As urban sprawl becomes a greater environmental concern for all peoples, the world’s natural resources are becoming increasingly important. Ecosystems must be managed to accompany both man and animal. We at Genesis are committed to working with the public and private sector to devise approaches to assimilate human dimensions with natural resources and wildlife management.

We have worked with federal, state, and local governments to develop management programs for invasive species. Most notably, in 2002 we prepared a document on Nutria (Myocastor coypus) biology, natural history, socio-economics, cultural dimension, and statewide control options for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries-Fur and Refuge Division entitled Nutria in Louisiana. It reviewed worldwide literature on nutria and prescribed a plan for their management in the face of decreasing fur trade, an industry that helped to keep them in check previously. The state initiated our recommendation by using an incentive payment program that is to be funded for $2 million/year (increased each year for inflation) for 20 years. The plan will pay for each tail submitted to collection points. An average of over 300,000 tails have been collected annually at $4/tail, and recently increased to $5/tail.

In 2004, we received funding as part of a USDA Phase I SBIR grant to develop a floating nutria toxicant. As current methods of baiting are labor-intensive, we are developing a rodenticide that will be less labor-intensive and be able to be applied aerially to remote areas of the marshes, where the source populations are often located. The phase I work was successful in producing a floating bait that is palatable to the nutria, less toxic to non-target wildlife, and less labor-intensive. In the fall of 2006, we received Phase II funding for the continuation of this product development and the completion of additional laboratory and field studies to address EPA registration requirements.

In 2001, we completed a project in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming. The project completed a survey of previously mapped (2001) white-tailed prairie dog colonies near Pinedale, WY. The survey found that there was a dramatic reduction in the number of colonies, with only 15 of 29 colonies still active. In terms of area, the active colonies we mapped in the vicinity of the 29 original colonies totaled just 71 ha. The original colonies comprised 1407 ha in 2001. These studies are of tantamount importance in the continuing management and conservation of our natural resources.