The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined 248 other organizations from across the nation in a letter addressed to ranking Senate committee members in support of USDA Wildlife Services (WS), which works to prevent, minimize or manage the more than $12.8 billion in annual damage caused by wildlife.
Among its many responsibilities, WS seeks to reduce and eliminate wildlife-borne diseases such as the West Nile virus and chronic wasting disease to humans, livestock and other wildlife; assists farmers and ranchers to reduce the impact of predators on their animals; removes problem animals from urban, suburban and other locations where their presence is a danger to humans; and deals with depredation to aquaculture, agriculture products, roadways and endangered species.
In FY20, WS encountered about 22.5 million animals while responding to calls for assistance and dispersed nearly 21 million wildlife from urban, rural and other settings where they were causing damage.
Supporting groups covered a wide range of interests from Airlines for America, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and National Farmers Union to the United States Animal Health Association, National Milk Producers Association and Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics.
Go here to see details about WS management actions and funding sources in 2020.
(Photo source: U.S. Department of Agriculture)