Landholders urged to return fox survey

A NSW Department of Primary Industries survey designed to learn the impact of fox control on a large scale rather than just at single property level will be handed to landholders during the next month.

Rural Lands Protection Board rangers from the Forbes, Dubbo, Molong and Young Boards will provide fox control and lamb production survey forms to landholders at local sale yards and wherever fox baits are collected.

This is the second year for the survey which was last year distributed to all landholders in the Boards.

Project officer with NSW Agriculture’s Vertebrate Pest Research Unit Lynette McLeod said the survey would provide important information on how effective fox baiting could be and would ultimately lead to improved methods of control.

She said landholders who participated in the survey in 2004 and who agreed to continue their involvement would also receive the 2005 survey form in the mail, with more copies available at RLPB offices for interested landholders.

“The main survey is only one page long and will take about 20 minutes to complete,” Ms McLeod said.

“There is also an optional section for landholders to provide previous years lamb production figures if available.

“We want all landholders to fill out the survey whether they bait as part of a group, bait on their own or don’t carry out any control at all.”

Ms McLeod said the survey was confidential and could be returned either by fax or in the reply paid envelope provided.

“The real aim of the survey is to improve lamb production through more effective fox control so that’s got to be a good incentive to farmers to participate,” Ms McLeod said.

“But as an added incentive this year the names of all survey respondents will be placed in a draw in each RLPB for a chance to win $250 worth of agricultural products from the local stock and station agent.”

Media contact: Lynette McLeod, Orange (02) 6391 3834.