The second initiative—ADC Critical Skills Development— 
focuses on increasing the pipeline of employees for 
supervisory and managerial positions in the future. With this 
initiative, 12 leadership skills (e.g., conflict resolution, 
communication, teamwork, and coalition building) have been 
identified as critical to the success of all ADC employees 
regardless of their placement in the organization. 
Developmental funds are made available to employees to 
encourage them to develop these skills. The goal of this 
program, in addition to enhancing employee performance, is 
to provide an opportunity for nonsupervisory personnel to 
see themselves as future supervisors and managers. 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 
Survey 
ADC has continued its interagency agreement with NASS to 
determine the magnitude and extent of wildlife damage to 
various agricultural resources. In May 1996, NASS reieased 
the results of its survey to determine losses to the cattle 
industry due to predators. Results indicated that predators 
killed 96,200 calves and 21,200 adult cattle valued at $39.5 
million. Coyotes and dogs continued to be the largest 
predators of cattle. 
Program Development Activities 
During 1996, total cooperative funding provided to the ADC 
program increased by approximately $2.3 million. Most of 
this funding was allocated for beaver control and human 
health and safety projects. Examples follow. 
¢ A grant of $50,000 a year to ADC from the Nebraska 
Department of Agriculture for general wildlife damage- 
management activities. 
e An additional $86,000 from the Wisconsin Department of 
Natural Resources to control beaver damage on trout 
streams in Wisconsin. 
¢ A grant of $84,000 to ADC from 20 counties and 7 water 
resource districts in North Dakota specifically to manage 
damage caused by beavers. 
¢ A $60,000 increase in the FY 1997—99 Oregon 
Department of Fish and Wildlife budget for ADC to handle 
depredation situations involving mountain lions, beavers, 
black bear, and other abundant wildlife species. 
¢ A $375,000 grant to ADC from the Mississippi Department 
of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks for more control of beaver 
damage. (The Beaver Control Assistance Program in 
Mississippi will be expanded to 8 new counties, bringing the 
total to 58 counties.) 
4/ADC Program Highlights, 1996 
Through cooperative toll-free telephone services ADC 
provided to the public in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Vermont, 
phone bank personnel handled more than 22,000 wildlife 
damage-management calls, including 18,693 relating to 
nuisance wildlife in Maryland and Wisconsin and 3,356 calls 
about rabies in Vermont. Cooperators in this service include 
the Maryland and Wisconsin Departments of Natural 
Resources and the Vermont Departments of Fish and 
Wildlife, Health, and Agriculture. 
During FY 1996, ADC personnel helped State officials in 
North Carolina plan and implement a new program for 
training and certifying nuisance-wildlife control operators. 
Certified wildlife control operators will be authorized, as 
agents of the State, to issue wildlife depredation permits and 
conduct nuisance-wildlife control activities. The certification 
program for the operators was developed for the North 
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission by the North 
Carolina Chapter of the Wildlife Society's Wildlife Damage 
Control Committee. 
