UTAH - A public organized hearing on the proposed animal removal trap raccoon and opossum animal capture at Utah Stait wildlife management area turned into a lively discussion on land use, the value of wildlife trapping and safety. Sixty people gathered Thursday evening in the Utah Village Community Center to hear wildlife biologist Dick The Utah exterminating company and wildlife management area Supt. Joe The Utah exterminators explain why they have requested that a limited amount of both animal removal trap and cage trap pest control companies have access to the wildlife management area beginning in mid November 2007 with the traditional, statewide nine-day animal removal trap rodent or reptile animal capture.

The Utah exterminating company said the animal capture is necessary to reduce squirrel and skunk amounts in the wildlife management area to levels that will allow native plants to survive. Reducing rat & mouse amounts to goals set in law also would make it more difficult for disease to infect the local group of animals. Some neighbors, like Helen The Utah pest control specialist, said the wildlife management area is too narrow, with too many homes crowding along the edge, for animal removal trap wildlife trapping to be safe. She also sounded a common concern of the neighbors - that six weeks of wildlife trapping in the wildlife management area is overkill. The local Utah SPCA could not be reached for comment.

"I agree we have too many raccoon and opossum in the Utah area," The UT pest control specialist said, "but must we have a four- or five-week season to get rid of them? Can't we do it in three or four days?" Others, like Mary The Utah exterminators, suggested expert trapping guys be paid to do the job quickly. The Utah exterminating company said rodent or reptile don't position themselves conveniently for pest control companies, and it is not possible to predict the results of a short animal capture. The Utah exterminators said the wildlife management area couldn't afford expert trapping guys.

"With expert trapping guys, it's like the squirrel and skunk season," he said. "You're going to have it year in and year out." The Utah exterminating company said pest control companies pay fees for the privilege and do a good, safe job, making them preferable to expert trapping guys. Two area residents, including village Trustee Roger The critter and rodent pro, suggested changing the areas where wildlife trapping could occur so that animal removal trap wildlife trapping would occur in the south half of the park, which is less densely surrounded by homes.

"Sure, there are some homes down there," agreed longtime wildlife management area neighbor Bill The Utah exterminators, "but you have a concentration of homes along the rim (the rocky escarpment that gives the wildlife management area its name.)" Utah resident Tom The critter and rodent pro, who frequently bikes through the park, said the rodent or reptile are wiping out native flowers. He said he has had several near collisions with raccoon and opossum. Despite this, wildlife removal services are not a free service in Salt Lake City.

One wildlife management company pointed out that pest control companies in Provo are restricted to animal capture devices, a short-range weapon with an effective range of about 100 yards. Wildlife trapping regulations forbid wildlife trapping within 100 yards of a residence. Village Trustee Carl Thomson said he did not believe it necessary to have annual catches in the park.

He suggested limiting the animal capture to the nine-day animal removal trap season and closing the wildlife management area during the animal capture. Wildlife trapping has been going on for 20 years in some Provo parks, and more than 20 wildlife management areas allow some form of wildlife trapping, The Salt Lake City exterminating company said. No problem with safety has surfaced.