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As escalating gopher populations are causing increasing concern for Saskatchewan landowners, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is teaming up with the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) to offer practical assistance.
Darrell Crabbe, SWF's executive director, says the partnership was born from landowners needing help with the pests.
"Having received a number of concerns and we've met recently with SARM and with the crop insurance folks and recognizing the kind of impact and overpopulation the gophers is having, we thought it was a good opportunity for us to just reach out, try to be the conduit of an exchange of contact information."
Gophers can be responsible for significant crop loss and land degradation, impacting the livelihoods of farmers and other landowners.
In response to the issue, the SWF is connecting landowners with SWF members who can help control local gopher populations.
"We thought it was a good opportunity for us to just reach out and try to be the conduit of an exchange of contact information because that's one of the biggest issues right now, access for hunting," said Crabbe, "It's hard for the hunting community to identify proper contact information for landowners and as well in reverse."
We have 122 branches in the province, so we identify what the closest branch is to that individual's property and then we make the connection between them, the executive of that branch of the SWF and the landowner.
With 122 branches across the province, landowners experiencing challenges with gophers are encouraged to contact the main SWF office at 306-692-8812. They'll then find nearby SWF members who can coordinate arrangements directly with the landowner.
The SWF says that all members participating in this initiative will carry an additional $5 million in liability coverage and are expected to uphold the highest standards of safety, conduct, and landowner respect.