USDA-NRCS Announces Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District as Pilot Project Partner for Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program

Albany, Georgia -- On November 21, it was announced that the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $1.5 million for a three year project in the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program in the Albany project area. The Albany project area includes parts of Calhoun, Baker, Terrell, and Dougherty Counties.

In the 2018 Farm Bill, the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program was established to respond to the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. In Georgia alone, feral swine cause upward of $150 million in damage each year. The Pilot Program, which is jointly administered by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) will award $75 million from the 2018 Farm Bill towards targeted areas where feral swine have been identified as a threat.

The Pilot Project has three primary components, including 

1.     Feral swine removal which will be conducted by USDA APHIS

2.     Restoration efforts supported by USDA NRCS through EQIP funding

3.     Direct landowner and producer assistance and coordination from non-federal partners. 

“Farmers and landowners in our area are feeling the impact of a growing destructive feral swine population daily, not to mention the natural resource concerns” says Marty McLendon, Chairman of the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District. “With the District’s proven record of launching and managing successful projects with federal and non-federal partners and landowners that address natural resource concerns in our area, this project was a natural fit for us.”

The project area includes the Flint River and tributaries, an important habitat for several native species including bobwhite quail, gopher tortoise, and four species of threatened or endangered aquatic mussels, as well as a refuge for growing feral swine populations.

The area is also more than 50 percent agricultural. Southwest Georgia is the hub of agriculture in the state, Georgia’s top industry, with a farm gate value of the region reaching $2 billion annually. However, farmers have been increasingly plagued by the growing prevalence of feral swine causing destruction to crops, infrastructure, and riparian zones. Forestry, pecan production, and bobwhite quail preserves and commercial operations also suffer from feral swine damage.

The project area also includes Chickasawhatchee Wildlife Management Area, managed by the Department of Natural Resources. 

The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District will work closely with APHIS in working directly with landowners on feral swine control outreach and efforts. Effective control requires a combination of methods, including surveillance cameras, corral traps, and aerial operations. And feral swine don’t recognize property or county lines, meaning collaborative approaches are imperative for successful feral swine control.

“The Georgia APHIS Wildlife Services program is excited to work with NRCS and the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District on this important pilot project and collaboration between all entities will be the key to success,” said Odin Stephens, the Georgia State Director for APHIS Wildlife Services. “We will be hiring three employees to provide intensive feral swine control operations in the pilot project area with the overall goal of significantly suppressing feral swine damage.”

The District will also work with NRCS through a partnership agreement and in implementing restoration to critical areas.

“Feral swine cause significant damage to crops and grazing lands, while also impacting the health of our natural resources,” said NRCS State Conservationist Terrance O. Rudolph. “By collaborating with our partners nationally and here in Georgia, our hope is to control this invasive species – improving operations for farmers while also protecting our natural resources for the future.”

In addition to working closely with NRCS and APHIS, the District will also partner with researchers Dr. Michael Conner and Dr. Stephen Golladay at the Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway, Dr. Michael Mengak at the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and Dr. Hemant Naikare and Dr. Yung-Yi C. Mosley at the University of Georgia Tifton Veterinary Diagnostics and Investigational Laboratory to establish measurements for population control, quantifying crop and soil disturbance, measuring water quality, and pathology. Other key project partners include University of Georgia Extension, Georgia Department of Natural Resource Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Farm Buraeu, and Georgia Department of Agriculture, and Tall Timbers.

 Feral Swine, Sus scrofa species, are an invasive and destructive pest across our landscape, and populations only continue to grow and spread nationally. In the 1980s, feral swine populations topped out at 1 million, but currently exceed 5 million in more than 39 states.

Currently, national estimated damages from feral swine top $1.5 billion annually, and damages are far reaching. Feral Swine reproduce at high rates, can easily adapt to many habitats, and have few natural enemies, making them difficult to control. 

The focus areas for these pilot projects were determined by the USDA based on information such as the feral swine populations and concentration, cropland acreage, EPD Priority watersheds, proximity to Wildlife Management Areas, and existing partnerships and interest. In the first round of pilot projects, there are 20 focus areas for pilot projects across the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.

A request for proposals to non-federal partners was released earlier this year for projects one to three years, for up to $1.5 million per project. Project proposals were required to show landowner participation across 50,000 to 100,000 contiguous acres for maximum effectiveness.

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.