Scope of ConflictsOverview of ADC

HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICTS - AlthoffLEC-01

From ADC to HWC…in 30 years

• Wildlife damage management is field within wildlife management…but it hasn’t always appeared that way

• Fundamentals of damage management contingent on the fields of ecology, behavior, population dynamics as well as sociology and economics

• Many of the principles of “traditional” wildlife management clearly apply to wildlife damage management

Some Definitions & Acronyms

• _____ = animal damage control• _____ = Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (a

federal agency within the USDA)• _____ = Wildlife Services…under APHIS• Wildlife = according to Conover….”animals whose

behavior and movements are not controlled by humans (i.e, undomesticated animals).

• __________________________= mgmt. of animals with backbones that inflict “social, economic, or health-related problems for humans!

Wildlife…..

• Fish and Wildlife = vertebrate species in the general sense….scope has broaden some when it comes to “conservation”

• “Wildlife” is a more generic term that tends to “omit” fish• Wildlife is a resource = typically, a resource provides a

benefit in the human context• Free-ranging wildlife have value. For consumers (like

hunters and trappers), they represent a positive value. For those experience damage, wildlife can be considered to have negative value

Wildlife Management…Economic impact

• Not counting the economic benefits of wildlife would be to ignore their positive value (think recreational-related purchases from ammo, to firearms, to binoculars, to travel expenses, to photography, etc.

• But the negative $$ impact considerable: according to Conover 1) U.S. agricultural producers collectively

spent $2.5 billion and 120 million hoursannual to manage wildlife on their farms and ranches (1998 figures)

2) U.S. metropolitan households spent $5.5billion and 1.6 billion hours annually to manage wildlife around their homes

Wildlife Damage Management

• “…the science and practice of increasing the value of wildlife resources by reducing the negative values of wildlife.” Conover (2002:7)

• Thus, by definition, anything that a wildlife species does that causes…

a) _______________________________, b) _______________________________, c) _______________________________, or

d) _____________________________________ ______________________

. ….would be considered wildlife damage. Conover (2002:7)

Hence….

• We are sometimes in conflict with wildlife (wildlife populations, wildlife resources) as humans.

• We as humans should have a reasonable sense of being good stewards of wildlife resources even when some species in some places at some times cause “damage” in some way.

• To that end, this course is focused on understanding how such conflicts arise, how they might be addressed, and how they might be prevented. It is in the best interest of all stakeholders to seek “_____________ of human-wildlife conflicts”

Necessary “ingredients” for wildlife damage to occur:

Damage

Some history…in the U.S.• Into the 1970’s, most state wildlife and fish agencies DID

NOT want to handle animal damage control problems.Why?

• Prior to the 1970’s, most animal damage control efforts, agency-wise, were conducted by the federal government within the USDA. Why?

• Prior to the 1970’s, most animal damage control was in the form of predator control.

Why?

Today….• Some state wildlife and fish agencies are actively

engaged in ADC

• Not all ADC work is conducted by government agencies…there is a growing private sector

• More people are coming into wildlife today—rural or urban —than ever before. Think

a) impact of white-tailed deer (crops, ornamentals, vehicle accidents, etc.)

b) hazards presented to air travel

Miracle on the Hudson !!!

Bottomline….

• “______________” wildlife cannot be ignored

• Wildlife damage management is a ___________…with much yet to be learned and evaluated

• Finding __________________ sound, ______________ ______________, and ___________________resolutions to human-wildlife conflicts is challenging and needed