A United States Department of Agriculture Office of Ins ector General - Washington, DC. 20250 DATE: December 5, 2013 AUDIT NUMBER: 33601-0002-4l TO: Kevin Shea Administrator Animal and Plant Health inspection Service ATTN: Marilyn Holland Deputy Administrator Marketing and Regulatory Program Business Services FROM: Steve Rickrode . . IJ . ?1 Deputy Assustant Inspector General for Audit SUBJECT: Wildlife Services?Wildlife Damage Management We plan to initiate the subject audit in the near future. Our objectives will be to: (I) determine whether wildlife damage management activities were justi?ed and effective; (2) assess the controls over cooperative agreements; (3) assess Wildlife Services? information system for reliability and integrity; and (4) follow-up on the implementation of prior audit recommendations, such as the accountability over hazardous materials and equipment. We will be contacting your office to schedule an entrance conference. Our ?eldwork will begin at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) national office, where we will interview program of?cials, review pertinent records, and select sites to review. Based on the infonnation we collect, we will select which locations to conduct our site visits. Generally. the audit will cover ?scal years 2012 and 20l3. However, the audit scope could be expanded. if needed. Audit staff from our Western Region in Oakland, California, will conduct the audit. Barbara Gladfelter, Regional Director, and Lawrence Gee, Assistant Director. will provide general direction and guidance for the audit. Scott Maurer, Auditor, will be responsible for the dayto-day management of the assignment. The audit staffmay be reached at (5 l0) 208-6800. To begin our review, we are requesting some initial documentation that we will need for the audit. If this documentation could be provided to us at the entrance conference, it would be greatly appreciated. Please provide the attached items. in electronic format, if possible. Attachment Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Damage Management Audit No. 33601-0002-41 Request for Information Please provide the following information (preferably in electronic format): I. Names, titles, and telephone numbers of the key staff at the national, regional, and State offices who have responsibilities relating to Wildlife Damage Management (WDM). Provide current organizational charts, if available. Any proposed regulations, directives, policies, procedures, guidance, and/or correspondence issued that pertain to WDM, which are not available on website. For fiscal years (F Ys) 2012 through 2013, complete lists ofthe following: requests for assistance, cooperative agreements, and cooperative agreements that used lethal methods for WDM. Names, titles, and telephone numbers at key staff at the National Wildlife Research Center who have responsibilities for developing new and improved WDM methods. For l?Ys 20l2 through 20l3, a complete list of laboratory and ?eld research projects or studies; and the most recent nationwide research needs assessment. Copies of any recent hotline/whistleblower complaints related to WS and responses to the complaints. List ofthe automated system(s) uses to administer WS, and a brief description of each system.