Notice of Availability: Decision and FONSI for the EA "Managing Damage to Resources and Threats to Human Health and Safety Caused by Birds in the Commonwealth of Virginia"
11/07/2014
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) program has issued a Decision and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for an Environmental Assessment (EA): Managing Damage to Resources and Threats to Human Health and Safety Caused by Birds in the Commonwealth of Virginia that evaluated potential impacts to the quality of the human environment from the implementation of a bird damage management program. A Decision and FONSI was issued on November 5, 2014 selecting to implement the proposed action alternative. Based on the analyses contained in the EA and the associated Decision/FONSI, it was concluded that continued implementation of the proposed action alternative would not have a significant impact upon the quality of the human environment. You can view the EA and the Decision/FONSI on the APHIS webpage by clicking here. If you would like a copy of the EA and/or the Decision sent to you by mail, please submit a written request to USDA/APHIS/WS, P.O. Box 130, Moseley, VA 23120, or send a request by facsimile to (804) 739-7738. When submitting a request by mail or by fax, please include a mailing address.
Notice of Availability for Public Comment-North Carolina Aquatic Rodent Environmental Assessment
11/07/2014
Notice of Availability for Public Comment
Environmental Assessment: Aquatic Rodent Damage Management in North Carolina


The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) program would like to invite you to participate in the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) addressing damage and threats caused by beaver, muskrats, and nutria in North Carolina. The need for action identifies damage to agricultural resources, property, natural resources, and threats to human safety associated with beaver, muskrats, and nutria in the State. A number of issues and concerns were identified through the scoping process and through consultation with state and federal agencies that were used to develop alternative approaches to address the need for action. The EA analyzes potential environmental effects of conducting alternative strategies to reduce damage associated with beaver, muskrats, and nutria. WS is seeking review and comments on the EA from interested parties as part of the scoping process to identify additional issues and alternatives.

To receive a copy of the EA for review and comment, please send a written request to USDA/APHIS/WS, 6213 Angus Drive, Suite E, Raleigh, North Carolina 27617 or by sending a request by facsimile to (919) 782-4159. You can also review the EA on the APHIS webpage by clicking here. WS requests that you send all comments on the EA to the address listed or to the facsimile number listed. Please include your name and mailing address in the comments. When sending comments by facsimile, please send a copy of your comments by mail to the address listed to ensure WS receives a complete copy of your comments. To receive full consideration, WS must receive all comments by the close of business on December 19, 2014. All comments received, including the names and addresses of those people who comment, will be part of the public record and will be released for public review as required and allowed by law.


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This is a clear example of USDA violating their own directives.
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/article/...-gump-residents

Is USDA Wildlife Services following your State regulations?
They are not exempt from State regulations unless it specifically states that they are exempt.

Please check you State Laws to find out.

For example in TN they are in clear violation of the State Laws

Cody,

It would probably help your reader if you expressly state what law is being broken.

Also how you know that they don't have an exemption.

https://www.tn.gov/sos/rules/1660/1660-01/1660-01-21.pdf

The first p

Well 2a lists USDA as an authoritative agency, so I believe that means as such they are exempt from needing a permit!

USDA is a Department of the Federal Government. The agency, Wildlife Services, is not directly mentioned, nor does WS have any authority over any regulations other than that of itself... I agree with wildlifeus. I believe WS is in violation of the permit requirements and may also be violating their own Competition regulations.

It amazes me how people would support these examples violations involving commerce, and often inter state commerce. Our system of government is surely breaking in this instance.

Check this out!

http://agri.nv.gov/Protection/Resource_Protection/The_Trapline_Newsletter/

Vague. All that value protected...???

Why can't that much value invest a little in private WCO industry to support itself? Wy does that much value need the Federal government to provide wildlife control operations?

Perhaps all those welfare ranchers turn out to be a bunch of incapable businessmen. They should get out of the business of ag production or go broke.

The Business Coalition for Fair Competition (BCFC) seeks your input to highlight examples of where a Federal, state, local government agency, or governmental regulation/policy creates an unlevel playing field for entrepreneurs in the private sector when an agency, university or non-profit performs a commercially available activity (good or service), and therefore is in direct competition with a private sector business. In January of this year, BCFC released the "2013 Top 10 List" of the most egregious examples of where the government duplicates and competes with the private sector, including small business.

Next month (January 2015), we are planning to release an updated list from 2014.

Please send your example(s) to BCFC's John "JB" Byrd. Within your submission, make sure to include any documentation (PDF, weblink, media coverage, etc.) about each instance.

We are also seeking examples of where a Federal government agency activity, announcement, or policy promoted contracting out, public-private partnerships (P3s) or privatization of an activity previously performed in-house by the respective Federal agency.

Again, please send your example(s) of Federal success stories to John "JB" Byrd.

The BCFC deadline for your submission is Friday, December 19.

Sincerely,

John M. Palatiello, President
Business Coalition for Fair Competition (BCFC)


Click here for more info;
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/...3b-d4ae527557ea

I can remember if I posted this USDA WS story;
http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/features/paid/stories/you-paid-pricey-pigs-111.shtml

http://www.13wham.com/news/features/top-...430.shtml?wap=0

Crow work anyone?

Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement Addressing Alternatives for a National Feral Swine Damage Management Program
12/10/2014
Dear Stakeholder,
I want to make you aware that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has just released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) evaluating strategies to manage increasing damages and threats associated with expanding populations of feral swine. Feral swine damage addressed in the DEIS includes damage to agriculture, natural and cultural resources, property, and human health and safety in the United States and its territories wherever feral swine are found. The DEIS is available for public review at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife-damage/fseis.

APHIS is proposing to lead a collaborative, national management program to reduce feral swine damage. Although WS and its cooperators already manage damage in local areas, an Environmental Impact Statement was needed to evaluate the potential impacts to the environment that might result from various national strategies to manage increasing feral swine damage, consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

We used scoping early in the NEPA process to involve cooperating agencies, the general public, Tribal governments, APHIS stakeholders, and minority and historically underserved communities to help identify alternatives and issues to evaluate in the DEIS. Many agencies have cooperated with APHIS on the analysis: USDA’s Forest Service; the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (USDI) Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and National Invasive Species Council; the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. The USDI’s Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service also participated in preparing the DEIS.
The DEIS considers five alternatives, all of which incorporate State, Territorial and Tribal goals for managing feral swine. All but the current program would be nationally coordinated.

1) No change from current APHIS research and feral swine damage management operations.

2) An integrated, multi-pronged APHIS response that combines a baseline operational damage management capacity in states with feral swine, and national and strategic local projects that help to contain and eradicate feral swine populations. (Preferred Alternative)

3) Improving the baseline operational capacity for feral swine damage management of all WS state programs based on feral swine populations and maximizing cost-share opportunities for operational management with partners and cooperators.

4) Establish and augment national APHIS management projects and strategic local projects, selected for their ability to help achieve national goals of containing and eradicating feral swine populations without establishing or increasing baseline capacity in all states and territories with feral swine.

5) A federal grant program.

The Preferred Alternative in the DEIS, Alternative 2, would implement a nationally coordinated, integrated feral swine damage management program in partnership with Federal, State, Territorial, and Tribal agencies. It would allocate resources to WS programs serving States and Territories with feral swine populations to improve baseline operational capacity for feral swine damage management and provide cost-share opportunities. Additional resources would be strategically allocated to meet the national objective of reducing the range and size of the feral swine population in the United States and protecting specific vulnerable resources (e.g., threatened and endangered species).. The preferred alternative would also include a national component to emphasize research, monitoring, education and other coordinated support actions.
The DEIS and instructions on how to submit public comments can be found on the APHIS feral swine EIS webpage noted above, or by visiting http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife-damage/feral-swine and clicking on the feral swine EIS link. The public comment period will be open for 45 days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. We anticipate that the Federal Register notice will be published on December 19, 2014. Once the Notice of Availability is published, we will post the closing date of the comment period on the APHIS feral swine EIS webpage.

We will accept comments on the DEIS by either of these two methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0031
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send your comment to Project Managers, Feral Swine EIS, USDA APHIS-WS, 732 Lois Drive, Sun Prairie, WI 53590.

For further information, please contact Dr. Kimberly Wagner, Staff Wildlife Biologist, Wildlife Services, APHIS, 732 Lois Drive, Sun Prairie, WI 53590; (608) 837-2727.
We appreciate your interest in APHIS’ feral swine damage management program.
Sincerely,

William H. Clay
Deputy Administrator

Are NWCOS being considered for this work?

Opportunity for Public Comment-Bird Damage Management in Tennessee Environmental Assessment
12/23/2014
Notice of Availability for Public Comment
Environmental Assessment: Bird Damage Management in Tennessee


The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) program, in cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), would like to invite you to participate in the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) addressing damage and threats caused by bird species in Tennessee. The need for action identifies damage to agricultural resources, property, natural resources, and threats to human safety associated with several bird species in the State, including bird damage occurring on properties owned or managed by the TVA. A number of issues and concerns were identified through the scoping process and through consultation with state and federal agencies that were used to develop alternative approaches to address the need for action. The EA analyzes potential environmental effects of conducting alternative strategies to reduce damage associated with birds. WS and the TVA are seeking review and comments on the EA from interested parties as part of the scoping process to identify additional concerns, issues, and alternatives.

To receive a copy of the EA for review and comment, please send a written request to USDA/APHIS/WS, 537 Myatt Drive, Madison, Tennessee 37115 or by sending a request by facsimile to (615) 736-2768. You can also review the EA on the APHIS webpage by clicking here. WS and the TVA request that you send all comments on the EA to the address listed or to the facsimile number listed. Please include your name and mailing address in the comments. When sending comments by facsimile, please send a copy of your comments by mail to the address listed to ensure WS and the TVA receive a complete copy of your comments. To receive full consideration, WS and the TVA must receive all comments by the close of business on January 30, 2015. All comments received, including the names and addresses of those people who comment, will be part of the public record and will be released for public review as required and allowed by law.
Opportunity for Public Comment-Bird Damage Management in Kentucky Environmental Assessment
12/23/2014
Notice of Availability for Public Comment
Environmental Assessment: Bird Damage Management in Kentucky


The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) program, in cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), would like to invite you to participate in the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) addressing damage and threats caused by bird species in Kentucky. The need for action identifies damage to agricultural resources, property, natural resources, and threats to human safety associated with several bird species in the Commonwealth, including bird damage occurring on properties owned or managed by the TVA. A number of issues and concerns were identified through the scoping process and through consultation with state and federal agencies that were used to develop alternative approaches to address the need for action. The EA analyzes potential environmental effects of conducting alternative strategies to reduce damage associated with birds. WS and the TVA are seeking review and comments on the EA from interested parties as part of the scoping process to identify additional concerns, issues, and alternatives.

To receive a copy of the EA for review and comment, please send a written request to USDA/APHIS/WS, 537 Myatt Drive, Madison, Tennessee 37115 or by sending a request by facsimile to (615) 736-2768. You can also review the EA on the APHIS webpage by clicking here. WS and the TVA request that you send all comments on the EA to the address listed or to the facsimile number listed. Please include your name and mailing address in the comments. When sending comments by facsimile, please send a copy of your comments by mail to the address listed to ensure WS and the TVA receive a complete copy of your comments. To receive full consideration, WS and the TVA must receive all comments by the close of business on January 30, 2015. All comments received, including the names and addresses of those people who comment, will be part of the public record and will be released for public review as required and allowed by law.

USDA Wildlife Services unfair competition makes nationwide top ten list:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/...3b-d4ae527557ea

After losing only 5.5 billion dollars delivering the mail, the U.S. postal service has a plan for delivering groceries. Those of you

who can get away with cheating on your taxes have my admiration.

The dumbest expenditure of money are the places we pick to go to war. Afghanistan is a shining example. I'm not real sure how much an

acre of land sells for over there but I'm pretty sure we could have bought the entire country and still had money left over.

Wa WS is one of the most anti NWCO of the agency.

http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/288624301.html?mobile=true

Some free advertising, with no mention of private sector companies......

http://augustafreepress.com/livestock-producers-say-coyote-control-program-essential/

wildlifeus, here you go. NWCOA & NPMA Wildlife Expo 2015 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina... February 5th at 12noon.

USDA Wildlife Service: Developing Relationships with the Industry: Speaker is Martin Lowney, APHIS-USDA

I gotta admit that this is one program that I wish I was going to hear.