Number: 2012-04
WHEREAS, feral hogs (Sus scrofa and related non-native porcine species to include those referred to as feral swine or “wild boar”) are highly successful, non-native, extremely invasive habitat generalists, surviving and proliferating in most areas of North America and increasing their range annually, threatening the well-being and ecological balance of native ecosystems and
WHEREAS, feral hogs are extraordinarily prolific large mammals, with the capacity for females to reproduce as juveniles, commonly producing two litters per year, each litter having eight to ten or more piglets, and with low natural mortality, the potential for explosive population growth is occurring commonly and tripling within a year in some locales; and
WHEREAS, feral hogs are opportunistic and indiscriminate omnivores feeding on a wide variety of flora and fauna, including native plant and wildlife communities that may include rare, threatened and endangered species of plants, arthropods, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, ground nesting birds, small mammals such as mice, shrews and voles, and newborn mammalian ungulates such as white-tailed deer is well documented; and
WHEREAS, adult feral hogs commonly reach 200 pounds, and may exceed 400 pounds, and because their social behavior results in tremendous damage to ecosystems even beyond feeding that includes wallowing, rubbing and establishing travel routes, these mammals can devastate aquatic and wetland ecosystems, forested ecosystems, native wildlife, water quality and agricultural systems; and
WHEREAS, feral hogs may carry diseases that pose risks to other wildlife, humans, and livestock including brucellosis, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis, trichinosis, bovine tuberculosis, balantidiasis, pseudo-rabies, and strains of influenza viruses, and as vectors of diseases have the capacity to seriously and negatively impact the U.S. agricultural economy and the health and well being of animal and human individuals and communities; and
WHEREAS, the role of feral hogs as vectors of exotic diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, is a zoonotic threat that could have negative impacts on hunting, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor recreational activities; and
WHEREAS, feral hogs are well established in a majority of states, and continue to aggressively expand into new areas, and because this expansion is frequently exacerbated by illegal transport and releases of feral hogs and related species for the purpose of increasing hunting opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the most widely effective methods for control and eradication of feral hogs include trapping, snaring, shooting, use of trained dogs, and aerial gunning; and
WHEREAS, the responsibility for the management of feral hogs include the state natural resource and wildlife resource agencies, state departments of agriculture, and federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and other natural resource and animal health agencies; and
WHEREAS, the regulations and policies of various state and federal agencies related to the control, lethal taking, trapping, transport, and eradication of feral hogs are extremely variable, inconsistent, and often contradictory; and
WHEREAS, existing laws and regulations have been insufficient to deter illegal transport and release of feral hogs into wild habitats, and continued delays in implementation of serious and consistent management and eradication programs will result in increasingly higher economic and ecological costs and more time to achieve effective reductions in these invasive creatures, while their continuing devastating impacts continue to increase at unprecedented rates;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled May 18-20, 2012, at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, hereby urges the passage and enforcement of state ordinances and federal regulations, that result in dramatic and effective reductions and, wherever possible, eradication of feral hog populations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that National Wildlife Federation supports ongoing research by state and federal agencies and universities on the effective population control of feral hogs with goals towards eradication; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that National Wildlife Federation supports close coordination and cooperation between federal agriculture and wildlife management programs and those of responsible state agencies, to provide educational programs to hunters and landowners regarding the destructive impacts of this non-native invasive species and strategies for their management, and to effect policies and programs aimed at reducing and eradicating feral swine populations.