Beasts of Burden: Arkansas's Feral Hogs Addressing the State’s Feral Hog Issues is a Serious Challenge Feral hogs are a threat to agriculture, forestlands, invasive species by partnering with multiple agencies wildlife, waterways, and human health. Damages to implement effective control measures,” said estimates approach $1.5 billion annually to the U.S. Fairhead. “Addressing the feral hog issue will not be and approximately $19 million in Arkansas. Feral a quick fix, but I believe we can make positive strides hogs have been found in every county in Arkansas, to reduce damages if we focus on working together and the damage they cause continues to grow as they to remove these invasive pests.” increasingly find their way onto The Arkansas Feral Swine golf courses, athletic fields, and Eradication and Control Pilot “We can make positive public parks in urban areas. strides to reduce damages Program will involve extensive Arkansas took a huge step collaboration between the USDA if we focus on working Natural Resources Conservation in its efforts to address the together to remove these Service, USDA Animal Plant destruction caused by feral hogs when the Arkansas Health Inspection Service (APHIS invasive pests.” Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services), Arkansas (Department) hired J.P. Fairhead, the state’s first Game and Fish Commission, University of Arkansas full-time employee to concentrate 100 percent on Cooperative Extension, local/individual soil and eradicating feral hogs. One of Fairhead’s primary water conservation districts, the Department’s tasks will be implementing the new $3.4 million Natural Resources Division, and others. The pilot grant recently awarded to the Department through program consists of four project areas including 22 the USDA Feral Swine Eradication and Control total counties. Each project area is comprised of Pilot Program. tier one and tier two counties, with initial efforts beginning in tier one counties with subsequent “J.P. brings extensive knowledge of statewide feral efforts planned to move into the tier two counties in hog control activities to the Department,” said successive years after removal efforts and damage Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “We assessments, have been evaluated. The initial look forward to putting J.P.’s expertise to work as we tier one counties include: Arkansas, Ashley, Drew, implement the new feral hog eradication program in Hempstead, Howard, Sevier, Baxter, Izard, Marion, project areas across the state,” said Ward. Logan, Sebastian, and Yell counties. Fairhead previously worked for the Arkansas The pilot program grants funds will be used to hire Game & Fish Commission as a Natural Resource ten conservation district technicians, and purchase Program Technician and Field Biologist, taking needed equipment, within the tier one counties. The on the additional duty of serving as the Feral Hog district technicians will assist and provide existing Eradication Program Coordinator for the Game and USDA APHIS Wildlife Services personnel with Fish Commission in 2013. He has been involved with feral swine removal efforts to private landowners. the Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force since USDA APHIS Wildlife Services also intends to hire its launch in 2017, serving on the Management and one additional technician within each project Control Subcommittee. area. Educational and outreach components of the “I look forward to addressing the unique challenges associated with controlling this prolific, destructive, ARKANSAS GROWN 92
project may include landowner workshops, field days, demonstrations and damage assessments,
