In a late Friday afternoon press dump Governor Scott Walker announced a series of changes to Wisconsin's chronic wasting disease (CWD) plan.
“Managing our natural resources and preserving our
hunting heritage is a delicate balance,” Governor Walker said. “By working
together, we are taking actions and will continue to assess and update our chronic wasting disease plan to make sure we are doing everything we can to
contain and address this complicated disease.”
Various steps have been proposed,
including:
- Seeking input from hunters, landowners, farmers, and foresters in every county using County Deer Advisory Councils (CDACs);
- Directing the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to conduct a comprehensive study of deer population dynamics;
- Creating Best Management Practices for the deer farm industry;
- Conducting more frequent fence inspections; and
- Developing quicker test results for hunters.
Following an entire first term of endless denial and foot dragging pressure has been mounting on Walker to address the escalating spread of CWD after infection rates in 2015 hit a new high. Other than promise to further study the matter there isn't anything in last Friday's news release to suggest that anything is really going to happen.
Or is there?
Let's review point by point.
Seeking input through the County Deer Action Councils? Toothless. CDACs are advisory only. All season framework and deer management policymaking now rests with the legislative and the executive branch.
Or is there?
Let's review point by point.
Seeking input through the County Deer Action Councils? Toothless. CDACs are advisory only. All season framework and deer management policymaking now rests with the legislative and the executive branch.
Another comprehensive study? The topic has been studied to death.
Deer farms and fences? The current Wisconsin standard is to inspect a deer farm fence once every ten years. Until
recently, a deer farm of less than 80 acres had to be part of a
monitoring program to gain DNR approval for single fencing and to export
or import deer. The program required the operator to maintain records
of deer they added or subtracted as well as CWD test results. If the operator didn’t participate in the program they couldn’t move deer and had to install double (or solid) fencing.
Larger deer farms were regulated under one of two possible scenarios. To
maintain only a single fence an operator had to participate in a
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)
monitoring program or a DNR harvest monitoring program. Without participation in the DNR or DATCP programs a double (or solid) fence was required.
Effective last December operators
of a deer farm are now allowed to opt out of Wisconsin’s CWD monitoring
program in its entirety without having to upgrade their fences.
Yup, under the Walker administration the rules have changed so as to reduce costs to the proprietors of
farmed deer and free them of annoying regulatory hassles. Never mind that a rigorous fencing mandate might minimize the spread of disease from captive deer to healthy wild deer.
The only redeeming proposal is the notion of speedy test results. As the spread of disease grows in enormity I suppose finding out about it sooner is better than later.
Our border neighbor states have performed a splendid job of containing and slowing the spread of CWD by means of reducing deer numbers. Wisconsin - not so much. Governor Walker and the legislature have embarked-upon a policy of managing for high deer numbers without any allowance for the fact that deer are not distributed uniformly across Wisconsin's landscape.
The only redeeming proposal is the notion of speedy test results. As the spread of disease grows in enormity I suppose finding out about it sooner is better than later.
Our border neighbor states have performed a splendid job of containing and slowing the spread of CWD by means of reducing deer numbers. Wisconsin - not so much. Governor Walker and the legislature have embarked-upon a policy of managing for high deer numbers without any allowance for the fact that deer are not distributed uniformly across Wisconsin's landscape.
The 'changes' to Wisconsin's chronic wasting disease program are nothing but meaningless platitudes. More of the same inaction and a recipe for expansion and spread of the disease.
It’s a madcap, mixed-up world when it comes to science-based conservation of this state’s keystone wild game animal. But why sweat the important stuff when your governor and representatives place a priority upon passing legislation to hunt while wearing blaze pink.
- Seeking input from hunters, landowners, farmers, and foresters in every county using County Deer Advisory Councils (CDACs);
- Directing the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to conduct a comprehensive study of deer population dynamics;
- Creating Best Management Practices for the deer farm industry;
- Conducting more frequent fence inspections; and
- Developing quicker test results for hunters.
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