The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP), a pilot

The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP), a pilot program of the 2018 Farm Bill, just got a $75 million boost.

© APHIS

The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP), a pilot program of the 2018 Farm Bill, just got a $75 million boost through a joint effort by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Up to $33.75 million of the FSCP funds will go toward work with landowners in targeted areas of states associated with the highest feral hog presence. Applications for funds are open through Aug. 19, 2019, in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. (Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 5 p.m. EST on Aug. 19.)

“The projects selected for funding will allow APHIS and NRCS to collectively reduce the damage and disease caused by one of the most destructive and formidable invasive species in the United States,” says APHIS Administrator Kevin Shea.

“NRCS state conservationists and APHIS state directors, in coordination with state technical committees, have identified pilot projects that can be carried out within these target states,” NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr explains. “Our agencies stand ready to work with partners at the state and local levels to respond to the threat of feral swine.”

NRCS is accepting proposals from non-federal partners to provide landowner assistance for on-farm trapping and related services as part of the pilot projects. The funding limit for a single award is $1.5 million. (Awardees will be required to provide at least 25 percent of the partnership agreement budget as a match to NRCS funding.)

Additional information on funding, specific pilot projects, and target areas, can be found on the FSCP webpage.

“Overall, this pilot program builds upon and expands work already underway by APHIS’ National Feral Swine Damage Management Program to both manage feral swine and eliminate populations in partnership with local government, the private sector, industry and academia,” Shea adds.

For more, see:

Killing Hogzilla: Hunting a Monster Wild Pig

Wild Pig Wars: Controversy Over Hunting, Trapping in Missouri

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