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Wildlife Risk Mitigation Project Update

Wildlife Risk Mitigation Project Update. Dr. Richard W. Smith Assistant State Veterinarian over Ruminant Programs Bovine TB Program Coordinator. Wildlife Risk Mitigation Project Goal.

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Wildlife Risk Mitigation Project Update

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  1. Wildlife Risk Mitigation ProjectUpdate Dr. Richard W. Smith Assistant State Veterinarian over Ruminant Programs Bovine TB Program Coordinator

  2. Wildlife Risk Mitigation Project Goal • To work with approximately 1,000 farms in Michigan’s TB zones to develop individual biosecurity plans for each farm. • Why do farms in the TB zones need a biosecurity plan?

  3. Wildlife Risk Mitigation Project’s Objectives • Protect stored feed from wildlife intrusions • Provide water that has not been contaminated by wildlife intrusions • Feed cattle safely • Where cattle pasture • How & where fed feeds are fed to cattle

  4. Results • Project began in August 2008 • 2009-340 participating farms-340 farms verified • 2010-349 participating farms-348 farms verified • 2011-186 participating farms-186 farms verified • 2012-83 participating farms-80 farms verified • 2013-69 participating farms-48 farms verified • Totals: 1,027 farms participated 1,002 farms verified (98%)

  5. How Many Farms Are Still Unmitigated? MAAZ • Antrim - 18/118 15% 1 herd with 20+ cattle • Charlevoix - 14/98 14% 0 herds with 20+ • Cheboygan - 39/134 29% 0 herds with 20+ • Crawford - 100% mitigated • Emmet - 18/131 14% 0 herds with 20+ • Otsego - 11/70 16% 0 herds with 20+ • Presque Isle – 34/125 27%4 herds with 20+

  6. How Many Farms Are Still Unmitigated? MAZ • Alcona - 28/89 31% 3 herds with 20+ cattle • Alpena - 54/219 25% 9 herds with 20+ • Montmorency - 15/88 17% 2 herds with 20+ • Oscoda - 27/69 39% 2 herds with 20+

  7. Has WRM Helped Prevent TB Infections? • Program benchmark: 2 winter inspections Since 2009 • Three bovine TB infected farms that had been winter verified twice • All of these farms were located in DMU 452 • Two of these farms were previously infected

  8. Has WRM Helped Prevent TB Infections? • Two farms that had entered the program for a short while (one a few months, the other a few days), but were found infected prior to ever being winter inspected even once • Since 2009 there have been five bovine TB infected farms associated with wildlife intrusions that were not verified as Wildlife Risk Mitigated

  9. Conclusion From Results • Farms in core area (DMU 452) may require additional attention to details of farms’ biosecurity plan. • Because of increased risk of TB infected WTD grazing pastures in core area there is likely a increased risk to cattle. • Research has demonstrated it takes 20-30 hours of sunlight to kill the bacteria (M. bovis) deposited on grass in infected saliva.

  10. WRM Project’s Response As a result of finding two farms in 2012 the WRM Project field staff reached out in 2012-2013 to producers in DMU 452 to: • provide info on where TB has occurred within 5 mile radius of their farm • look for any chinks in farm’s plan • Emily Sewell-Alpena Conservation District Office • Wildlife Services field staff-Gaylord WS Office • About 50% of farms in DMU 452 requested a biologist to visit their farm.

  11. WRM Project’s Response Asked MSU for assistance in researching: • the safety of wet wrapping hay - Dr. Grooms will present the findings this afternoon at 1:30 • the safety in presenting salt in areas where it can be accessed by wildlife - I will present the findings this afternoon at 1:50

  12. WRM Project’s Response • 2013 survey of producers in DMU 452 regarding: • How they viewed the possibility of a State sponsored herd buyout program similar to what Texas did in the El Paso watershed • 25% favorable (13/51) • How they viewed a State sponsored cost-share program to fence pastures • 57% favorable (36/63)

  13. Benefits of WRM Project • Practical - keeping cattle from being infected by bovine TB • 39% (20/51) of infected farms in TB zone no longer have cattle

  14. Benefits of WRM Project MAAZ • Has helped TB Program to move MAAZ counties to higher status • If mitigated no need to do pre-movement test • If not mitigated must do pre-movement test at own expense • If mitigated no need for cattle to have post-movement test • If not mitigated purchaser must do post-movement test

  15. Benefits of WRM Project MAZ • Cost-share program (2009-2013) • $1,136,952.97 provided in MDARD funded cost-share grants • 74 cost shared hoop barns • 4 cost-shared feed storage fences • MDARD sought out Federal funding (2011) • $1,500,000 provided through NRCS’ EQIP Program

  16. Questions?

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