Mission Statement
The mission of the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (WS) is to provide Federal leadership in managing conflicts with wildlife. WS recognizes that wildlife is an important public resource greatly valued by the American people. By its very nature, however, wildlife is a highly dynamic and mobile resource that can cause damage to agriculture and property, pose risks to human health and safety, and affect natural resources. WS conducts programs of research, technical assistance, and applied management to resolve problems that occur when human activity and wildlife conflict with one another.
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The Texas Wildlife Services Program provides statewide leadership in the science, education and practice of wildlife management to protect the state’s agricultural, industrial and natural resources, as well as the public’s health, safety and property.
Wildlife is important to the economy and to the aesthetics and health of our environment; yet, some wildlife do at times cause problems that must be delt with in a professional manner. Animal damage to Texas resources, such as agriculture, natural resources, property, and human health and safety, cause millions of dollars in losses each year. Since wildlife is a public resource that belongs to all citizens, government has a responsibilty to respond to the problems wildlife cause while at the same time protecting the resource being damaged.
Resolving conflicts between wildlife and human interests requires wildlife damage management expertise. Wildlife damage management is an integral component of professional wildlife management. The complex wildlife damage management environment includes a combination of biological, legal, socio-political, financial and technical considerations.
The goal of Wildlife Services is to protect the State’s agricultural, industrial, and natural resources and the public’s health, safety and property from damage caused by wildlife. Texas Wildlife Services accomplishes this through a cooperation with federal, state, and private entities, servicing both rural and urban areas, utilizing technical assistance and direct control services in this specilized field of wildlife management.
This authorization is contained in Chapter 825, Texas Health and Safety Code.