For Practitioners and Policy Makers

There is little question that nuisance wildlife problems exist in Virginia, and various agencies and businesses are trying to address them. However, there is a need for coordination among the various service providers. Animal control officers, game wardens, private nuisance wildlife control operators, and USDA Wildlife Services staff often lack effective communication and there are disagreements regarding interpretation of regulations and the selection and use of appropriate wildlife management methods. Further, outreach and education efforts often are not coordinated and research needed to find more efficient methods of dealing with problems in Virginia is scant.  The Center hopes to help resolve some of these issues by helping to focus and coordinate nuisance wildlife management efforts in Virginia among practitioners and policy makers.