United States Department of Agriculture 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

WS Directive 2.110 07/21/08

WILDLIFE SERVICES RESEARCH AND METHODS DEVELOPMENT

1. PURPOSE 

 To provide administrative guidelines for research and methods development within the 

Wildlife Services (WS) Program. 

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS 

 This directive revises WS Directive 2.110 dated 03/06/03. 

3. BACKGROUND 

 The WS Program bases its strategies and decisions on valid scientific information. To 

accomplish its mission of providing Federal leadership in managing problems caused by 

wildlife, WS supports and promotes scientific investigations to develop and improve 

wildlife damage management (WDM) methods and to provide science-based information 

for WDM. WS research and methods development activities include applying the 

scientific method and appropriate regulatory standards to study the biology and ecology of 

wildlife involved in conflicts, to develop new and improved WDM methods and 

technology, to perform pesticide and drug registration activities within Good Laboratory 

Practice (GLP) regulations and guidelines, and to conduct scientific and economic 

analyses of WDM strategies and programs. The focus of WS sponsored research is to 

ensure that WS strategies, decisions, and actions are based on valid scientific information 

and are effective, economical, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable to the 

greatest extent possible. 

4. POLICY 

a. Wildlife Services Research and Methods Development. The WS National Wildlife 

Research Center (NWRC) is the research arm of the Program. The WS State Offices are 

the operational arm of the Program. The NWRC and state operational programs have 

distinct yet complementary responsibilities in accomplishing the WS mission. NWRC 

conducts laboratory and field research projects and studies under NWRC research 

protocols and has authority to contract for research and to enter into cooperative research 

agreements with outside agencies, universities, private organizations, and individuals. WS 

Operations personnel implement management and technical assistance activities within 

each state and serve as the primary point of contact for State, Local, and Private entities 

within their respective states. NWRC personnel should inform the state operational 

programs when initiating field investigations within those states. Whenever funds are 

appropriated by Congress to APHIS/WS specifically for Methods Development, NWRC 
will conduct the projects. Whenever other WS funds are provided to NWRC for research 

purposes with identified objectives, NWRC may direct, conduct, provide administrative 

and technical oversight, or collaborate in such projects. 

When WS State Directors have the need to contract for a cooperative wildlife damagerelated research project to an outside source (e.g., Congress directs the action, cooperator 

provides funding through WS State Director), the State Director may request NWRC 

assistance in reviewing the research objectives and the appropriateness of experimental 

designs. If NWRC does not have the necessary scientific expertise available to adequately 

assist in these reviews, NWRC will advise the State Director where such expertise might 

be obtained. 

b. WS Operational Assistance in Research Activities. WS operational employees may 

provide assistance in research and methods development activities to NWRC, universities, 

other Federal and State agencies, private organizations, and individuals based on approval 

of the State Director and provided that such participation does not supersede or interfere 

with their accomplishment of assigned operational duties. While conducting assigned 

field activities, WS operational employees may evaluate modifications to existing WDM 

techniques, tools, and systems for the purpose of improving these techniques and tools. 

WS operational employees should obtain approval from their respective State Director 

prior to providing research assistance to NWRC or external entities. 

c. Pocatello Supply Depot (PSD). Product improvement or quality control studies may be 

conducted at the PSD. Prior to initiation of such studies involving chemicals or drugs, the 

PSD Manager will request scientific review and other appropriate assistance from NWRC, 

as part of meeting GLP standards. 

d. Research Prioritization Process. WS research priorities are based on a WS nationwide 

research needs assessment and Congressional directives. Every 5 years, the program 

surveys WS State Directors, NWRC research scientists and stakeholders for highest 

priority research and methods development needs as part of a research needs assessment. 

The identified needs are ranked by importance on a national basis. The NWRC Director 

uses the national ranking from these assessments as one source of guidance for WS 

research planning, along with Congressional Directives and Deputy Administrator input. 

Research projects are also guided through mid-project and final project reviews. WS State 

Directors or their representatives who are key constituents of individual research projects 

will be identified and invited to participate in these reviews to help ensure close 

coordination. 

Deputy Administrator