The Role of Wildlife Services 



provide assistance upon request of 

 State Governments, private individuals, 

 and other Federal agencies to control 

 and prevent damage and disease 

 caused or carried by wildlife. Coopera- 

 tive agreements provide for the man- 

 agement of various species, including 

 management for the purpose of control- 

 ling damage caused by wildlife. 



Wildlife Services (WS), a unit of USDA's 

 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Ser- 

 vice (APHIS), assists in solving prob- 

 lems that are created when species of 

 wildlife cause damage to agriculture. 

 WS personnel also assist with wildlife 

 problems involving urban or natural 

 resources as well as threats to human 

 health and safety. 



WS is committed to the well-being of 

 the environment and wildlife and acts as 

 a protective buffer between wildlife and 

 people. Failure to provide solutions to 

 wildlife damage sometimes leads angry 

 individuals to take actions that are eco- 

 logically and biologically damaging. 

 Professional wildlife biologists and tech- 

 nicians employed by APHIS' WS pro- 

 gram can sometimes prevent such 

 unwise reactions. By providing a bio- 

 logically sound, economically efficient 

 response coupled with education to indi- 

 viduals experiencing damage, WS bene- 

 fits individuals, the public, wildlife, and 

 the environment. 



WS is a Federal cooperative program 

 that responds to requests by persons 

 and agencies needing help in controlling 



wildlife damage. Its field operations are 

 conducted in accordance with all Federal 

 and State guidelines and in cooperation 

 with wildlife management professionals 

 from Federal and/or State agencies. In 

 all instances, WS programs are con- 

 ducted to ensure no negative impact on 

 wildlife populations. 



WS helps reduce wildlife damage to 



• Agricultural crops — grain, sunflowers, 

 vegetables, fruit, and nuts; 



• Livestock — cattle, sheep, goats, 

 swine, horses, and poultry; 



• Commercial forests and forest 

 products; 



• Aquaculture — cultivated trout, catfish, 

 bait fish, and marine shellfish and 

 lobsters; 



• Natural resources — wildlife, wildlife 

 habitat, water quality, and rangelands: 



• Urban and industrial property — private 

 homes, public buildings, airports, golf 

 courses, and reservoirs; 



• Public health and safety — preventing 

 bird strikes at airports and controlling 

 wildlife-borne diseases; and 



• Threatened or endangered species — 



