Brownwood News – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced it is awarding more than $1.4 million to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) to fund three pilot projects to control feral swine in Texas.

Landowners in the following counties may be eligible for assistance from technicians to trap feral swine on their property. The Canadian River Watershed Project area encompasses Hartley, Oldham, and Potter Counties, and which are under the direction of the Hartley, Oldham County, and Canadian River Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Upper Leon River project area encompasses Eastland, Comanche, and Erath Counties, which are under the direction of the Cross Timbers and Upper Leon Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Red River Project area encompasses Hardeman, Wilbarger, Wichita, and Clay Counties which are under the direction of the Wilbarger, Wichita, Little Wichita, and Lower Pease River Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

These projects are a part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program which is a joint effort between USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to help address the issues that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems as well as human and animal health.

Feral swine cause a high level of economic, biologic and natural resource damage. The species are also a threat to Texas waterways and ecosystems as their numbers rapidly increase. Texas is a private-land state, with 83% of its land mass in family-owned farms, ranches and forests. Consequently, providing learning opportunities to landowners about effective management strategies remains crucial to the success of abating damages associated with feral swine.

[adrotate group=”8″]

TSSWCB will work in partnership with Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), USDA-NRCS, APHIS, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI) and the Texas Wildlife Damage Management Association to administer the Feral Swine Control Pilot Program (FSCPP). The program will focus on three main areas across Texas including the Canadian River Watershed, Upper Leon River Watershed and the Upper Red River Watershed. FSCPP will consist of a “smart trap” loan program, educational and outreach activities, as well as hiring six trapping technicians to assist with restoration efforts.