FSCP Albany Area Project Meeting Engages Landowners, Researchers
On December 2, project team members from the Albany Area Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program gathered with participating landowners and stakeholders to share progress on control, monitoring, and research activities in the project area.
“The purpose of this project is not only removal of our most invasive species-- feral swine-- but also to conduct research to evaluate the impact of intensive removal from large, contiguous acreage,” says Marty McLendon, Chairman of the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District (FRSWCD). “Hearing straight from researchers, and engaging local participants directly in that progress, was really beneficial as we move towards a new year in the project.”
Landowners in the project area were also pleased to hear project updates.
"It's great that someone finally realized what a problem feral swine are and how bad they are affecting our ag production,” says Jimmy Webb, landowner and farmer in the project area. “ I look forward to the progress we're making that in turn will help us be more profitable in agriculture."
Key research and monitoring activities include intensive removal through whole-sounder trapping and helicopter control, monthly water sampling for water quality and eDNA source tracing analysis, native wildlife and pig population monitoring, ground cover and erosion monitoring, UAV surveying of row crop fields, GPS monitoring of feral swine, and annual estimates of economic impact.
Justine Smith, UGA Graduate Student on the project, shares updates on native wildlife and row crop monitoring in the project area.
USDA’s Natural Resource and Conservation Service (NRCS) entered into an agreement with the FRSWCD to implement the Albany Area project. The FRSWCD is responsible for coordinating project activities with landowners within the project area, project monitoring, and collaboration on feral swine removal in partnership with APHIS. The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District is working with several local partners through this agreement to implement research and monitoring.
Partners on the project conducting this research include the Jones Center at Ichauway, University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and the University of Georgia Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory. Professors from both the Jones Center at Ichauway and Warnell co-advise two graduate students on the project.
“My research project uses the Judas technique as a feral swine removal method, which involves using GPS collars on feral swine to know if they have located other swine for removal,” says Faith Kruis, University of Georgia graduate student in Wildlife Ecology. “Having the opportunity to present in front of the project participants allowed me to share the "why" and "how" of my project and answer any questions they had regarding my research.”
“My project utilizes passive camera trapping to locate feral swine across the landscape and document changes seen over time, perhaps an increase in white-tailed deer populations or changes in location of feral swine throughout the year, in response to removal efforts carried out by the Wildlife Services team,” says University of Georgia graduate student on the project Justine Smith. “In addition, I fly a drone once a month over select agricultural fields to quantify damages to these crops associated with feral swine. Working alongside landowners and land managers throughout this project has been exceptional as we are very thankful to have the opportunity to conduct this research on their properties!”
The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) was established by the 2018 Farm Bill to respond to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. The FSCP is implemented jointly by USDA’s Natural Resource and Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS). Monitoring and evaluation are essential to measuring the success of the pilot projects and the program. This program aims to collect a comprehensive understanding of the extent and nature of damages related to feral swine experienced by landowners in project areas, as well as other natural resource concerns.
Participants in the meeting included USDA APHIS staff on the project, Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District project staff, wildlife and aquatic biologists from the Jones Center at Ichauway, graduate students, and project technicians.
The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District is comprised of farmers, landowners, and community leaders that are dedicated to the conservation, wise use, and protection of natural resources in the Flint River Basin. Learn more about the District at flintriverswcd.org.
For more information on feral swine control efforts across the state, visit georgiaferalswine.com.