Feral Swine Trap Loan Program Available to Landowners in Clay, Hardeman, Wichita and Wilbarger Counties
The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) is working with the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Texas Wildlife Damage Management Association (TWDMA), Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and four local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) to help address the issues that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems, and the health of humans and animals.
Feral swine cause a high level of economic, biologic, and natural resource damage. The species are also a threat to Texas waterways and ecosystems as their numbers rapidly increase. Texas is a private-land state, with 83 percent of its land mass in family-owned farms, ranches, and forests. Consequently, providing learning opportunities to landowners about effective management strategies remains crucial to the success of abating damages associated with feral swine.
TSSWCB is working in partnership with the Lower Pease River, Little Wichita, Wichita, and Wilbarger SWCDs, USDA-NRCS, APHIS, Texas A&M NRI, and the TWDMA to administer the Feral Swine Control Pilot Program (FSCPP) in the Red River Project area, which encompasses Clay, Hardeman, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties. The FSCPP consists of a “smart trap” loan program, educational and outreach activities, and direct control activities by APHIS.
Landowners in participating counties may be eligible to utilize a feral swine smart trap on their property through the SWCD trap loan program or receive direct control through APHIS.
Landowners interested in participating should contact either their local SWCD, which can be found at https://www.tsswcb.texas.gov/swcds/locatormap, or the appropriate trap loan technician. For Hardeman and Wilbarger Counties, contact Jared Creasy at (940) 337-8845, and for Wichita and Clay Counties contact Tony Fazzino at (940) 217-7830. For direct control of feral swine by APHIS employees, contact the technicians above or the APHIS District Office at (817) 978-3146 to arrange for direct control assistance.
Funding for the TSSWCB Texas Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program activities is provided through a federal USDA-NRCS grant.
Originally published with the TSSWCB.