Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
September 1968
Abstract
Historically, the Conservation Commission has allied itself with other state, federal, and private agencies that are concerned with control and management of wildlife. It was suggested about a year ago that a Memorandum of Understanding, specifying the policy and procedure for bird control and rat and mouse control by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in Missouri, would be desirable. Subsequent discussion with Bureau representatives led to the conclusion that a formal memorandum of understanding was unnecessary. The primary purpose of such documents is to formalize operating procedures in states where the Bureau carries on a continuous control program rather than in those states where control essentially is a state function augmented only occasionally by the Bureau handling of special problems. Under existing procedures in Missouri, the state requests assistance from the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife only when faced with large scale bird control problems. When the Bureau receives requests for assistance through other channels the state is informed prior to initiation of action by the Bureau. Normally, the Bureau's action is advisory in nature and recommendations are made after joint inspection and consultation with state personnel. The persons or agencies applying control methods are responsible for obtaining the necessary permits from the Department of Conservation. This system occasionally results in some delay in processing requests for assistance, but we feel that it has been satisfactory in handling most of the bird control problems. It provides our Department a measure of surveillance on bird control activities (which have not been numerous), and prevents environmental contamination that might occur by indiscriminate use of chemical poisons, pesticides, and like materials.