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USDA will comply with trapping ban (10/22/2001) Washington- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Service’s Division, which is in charge of the federal wildlife control program, has decided to abide by Washington’s trapping ban after receiving comments from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the state’s Attorney General. Wildlife Services was formed to protect people, livestock, agriculture and other resources from damaging or dangerous wildlife. It has used traps to efficiently control wildlife for years. In November 2000, voters approved Initiative 713, a ban on trapping in Washington. The ban took effect January 1, 2001, but state lawyers did not believe the Wildlife Services Division was governed by this initiative. Recently, HSUS and Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire asked the Agriculture Secretary, Ann Veneman, to obey the state initiative. “They asked us to voluntarily comply with the initiative and we are doing so,” said Hallie Pickhardt, a spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture. Under the new policy, landowners seeking help from Wildlife Services must get a state permit exempting them from Initiative 713. The permit will only be issued if non-lethal methods are proven ineffective. CopyrightÓ U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance- www.ussportsmen.org
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