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Arkansas expands USDA-backed feral hog pilot, hires first statewide coordinator
Summary
State Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward and JP, the department’s new feral hog coordinator, told the joint House–Senate Agriculture Committee the USDA NRCS/APHIS pilot funds aided hiring 10 local technicians, supported removal and surveys across tiered counties, and could expand with supplemental NRCS funding pending a 25% non‑federal match.
State Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward and JP Fairhead, the department’s newly appointed feral hog coordinator, updated the joint House and Senate Agriculture Committee on a USDA‑funded pilot program to remove and assess feral hog populations across Arkansas.
Ward recounted the task force’s formation after 2016 concerns and said a 2018 Farm Bill pilot grant awarded roughly $3,400,000 enabled expanded eradication efforts and legal clarifications. JP described how the pilot is implemented jointly by USDA’s APHIS Wildlife Services and NRCS, with three coordinated components: APHIS removal operations, NRCS‑supported habitat restoration, and…
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