Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

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.