Animal Damage Control Program
Logo of the APHIS
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1895 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Employees | 2,004 (FY10) |
| Annual budget | US$121 million (FY10): 47.8% federal, 52.2% cooperator-provided |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) |
| Website | www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage |
Wildlife Services is the program intended to provide Federal leadership and skill to resolve wildlife interactions that threaten public health and safety, as well as agricultural, property, and natural resources. The program is part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Wildlife Services is tasked with protecting those resources from damage or threats posed by wildlife. It works in every state to conduct a program of integrated wildlife damage management in response to local requests. Wildlife damage management is a specialized field within the wildlife management profession.
Wildlife Services’ goals and objectives have evolved significantly since its establishment in 1895 as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At first the program focused on rodent management and predator control activities. Although its mission and legal authority have not changed, the range of activities has increased over time due to changing social needs.
The mission of Wildlife Services is to provide Federal leadership among stakeholders in the wildlife management profession, the public, nongovernmental organizations, and governmental/research entities to address wildlife-related problems in a science-based manner that is both accountable and transparent. The program is committed to the principle that wildlife is a publicly owned resource held in trust and carefully managed by state and federal agencies. Its primary statutory authorities are found in two acts of Congress: The Act of March 2, 1931 (46 Stat. 1468; 7 U.S.C. 426-426b) as amended, and The Act of December 22, 1987 (101 Stat. 1329-331, 7 U.S.C. 426c).
Wildlife Services was formerly known (until 1997) as Animal Damage Control (ADC). From 1939 until 1985, Wildlife Services was part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It returned to USDA, where it remains as part of APHIS, the agency whose mission is to protect the health and value of U.S. agriculture and natural resources.
Responding to increasingly diverse requests for assistance, Wildlife Services has expanded its operational and research activities beyond its early emphasis on rabies and rodent control and livestock protection. Current programs now include threatened and endangered species conservation, the protection of public health and safety, wildlife disease surveillance and monitoring, research efforts emphasizing nonlethal methods, and other activities and programs. Wildlife Services plays a vital role in the nation’s efforts to eliminate the negative environmental effects of invasive species.
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