Environmental Assessment: Reducing Pigeon, Starling, Sparrow, Blackbird, Raven and Crow damage through an Integrated Wildlife Damage Managment Program in the State of West Virginia

摘要

Across the United States, wildlife habitat has been substantially changed as human populations expand and land is used for human needs. These human uses and needs often compete with wildlife which increases the potential for conflicting human/wildlife interactions. In addition, segments of the public desire protection for all wildlife; this protection can create localized conflicts between human and wildlife activities. Wildlife damage management is the science of reducing damage or other problems caused by wildlife and is recognized as an integral part of wildlife management (The Wildlife Society 1990). Wildlife Services (WS formerly known as Animal Damage Control) uses an Integrated Wildlife Damage Management (IWDM) approach, known as Integrated Pest Management, in which a combination of methods may be used or recommended to reduce wildlife damage These methods may include alteration of cultural practices and habitat and behavioral modification to prevent or reduce damage. The reduction of wildlife damage may also require that local populations be reduced through lethal means. This environmental assessment (EA) documents the analysis of the potential environmental effects of a proposed pigeon (Columbia livia), European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), English sparrow (Passer domesticus), blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and common raven (Corvus corax) bird damage management (BDM) program. This analysis relies mainly on existing data contained in published documents (Appendix A).