CONGRESS MEMBERS ARE GOING TO LOOK INTO CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE FINALLY

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Members, Conservation Partners Discuss Urgency of Chronic Wasting Disease

 (Washington, DC) - Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus (CSC) Members joined representatives from the sportsmen's conservation community for a bipartisan Capitol Hill Breakfast Briefing hosted by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) to discuss the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Act (H.R. 4454) and the Chronic Wasting Disease Support for States Act (S. 2252).

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) affects cervids such as deer, elk, and moose, and has been detected in 25 different states. CWD is a management concern for many state and tribal agencies that are dealing with CWD, who often divert money from other conservation programs, which has resulted in initiatives to combat CWD being both underfunded and coming at the expense of other conservation priorities.

 

"The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation has long recognized that increased attention to, and funding for, regular screening and testing of cervids at the state level is necessary to ensure a timely response is possible in the event of a Chronic Wasting Disease outbreak," said CSF President Jeff Crane. "We commend the leadership of Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Members Congressman Kind and Senator Tester on this critical wildlife management issue."

 

H.R. 4454 was introduced by Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus (CSC) Member Congressman Rob Kind, and S. 2252 was introduced by CSC Member Senator John Tester. Though varied in specific amounts, both bills would provide much needed resources to the agencies tasked with managing this disease and would also allow for additional investment in applied research on strategies to reduce the prevalence and spread of CWD in the future.

 

"As an avid hunter, I know how important maintaining a healthy deer herd is to both America's hunting traditions and the outdoor economy," said Rep. Kind. "It is time we bring sportsmen, scientists, and officials together to create a comprehensive plan to manage and prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease."

"CWD is not only a deer, elk, and moose issue," said Nick Pinizzotto, President and CEO of the National Deer Alliance. "The disease is a threat to the way we manage all wildlife using the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, and I appreciate the opportunity to articulate that message to our national leaders."

Breakfast Briefing Sponsors included: Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Mule Deer Foundation, National Deer Alliance, National Wildlife Federation, Quality Deer Management Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Whitetails Unlimited.

 

Since 1989, the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted sportsmen's organization in the political arena. CSF's mission is to work with Congress, governors, and state legislatures to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping. The unique and collective force of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus (CSC), the Governors Sportsmen's Caucus (GSC) and the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses (NASC), working closely with CSF, and with the support of major hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping organizations, serves as an unprecedented network of pro-sportsmen elected officials that advance the interests of America's hunters and anglers.