Free Webcast from The Stewardship Network: "Feral Swine - an Unwelcome Visitor"

Join us for our next FREE monthly Stewardship Network Webcast! The webcast will be on Wednesday, February 12th, and will focus on "Feral Swine - an Unwelcome Visitor."

Presentation by: Tim Wilson, USDA Wildlife Services; and Lisa Brush, The Stewardship Network
Date: Wednesday, February 12th, 2014
Time: 12 noon to 1pm Eastern
Place: Your Computer!
Click here to view webcast!
(Link will become live day of webcast)

Feral swine can cause considerable damage to property and pose a disease threat to domestic animals. The rooting and wallowing activities of feral swine can cause serious erosion to riparian areas and wetlands, and damage to agricultural crops. These destructive animals have been known to tear through livestock and game fences, consume animal feed, and prey upon small livestock. Feral swine are also known to prey upon wildlife, especially ground nesting birds, small mammals, and deer fawns. Feral swine are also susceptible to a variety of diseases (such as pseudorabies, swine brucellosis, and classical swine fever) that are transmittable to domestic animals. 

USDA Wildlife Services has been working cooperatively with the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources, and the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy to locate feral swine. Once feral swine are located, technical assistance and traps are made available to landowners who want to trap these animals. Blood samples are then taken from trapped swine for disease surveillance. Efforts are being made to educate the public that the perils of feral swine far outweigh any potential positive recreational benefits. 

Join Tim Wilson, USDA Wildlife Services, and Lisa Brush, The Stewardship Network as they present on this important stewardship topic.
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Tim Wilson - Wildlife Biologist with USDA Wildlife Services since 2001. Tim is involved with not only feral swine issues, but also wildlife mitigation on airports, control of double-crested cormorants, nuisance Canada geese, and other conflicts between wildlife and humans. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and a Master of Science from Mississippi State University.

Lisa Brush - Executive Director, The Stewardship Network. Lisa has worked in the environmental field in Michigan for the last fifteen years. She is currently the Executive Director of the Stewardship Network and has been involved with the Network since its inception more than 10 years ago. She has a wealth of experience helping non-scientific people understand scientific issues. For over nine years, as she has built and coordinated The Stewardship Network, she has emphasized effective and meaningful stakeholder involvement in developing and implementing all aspects of this program. She has a M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and a B.A. (Science in Society) from Wesleyan University.

Take measures to prevent spread of invasive species while enjoying nature

by CHRIS YOUNG

GateHouse Media Illinois

Posted May 04, 2013 @ 07:21 PM

When it comes to preventing the spread of invasive species, people who love the outdoors should take steps to be sure they are not part of the problem.

Many invasive species — defined as plants and animals that can cause economic and ecological harm — crowd out native species and can be difficult to control.

Chris Evans, invasive species campaign coordinator with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said people need to learn to identify invasive species and help prevent their spread.

“One thing they can do is familiarize themselves with the invasives,” Evans said. “Learn what is in your area.”
One example is Japanese stilt grass, an annual that is a major invader of forests in southern Illinois.
Evans said the plant is making its way northward, probably because seeds are carried on boots, all-terrain vehicles and even horses.

“We re trying to get people to watch for it,” he said.

Officials in Illinois are keeping a close eye on hydrilla, an aquatic plant.

Photo via Wikipedia:

Hydrilla verticillata collection LakeSeminoleFL.jpg

“It’s not here yet,” Evans said. “But it is pretty abundant south and east and is showing up a few places in the Midwest. It can just dominate in a reservoir or aquatic system.”

It was once sold as an aquarium plant, according to www.protectyourwaters.net.

So great is the threat that a task force has been formed to plan a response should hydrilla appear in Illinois.
Like another invasive aquatic plant, Eurasian water milfoil, it spreads by plant fragments that can hitch a ride on boats.

As temperatures warm and people head outside, Evans said people should clean their shoes and equipment (including boats) before moving from one site to another.

For landowners who don’t know if they have a problem, Evans suggests a visit to a local University of Illinois Extension or U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service office. Local staff members will be familiar with problem plants in your area.

“If they don’t know the answer to your question, they will know who to ask,” Evans said.
Some of the invaders are in the news frequently — the advance of Asian carp is one familiar example. But carp and plants aren’t the only invaders....read more

Feral Swine: Ripping and Rooting Their Way across America

Feral swine are not native to the United States. They are a cross between feral domestic swine introduced by Spanish explorers in the 1500s and the Eurasian boar. (Dana Johnson, USDA-APHIS)

Posted by Gail Keirn, APHIS Public Affairs Specialist, on April 30, 2013 at 1:00 PM 

 

Feral swine have been called the “rototillers” of nature. Their longs snouts and tusks allow them to rip and root their way across America in search of food.  Unfortunately, the path they leave behind impacts ranchers, farmers, land managers, conservationists, and suburbanites alike. April, Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, is a great time to learn about this serious threat to both plant and animal health.
Found in at least 35 states and with a population of more than 5 million, feral swine cause approximately $1.5 billion in damages and control costs in the United States each year, with at least $800 million of this estimate due to direct agricultural damage. The damage caused by feral swine seems endless and includes the following:

• Destroying native habitats, crops, lawns, and river banks through rooting and wallowing
• Eating and destroying agricultural crops
• Competing with native wildlife for food and other resources
• Carrying or transmitting over 30 diseases and 37 parasites
• Contaminating human food sources and water supplies
• Destroying property and fences
• Eating ground nesting birds and other small wildlife
• Consuming livestock feed and supplements and fowling water sources
• Colliding with vehicles

The APHIS Wildlife Services (WS) program collaborates with State, local and tribal officials to reduce the threats caused by feral swine to our country’s livestock, agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health.  Our experts provide technical advice to landowners, state agencies and others, as well as direct management assistance for feral swine problems in more than 30 states.  This is often necessary because hunting alone cannot resolve feral swine conflicts with humans.  WS experts provide a 3-pronged approach that involves management, disease surveillance, and research.

For instance, WS is initiating a collaborative pilot project this spring in New Mexico to eradicate feral swine from certain areas in the State and protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats. The State’s unique geographic characteristics and the size and geographic separation of the State’s feral swine population make eradication still possible.  The effort will provide information and evidence to guide feral swine control efforts in many other states.

You can help be part of the solution: 1) Report feral swine activity to the proper wildlife and agriculture officials in your State; 2) Do not relocate feral swine without proper permits; and 3) if you raise domestic pigs, take adequate biosecurity measures to prevent accidental release of domestic pigs or the interaction between feral swine and domestic pigs.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has declared April as Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month. Throughout the month, APHIS is posting a series of blog entries here and also share invasive plant pest and disease information through our twitter feed. APHIS and its federal and state partners are fighting to protect our communities, our public lands, and our agricultural resources from invasive species. But we can’t do it alone. Join the fight by visiting www.HungryPests.com.