rabies

into northeastern Ohio. A

coalition of State and local

agencies, APHIS Wildlife Services,

APHIS Veterinary Services, the

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, and Cornell University

distributed more than 99,000 oral

rabies vaccine baits aerially and by

ground placement. The vaccine

baits were spread over a threecounty area to create a barrier to

stop the westward spread of the

virus. WS biologists are

conducting surveillance trapping

in the barrier zone to measure the

success of the project through the

collection of raccoon blood

samples.

Heavy rains in California caused a

number of levee breaks in Yuba,

Sutter, and Colusa counties during

FY 1997. The levee breaks

resulted in serious floods that led

to the evacuation of hundreds of

homes and threatened human

safety. A number of the levee

breaks were attributed to the

burrowing activities of beavers.

Damage costs from the levees that

failed due to beaver activity were

estimated at $130,000. Damage

included costs to repair the levees,

remove the trees that had been cut

down by beavers, and unblock

clogged drainages, and

construction of emergency levees

to protect homes and businesses

from flooding. The damage

estimates did not include the

damage caused to private

residences, crops, or cropland.

WS personnel continue to be

involved in those counties to

reduce beaver damage to levees by

implementing a variety of

nonlethal and lethal control

methods.
17

Airport

Safety

Wildlife that loiter in and around

airports present a threat to public

safety when they collide with

aircraft or get pulled into the

powerful aircraft engines on

runways. FAA regulations require

airports experiencing wildlife–

aircraft conflicts to develop and

implement wildlife management

plans. WS has entered into new

cooperative agreements and has

continued agreements in place

since 1989 to resolve wildlife

hazards at airports. WS is

currently working on wildlife

hazard management projects for

50 airports and military

installations. Personnel are

working continuously to upgrade

methods and techniques for

wildlife hazard reduction.

Virginia’s Norfolk and Richmond

international airports requested

proposals for conducting

ecological studies and developing

wildlife hazard-management

plans. During 1997, the two

major airports serving Washington

DC—Dulles International Airport

and National Airport—requested

that WS extend their wildlife

hazard management programs for

3 additional years. Other airports

and military airfields in Virginia

requesting WS assistance were

Roanoke Regional Airport,

Quantico Marine Base, Langley Air

Force Base, and Richmond Air

National Guard Base.

About 300 participants attended

the Seventh Annual meeting of the

Bird Strike Committee–USA

(BSC–USA) at Boston’s Logan

International Airport August 12–

14, 1997. The meeting, which

received local and national

newspaper and TV coverage, was

sponsored by WS, FAA, and DoD,

and the Wildlife Hazards Working

Group in cooperation with Logan

International Airport. The goal of

BSC–USA is to increase

communication and

professionalism among the

diverse groups dealing with

wildlife issues on airports and the

1997 meeting appeared to be

highly successful in this regard. A

total of 42 technical papers and

poster sessions were presented on

topics related to reducing wildlife

collisions with aircraft.

In 1997, WS personnel developed

a software package to assist

biologists at airports in designing

wildlife hazard-management plan

and reporting bird strikes. The

computer program was presented

at the BSC–USA meeting, and was

received with great interest.

In California, WS personnel assisted various civilian and military

airports. The San Francisco

International Airport provided

funding for a WS biologist to give

a 1-day training program to 40

airport employees. The training

covered the use of management

techniques to reduce the threat of

wildlife–aircraft strikes. The San

Francisco Airport is located in a

wildlife-rich environment, close to

the coast and San Francisco Bay.

Shore- and waterbirds abound.

WS personnel also provided

training to personnel at Edwards

Air Force Base. WS personnel

conducted wildlife hazardmanagement work at Sacramento

International Airport, Oakland

International Airport, Monterey

Airport, Santa Barbara Airport,

Humboldt County Airport, Beale

Air Force Base, McClellan Air

Force Base, and North Island

Naval Air Station.

During 1996, Whiteman Air Force

Base entered into a cooperative

agreement with WS for a biologist

to provide technical and operational assistance to reduce bird

strikes to the B–2 Stealth bomber.

WS activities during FY 1997 have

been successful in reducing the

birdstrike rate at the Base. To date,

34 Whiteman personnel, including

airfield operations employees, civil

engineers, pilots, and flying safety

officers, have received training in

bird identification, hazard assessment, and harassment techniques

from WS.

In August 1997, the New Jersey

WS program successfully completed its seventh year of assistance to the Port Authority of New

York and New Jersey at John F.

Kennedy International Airport, in a

program that has reduced gull

collisions with aircraft by

75 percent to 90 percent.

In 1993, WS established an

evaluation committee to better

assist customers and improve

services provided. The purpose of

the committee is to conduct yearly

evaluations of individual State

programs in regard to program

operation and other key areas,

including procurement, service

delivery, customer satisfaction,

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND

PROGRAM EVALUATION

and cooperative relations with

State and Federal regulatory and

non regulatory agencies. During

1997, about six Statewide

evaluations were conducted.

These evaluations increase

proficiency and maintain a high

standard of customer service

throughout the program.
18

USDA Secretary Dan Glickman

honored several WS employees

for their outstanding

achievements in FY 1997.

The WS wildlife hazard

management staff at Chicago’s

O’Hare International Airport

received the USDA Award for

Superior Service for “personal

and professional excellence” in

protecting public safety at the

world’s busiest airport. The group

included Mark Jensen, Kirk

Gustad, Todd Grim, Andy

Montoney, Maury Bedford, and Ed

Hartin. The award recognized WS’

implementation of an effective

wildlife hazard-management

program. Management plans

went into effect in 1993 to reduce

the number of strikes from ringbilled gulls, waterfowl, and deer.

Gull problems have been reduced

by 77 percent and waterfowl

strikes, by 88 percent. Deer

caused five strikes and several

near misses from 1982 to 1993.

In 1993, the deer management

program removed 101 deer, and

the airport has not had any deercaused problems since then. In

addition, WS personnel began a

capture-and-release program for

hazardous raptors in 1996 that led

to a 68-percent reduction in

raptor-caused damage in the first

year.

Secretary Glickman presented

USDA Honor Awards to NWRC’s

Richard Dolbeer for “personal and

professional excellence” and to

AWARDS AND PUBLIC

RECOGNITION

Richard Wadleigh for

“environmental protection.”

In August 1997, the Black Bear

Conservation Committee gave the

Louisiana and Mississippi WS

programs its Chairman’s Award for

their contribution to the restoration

of the Louisiana black bear, a

threatened species in Louisiana,

Mississippi, and Texas. Louisiana

WS personnel were recognized

primarily for their contribution to

the Committee’s conflict management team, and for their role in

setting up a system for responding

quickly to bear complaints

throughout the geographic range

of the subspecies. Mississippi

WS personnel were recognized for

their role in establishing and

conducting a harassment program

for marauding black bears to

prevent damage to beehives in

Wilkinson County. The harassment program resulted in a near

zero loss in beehives belonging to

the largest commercial beekeeper

in North America. With WS’

assistance, the efforts of both State

and Federal agencies have

increased the likelihood of the

general public to report bear

conflicts instead of killing the

problem bears, a common practice

in the past.

During spring 1997, flooding in

North Dakota left thousands of

livestock dead and decomposing

in waterways. All 18 employees of

the North Dakota–South Dakota

WS program helped victims of the

flood and assisted with carcass

removal. A total of 123,000 cattle

and other livestock were killed,

and millions of dollars’ worth of

buildings, machinery, and stored

crops were destroyed by the

floods. WS employees took the

lead in using small boats to

remove more than 1,000 cattle

carcasses from streams and water

impoundments. WS employees

helped answer phones at the

Agricultural Disaster Response

Center in Bismarck, ND. In total,

WS personnel worked 965 hours

of regular time and 578 hours of

overtime and flew 34 hours of

aerial reconnaissance during the

livestock-disposal project. The

State recognized the WS employees for their assistance and

ingenuity in keeping sometimes

temperamental equipment

operating under difficult

conditions.

This year, the Western Region

created a special award honoring

Bill Spalsbury. This annual award

is open to any WS employee in the

Western Region and also to

employees of our cooperators.

The first recipient of the award was

Mel Anderson, a Nevada WS State

employee since 1973. Mel

exemplifies the high degree of

professionalism, dedication, and

personal integrity represented by

the award.