In this Keynote Address, the author focuses on the USDA APHIS’ document “Strategic Plan for Animal Damage Control,” released in December 1989. The document results from a 2-year strategic planning process, produced as a product of collective expertise among ADC management and staff, cooperators, and collaborators. It will guide the federal ADC program for the next 3 to 5 years, and in doing so will strongly influence the whole arena of vertebrate pest management in the U.S. A Mission Statement is described and discussed. Critical issues addressed include: 1) lack of an effective system of management practices; 2) failure to adequately maintain or improve control tools and techniques, or to develop new methods; 3) inadequate investment in major capital assets; 4) failure of wildlife damage management to be recognized as a critical component of wildlife management; and 5) a lack of critical data on wildlife damage and control actions, benefits, and impacts.