Arkansas will receive a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to deal with feral hogs.
The money comes from the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, a joint effort of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.
"Feral swine cause significant damage to crop and grazing lands, while also impacting the health of our natural resources," the agency's Arkansas conservationist, Mike Sullivan, said in a news release. "By collaborating with our partners nationally and here in Arkansas, our hope is to control and eradicate this invasive species -- improving operations for farmers while also protecting our natural resources for the future."
The federal agencies are working with the natural resources division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and nongovernmental organizations on four pilot projects in Arkansas to reduce the feral swine population, agronomic damage, and environmental effects.
The Arkansas pilot projects are for three years. Proposals were submitted to the Natural Resources Conservation Service in August.
Other feral hog grants were awarded in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
Business on 11/22/2019