FUTURE OF WILDLIFE DAMAGE CONTROL AND THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE

The driving forces which determine the role of the Cooperative Extension Service in wildlife damage control are (1) the demand for information by the public, (2) the degree of support for programs at the national level, and (3) the level of professionalism exhibited by Cooperative Extension Agents and subject matter Specialists. Analysis of several trends suggests that the Cooperative Extension Service role in Wildlife Damage Control will increase in coming years. The movement of urban people into rural settings will create greater demands for wildlife damage control information. Likewise, the expansion of wildlife population into urban and suburban environments due to creation of new habitats will generate needs for new programs in cities. The emergence of the coyote a3 a prominent predator on livestock in the East will result in development of new Extension education programs to help farmers deal with coyotes. Each of these increases in conflicts between people and wildlife will be met with educational programs developed and presented by the Cooperative Extension Service