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USDA Wildlife Services outlines cooperative agreements; county to consider a starter allocation for prairie‑dog, beaver and bear work
Summary
USDA Wildlife Services supervisors described federal cooperative service agreements that cover livestock protection, beaver and prairie‑dog management, non‑lethal hazing for bears and airport wildlife hazard work; presenters recommended the county select an annual contribution to start a local agreement (staff suggested $20,000 as an example).
Representatives from USDA Wildlife Services (APHIS) briefed the commission on services available under cooperative agreements and proposed a county funding level to begin local coverage.
John Moore, Western District Supervisor (speaker 13), and John Callan, Eastern District Supervisor (speaker 9), described the federal program’s scope, including livestock‑protection assistance (guardian dogs, night watches, drones), prairie‑dog and beaver management (non‑lethal and lethal options and possible translocation), hazing and removal of bears and mountain lions for urban/landfill situations, airport wildlife hazard management and disease monitoring.
Callan said cooperative agreements can be written with counties, cities, federal agencies, tribal governments or landowners and that some work can be fully federally funded (for example certain non‑lethal beaver work) while other work is billed on an as‑performed cost basis. He noted federal allocations to the program have not increased substantially and that counties frequently cost‑share or start with a modest annual contribution to test program demand.
During the workshop the presenters offered a model for a starter county contribution and suggested $20,000 as an example figure; commissioners said they would tour problem sites (including the landfill and combined courts) and then finalize a number publicly. Callan said agreement paperwork could likely be prepared within a week after the county chooses a contribution level.
No formal agreement was executed at the workshop; commissioners agreed to arrange site tours and to return with a proposed allocation for a public action to create a cooperative agreement.
