The National Park Service (NPS) is expanding opportunities for qualified volunteers and permitted participants to help remove invasive and overabundant species at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana and Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia.  

“This is hunters performing a public service that the taxpayer would otherwise be paying for,” an NPS employee, who asked to not be named, told Outdoor Life. “I think that’s a big deal. It’s not going to be for everyone, but it may be a model for resource management on public properties that can’t support traditional models of public hunting.” 

The announcement is in line with Secretarial Order 3447 for effective governance and responsible stewardship, including expanding opportunities for qualified volunteers and partners to support science-based wildlife management on public lands. NPS uses a variety of management tools, including controlled hunting, trapping and targeted removal to reduce these impacts. 

These efforts support the protection of wetlands, native wildlife, cultural resources and sensitive habitats that are affected by nutria and feral hogs. Nutria is a rodent that can be two feet long and weighs 15 to 20 pounds. They look like beavers but leave behind wide-ranging negative impacts on riparian habitat including the destruction of native plants, soil structure and farm crops. Feral hogs cause an estimated $1.5 billion in damage annually by destroying plants and crops. They also prey on small wildlife like ground-nesting birds and deer fawns. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org. 

(Photo credit: Steve Hillebrand/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)