Aphis initiative: protection of agriculture

This Cooperative Agreement was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) under the Wildlife Services program (CFDA 10.028). The purpose of this $215,522 award, with a period of performance from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025, is to facilitate cooperation between USDA APHIS Wildlife Services and the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management within Texas A&M AgriLife Research to meet specific research needs regarding the patterns and underlying factors related to pathways of disease transmission between feral swine, livestock, and economically-important wildlife on semi-arid rangelands in Texas.

This Cooperative Agreement represents part of the broader USDA APHIS Wildlife Services program, which focuses on reducing damage caused by mammals and birds, particularly those that serve as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases. The research conducted under this award will contribute to the program's efforts in areas like chronic wasting disease management, wildlife damage mitigation, and applied research to develop innovative wildlife management techniques.

The purpose of this cooperative agreement between USDA-aphis-wildlife services national feral swine damage management program and the department of rangeland, wildlife, and fisheries management within texas a & M agrilife research in the texas a & M university system is intended to facilitate cooperation between our agencies, in order to meet specific research needs regarding the patterns and underlying factors related to pathways of disease transmission between feral swine, livestock, and economically-important wildlife on semi-arid rangelands in texas.