Environmental Assessment: Integrated Management of Coyote, Red Fox, Feral Dog, Wolf-Hybrid, and Exotic Carnivore Predation on Livestock in the State of West Virginia

摘要

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is authorized and directed by law to protect American agriculture and other resources from damage associated with wildlife. The primary statutory authority for the USDA, Wildlife Services (WS) program is the Act of March 2, 1931, as amended (46 Stat. 1468; 7 U.S.C. 426-426b and 426c) and the Rural Development, Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-202). WS activities are conducted in cooperation with other Federal, state and local agencies; and private organizations and individuals. Federal agencies, including the United States Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), recognize the expertise of WS to address wildlife damage issues. The purpose of this EA is to analyze the potential effects of the current integrated predation management program in the State of West Virginia. This analysis relies predominately on existing Federal and State agency publications, information contained in scientific literature, and communications with other wildlife professionals.