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Pueblo County approves five-year cooperation agreement with USDA for wildlife damage management
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a five-year cooperation agreement with USDA APHIS and the 2025 financial work plan for wildlife damage and nuisance animal control; the county’s extension office will continue to facilitate the contract and USDA will invoice quarterly based on work performed.
Pueblo County commissioners on Jan. 7 approved a five-year cooperation agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the agency’s 2025 financial work plan to provide wildlife damage management and nuisance animal control in the county.
The agreement sets a five-year term for the cooperative framework, with an annual financial work plan to specify the coming year’s services and estimated cost. Shuri Shaffer, Cooperative Extension Director, told commissioners the extension office does not perform the control work but facilitates bringing the agreement before the board and coordinating with USDA.
Shaffer said the work plan amount is an estimate; USDA invoices quarterly based on actual work performed in the county. She said the USDA district manager told her the estimate usually tracks closely with actual costs because the district has two full‑time employees working in Pueblo County and generally knows the miles and time involved.
Commissioners asked for clarifications about the renewal and billing cadence. As Shaffer explained, the underlying cooperation agreement renews every five years while the financial work plan is prepared and billed annually. When a commissioner asked whether “the other entity provides $40,000,” Shaffer confirmed that figure in the context of the financial plan as stated in the meeting record.
A motion to approve the agreement and the 2025 financial work plan passed by voice vote; the record shows the motion carried with all commissioners voting in favor.
The county will continue coordinating with USDA APHIS on quarterly invoicing and implementation details under the newly approved work plan. Commissioners did not direct additional staff work or changes to the agreement at the meeting.
Votes at a glance: Motion to approve five-year cooperation agreement and 2025 financial work plan — approved (voice vote; tally not recorded by name).
