A wildlife biologist was hired to implement 

 and coordinate the program, which uses a 

 variety of management techniques. Funding 

 for the integrated crow damage management 

 program started in July 1999. This is the first 

 time cooperative funding has been provided in 

 Oklahoma for the management of crow 

 damage. 



The State of Texas increased cooperative 

 funding by $532,130 for the purchase of State- 

 owned vehicles for WS use in Texas and 

 $450,000 for three new State positions. An 

 increase in the assessment to counties and 

 cooperators will bring in an additional 

 $500,000 annually to the cooperative Texas- 

 WS program. This increase was necessary to 

 maintain the program at its current level. 



Indiana residents now have access to a toll- 

 free wildlife damage management hotline. WS 

 established the hotline through a cooperative 

 funding agreement with the Indiana Depart- 

 ment of Natural Resources. Through the 

 hotline, WS personnel are responding to calls 

 on a wide range of human-wildlife conflicts. 

 The number of calls received has increased 

 steadily as more people find out about this 

 new service. 



Overall, WS experienced an 8.58-percent 

 increase in total cooperative funding from FY 

 1998 to FY 1999. 



Government Performance and Results Act 



The Government Performance and Results Act 

 (GPRA), passed by Congress in 1993, requires 

 Federal agencies to develop: (1 ) a 5-year 

 strategic plan identifying the vision and 

 mission of the agency and general goals and 

 objectives, (2) an annual performance plan 

 identifying specific programmatic goals and 

 quantitative targets that support the strategic 

 plan, and, for the first time in 1999, (3) an 

 annual performance report of the agency's 

 accomplishments, to be distributed to 

 Congress. 



Congress is to use this information when 

 considering Federal budget allocations and 

 other resource requests. This information is 

 also to help program managers monitor and 

 track data, refine program policies, and 

 achieve more through greater efficiency. 



The APHIS Strategic Plan consists of five 

 broad goals, all aimed at protecting American 

 agriculture. These goals focus on programs 

 and activities designed to (1) prevent foreign 

 animal and plant pests and diseases from 

 entering this country, (2) monitor those pests 

 and diseases that have entered the country, 



(3) manage certain plant and animal pests and 

 diseases and wildlife damage, (4) protect 

 animal welfare, and (5) develop new scientific 

 tools, methods, products, or other technolo- 

 gies to help the agency in carrying out 

 activities under the first four goals. In total, 

 APHIS set 55 targets and measured its 

 performance against them. 



GPRA has provided WS an opportunity for the 

 program to pay greater attention to the impact 

 it is having on a variety of resources it 

 protects. In FY 1999, WS program activities 

 are reflected in goals 3 and 5 of the APHIS 

 Strategic Plan. Under goal 3, WS set targets 

 and measured itself on five criteria: 



• Its ability to increase air passenger safety by 

 reducing the risk of aircraft striking wildlife; 



• Its ability to protect human health by 

 reducing the prevalence of canine rabies in 

 the parts of Texas where WS provided oral 

 vaccination of wild canids; 



• Its ability to satisfy its customers who need 

 assistance in reducing livestock depredation 

 by wildlife: 



