Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding more than $16.7 million this year to fund pilot projects to control feral swine in ten states across the country, including Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
Alabama
Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding more than $16.7 million this year to fund pilot projects to control feral swine in Alabama and nine other states across the country. Alabama will receive funds totaling $3.7 million to address feral swine.
These projects are part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) – a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.
“Feral swine are the cause of significant damage to crops and grazing lands, while also impacting the health of our natural resources,” said NRCS State Conservationist Ben Malone “By collaborating with our partners nationally and here in Alabama, our hope is to control this invasive species – improving operations for farmers while also protecting our natural resources for the future.”
NRCS and APHIS are working with the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee on three pilot projects in Alabama. These projects will significantly reduce environmental and economic damage caused by wild pig rooting. Wild pigs cause millions of dollars in damage on farms across the southeast each year. They also damage native ecosystems and compete with native wildlife species for habitat and food. In addition, they degrade water quality and pose a serious disease threat to livestock and humans. Feral swine have been sighted in all 67 counties in Alabama.
NRCS, APHIS and the Alabama State Technical Committee worked together to define the critical areas to be considered for projects within the state. These projects include select watersheds in Houston, Henry, Geneva, Baldwin, Escambia and Sumter Counties. The Alabama pilot projects run three years in duration. An announcement for funding was advertised earlier this year. All non-federal entities (NFE) with the exception of private for-profit entities were eligible.
Feral swine pilot projects are happening in select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. The funding limit for a single award is $1.5 million. Awardees are required to provide at least 25 percent of the partnership agreement budget as a match to NRCS funding. APHIS is providing $23.3 million this year to the Wildlife Services programs located in the pilot projects states.
The 2018 Farm Bill provides $75 million for the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. These funds are for the life of the farm bill and divided evenly between NRCS and APHIS.
More information about NRCS’s feral swine control work can be found at http://nrcs.usda.gov/fscp
Florida
Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding approximately $1.5 million to fund a project to control feral swine in the Red Hills region of Florida and Georgia, from Tallahassee Fla. to Thomasville Ga.
The project is part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, an effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.
“Feral swine cause significant damage to crop and grazing lands, while also impacting the health of our natural resources,” said Florida NRCS State Conservationist Russell Morgan. “By collaborating with our partners nationally and here in Florida, our hope is to control and eradicate this invasive species – improving operations for farmers while also protecting our natural resources for the future.”
NRCS and APHIS are working with Tall Timbers Research Station in Jefferson and Leon counties in Florida and Brooks, Grady and Thomas counties in Georgia. The project consists broadly of three coordinated components: 1) feral swine control by APHIS; 2) restoration efforts supported by NRCS; and 3) assistance to producers for feral swine control provided through partnership agreements with non-federal partners. As a result, partners will be conducting outreach and educational efforts and facilitating landowner activities in the project areas. A monitoring program will evaluate water quality, general damage to the area, crop land damage, and estimate the cost of restoring Ag land back into production.
NRCS, APHIS and the Florida and Georgia State Technical Agriculture Committees worked together to define the critical areas to be considered for the project. The project runs one to three years in duration. NRCS is awarding more than $16.7 million this year for feral swine pilot projects in select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. APHIS is providing $23.3 million this year to the wildlife services programs located in the pilot projects states.
The 2018 Farm Bill provides $75 million for the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. These funds are for the life of the Farm Bill and divided evenly between NRCS and APHIS.
Additional information on feral swine control work can be found at http://nrcs.usda.gov/fscp.
Georgia
Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding approximately $1.5 million to fund pilot projects to control feral swine in Georgia.
These projects are part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) – a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.
“Feral swine cause significant damage to crops and grazing lands, while also impacting the health of our natural resources,” said NRCS State Conservationist Terrance O. Rudolph. “By collaborating with our partners nationally and here in Georgia, our hope is to control this invasive species – improving operations for farmers while also protecting our natural resources for the future.”
NRCS and APHIS are working with the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District in portions of Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, and Terrell counties on one project. Additionally, the group is working with Tall Timbers Research, Inc., in portions of Brooks, Grady and Thomas counties, as well as several counties in North Florida.
NRCS, APHIS and the Georgia State Technical Committee worked together to define the critical areas to be considered for projects within the state. The Georgia pilot project runs from one to three years in duration. These projects will consist broadly of three coordinated components: 1) feral swine control by APHIS; 2) restoration efforts supported by NRCS; and 3) assistance to producers for feral swine control provided through partnership agreements with non-federal partners. As a result, partners will be conducting outreach and educational efforts as well as facilitating landowner activities in these project areas.
NRCS is awarding more than $16.7 million this year for feral swine pilot projects in select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. The funding limit for a single award is $1.5 million. Awardees are required to provide at least 25 percent of the partnership agreement budget as a match to NRCS funding. APHIS is providing $23.3 million this year to the Wildlife Services programs located in the pilot projects states.
The 2018 Farm Bill provides $75 million for the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. These funds are for the life of the farm bill and divided evenly between NRCS and APHIS.
Additional information on NRCS’ feral swine control work can be found at http://nrcs.usda.gov/fscp.