Hi Jane,
FYI, this wouldn't need to be treated as an emerging
threat. As per the 2007 SWG guidance:
"E. Nuisance Wildlife and Wildlife Damage
SWG money may be used to address nuisance wildlife
or situations involving damage caused by wildlife only if their emphasis is
the conservation of SGCN and/or their habitats as indicated within a State’s
Strategy."
So, if the SWG projects
are doing feral hog management or restoration of SGCN habitat damaged by hogs,
or studying effects on SGCN, for example, then they are allowed under the
guidance.
Diana Swan
Fish and
Wildlife Biologist
U.S.F.W.S., Federal Assistance Division
1875 Century
Blvd., Ste. 240
Atlanta, GA 30345
phone: 404.679.7058
fax:
404.679.4160
| "Anderson, Jane E."
<jeanderson@agfc.state.ar.us>
11/18/2009 03:47 PM
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To
| "Sasse, Blake D."
<dbsasse@agfc.state.ar.us>, "Irwin, Kelly J."
<kirwin@agfc.state.ar.us>, "Goad, David C."
<cdgoad@agfc.state.ar.us>, <Diana_Swan@fws.gov>, "Posey,
Bill R." <brposey@agfc.state.ar.us>
|
|
cc
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Subject
| FW: 2010 Request for Proposals and
emerging threat |
|
FYI
Jane E. Anderson
Assistant Chief - Wildlife
Management Division
Wildlife Diversity Section
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
2
Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas
501-223-6350
501-351-5388 cell
From: Anderson, Jane E.
Sent:
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 2:44 PM
To: 'Bill Holimon'; Filipek,
Steve P.; 'james.baker@ar.usda.gov'; 'Betty Crump'; 'dzollner@tnc.org';
'Chris_Davidson@fws.gov'; Shook, Doyle L.; Warriner, Matthew A.;
'Chuck_Bitting@nps.gov'; 'Dan Scheiman'
Subject: 2010 Request for
Proposals and emerging threat
Dear Arkansas Wildlife Action Plan Steering Committee:
I have
received a request to add "Feral hog damage to riparian habitats in the South
Central Plain and Mississippi Alluvial Plain" as an emerging issue for
consideration within the scope of our 2010 RFP. I enthusiastically support
the idea because feral hog populations are exploding and the associated damage
is a significant environment problem that will only worsen with neglect.
Below are some
comments from Blake Sasse, who discusses impacts of feral hogs to some of
our Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
I would like to add this to our RFP, with your
concurrence. Please let me know by COB Friday if you have any comments.
The RFP
with the updated match requirements is attached. The 65:35 was a
compromise - better than 50:50 but not as good as 75:25. Plus we get $900K
rather than $700K! Again, if you see any changes that need to be made to
the RFP, I'd appreciate them by COB Friday.
Thanks.
Jane
While feral hogs have been present in Arkansas for
quite some time, in recent years their population seems to have exploded – the
number of Wildlife Management Areas on which they are known to be present has
doubled to 29 since 2000. Feral hogs are now found in all regions of the
state, though they are probably most dense in the bottomland areas of southern
Arkansas (http://128.192.20.53/nfsms/). Feral hogs are predators of nests of ground nesting birds and
will also eat small mammals (Wilcox and Van Buren 2009) and herpetofauna (Jolley
2007) and cause all sorts of havoc to agriculture as well as damage sensitive
habitats such as seeps.
Based on prior food habits studies, six mammals listed as species of greatest
conservation need are among the documented or potential prey of feral hogs in
Arkansas: Plains Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus), Desert Shrew
(Notiosorex crawfordi), Eastern Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys
humulis), Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis),
Southeastern Shrew (Sorex longirostris), and Southern Bog Lemming
(Synaptomys cooperi).
These
avian species of greatest conservation need are ground nesters or require low
dense understories and can potentially be impacted by feral hogs:
Bachman’s Sparrow (Aimophila aestivalis)
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), Cerulean Warbler
(Dendroica cerulean), Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis
swainsonii), EasternTowhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), Blue-winged
Warbler (Vermivora pinus), Chuck-will’s-widow (Caprimulgus
carolinensis), Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferous), Wood Thrush
(Hylocichla mustelina), Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus),
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus), Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia
citrine), and Bobwhite Quail (Colinus
virginianus).
Fecal contamination of waterways by feral hogs has
been shown to be a threat to freshwater mussels in western Louisiana and could
potentially be a problem for all Arkansas mussels listed as species of greatest
conservation need (Kaller et al. 2007).
Thank you.
Blake Sasse, Certified Wildlife
Biologist®
Nongame
Mammal/Furbearer Program Leader
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
213A Highway 89
South
Mayflower, AR 72106
Phone: 501-470-3650 Extension 235
[attachment "RFP Preproposal
2010.pdf" deleted by Diana Swan/R4/FWS/DOI]
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