Lawmakers this week in the Senate introduced the Feral Swine Eradication Act. The legislation would extend and make permanent a pilot program to safeguard public health, agriculture, and local ecosystems against the threat of feral swine.
Senators Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican and John Cornyn, A Texas Republican, introduced the bill. Tuberville says, “Over the past five years, feral swine have impacted more than 173,000 acres in Alabama, yet the pigs are still running rampant throughout the South.” There are approximately six million feral hogs across the United States, which cause more than $1.5 billion in damages each year.
The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program was established in the 2018 Farm Bill to respond to rampant feral swine outbreaks and was implemented by the Department of Agriculture. The program includes feral swine removal, restoration efforts, and assistance to producers for feral swine control through grants with non-federal partners.