CWD Management Act Needed for Idaho’s Deer, Elk, Moose
The Chronic Wasting Disease Management Act (CWDMA) would offer $35 million yearly to support state efforts to manage and control chronic wasting disease (CWD). The introduced bipartisan legislation would allocate funds to priority states identified in the bill’s framework. CWD has been detected in 26 states, with three states being added to the lengthy list in just the last couple years. While Idaho is not currently one of those states, the neighboring states of Montana, Wyoming, and Utah all have positively tested cervids. Wyoming’s Lincoln County shares its’ western border with Idaho and has recorded CWD in locally harvested deer. CWD is knocking on Idaho’s door.
Chronic Wasting Disease is an always fatal prion disease transmitted through body fluids that affects deer, elk, and moose. Animals with CWD may not show any signs of the disease for years after they become infected, but drastic weight loss, lack of coordination, and excessive thirst or urination have been observed in infected animals1.
Sponsors of the bill are Wisconsin Representatives Kind (D- 3rdDistrict) and Sensenbrenner (R-5thDistrict) as well as Senator Tester (D-MT) in the Senate. The CWDMA would give funding priority to states and tribes with the highest incidence of CWD and those that have the greatest need for rapid response to new outbreaks, including in areas where CWD is already found. The act would also allocate funds to support efforts to research the spread of the disease in states where it already exists. This would benefit Idaho as it would allow our neighbors in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah to adequately address populations that have the potential to migrate over Idaho’s borders.
The bill also includes a rapid response fund to allow states not currently infected with CWD to adequately address the transmission of the disease. This $10 million rapid response fund would give a substantial boost to deploy management techniques to “immediately control the spread of chronic wasting disease” if CWD is detected in a state not previously known to harbor populations infected with the disease.
This funding for management action and the support for additional research is a great step to ensure healthy wildlife. It would give Idaho Department of Fish & Game the tools it needs to confront these issues head on. Idaho’s deer and elk herds are enjoyed by hundreds of thousands each year, with almost 160,000 deer tags and over 100,000 elk tags sold in 2018. Tags and permits alone contributed $29.5 million in revenue to the Department and hunting supports thousands of jobs across the state. This bill is a great way to safeguard Idaho’s deer, elk, and moose herds by actively addressing potential threats.
Idaho Department of Fish & Game deserves credit for its’ proactive measures to combat CWD. The Department has been collecting samples since 1997. Last year, the Fish & Game Commission approved new rules aimed to prevent CWD transmission from animals harvested out of state, and IWF submitted testimony in favor of those new rules when presented to the legislature this year.
As hunters, we have an obligation to look after the health of our wildlife. IWF is leading the charge to get Idaho’s delegates on board. We have traveled to D.C. to talk about threats CWD poses to our deer, elk, and moose herds and our sporting opportunities on them. We have also convened and led meetings with senator staff in Idaho with other sporting groups to specifically discuss this legislation and the critical importance to the state of Idaho.
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