Current Events in Extension Wildlife Damage Control in the United States

The Cooperative Extension Services (CES) within each state and territory of the United States and their federal partner, the Extension Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), have long recognized the need for, and responsibility of, providing educational programs in wildlife damage control to both rural and urban clientele. The system employed to implement these educational programs was established early in this century dating back to passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914. Through the years since that time, the strengths of this system have been the recognition of the need for a continuing spirit of cooperation with other federal and state agencies and a dedication toward programming 2 directions. These are: 1) from the grass roots, local level with problem identification upward; and 2) from the federal level down with programs directed through the Land Grant University system to help people help themselves by providing them with educational assistance. Today, extension wildlife specialists working with the other elements of the system and its cooperators provide educational programs in wildlife damage control to a wide variety of audiences. These cooperative programs contribute significantly, not only to the direct educational efforts, but also to the technical advances in this area, the innovations and to the increasing literature sources. These programs contribute also to an increasing awareness and understanding by the public that wildlife damage control is an integral and essential part of managing our resources for the continued availability of food and fiber and the well-being of the nation as well as the perpetuation of a strong natural resources base for the future