From the September 2005 issue

DEC Announces Statewide Meetings on Chronic Wasting Disease

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan recently announced that a series of statewide meetings will be held during the month of September to inform the public of DEC's response to the limited discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild and captive white-tailed deer in New York State. Meetings are being held in all nine DEC regions.

Background on CWD

There is no evidence that
CWD affects humans or livestock

DEC implemented intensive monitoring efforts in wild herds after CWD was found in two captive white-tailed deer herds in Oneida County-the first incidents of CWD in New York State. On April 8, 2005, the state Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM) completed testing of captive deer and found a total of five positive results for CWD in the two herds.

The first positive result for CWD in a wild deer was announced on April 27, 2005 and came from a yearling white-tailed deer sampled from the Town of Verona, Oneida County. The second positive result came from a 3-year-old doe, located within a mile of the location where the initial positive result was detected. The sample tissues were tested at the state's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University. These are the first known occurrences of CWD in wild deer in New York State.

CWD is a transmissible disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of certain deer and elk. There is no evidence that CWD is linked to disease in humans or domestic livestock other than deer and elk. More information on CWD can be found at DEC's website (see "Related Links" below).

DEC's Response

Commissioner Sheehan also announced that significant progress has been made ensuring all captive deer herds and wildlife rehabilitators are in compliance with all animal health inspection and CWD prevention regulations. Joint DEC and Department of Agriculture and Markets teams have inspected more than 95 percent of deer farms possessing white-tailed deer and more than two-thirds of all wildlife rehabilitators who are licensed to rehabilitate white-tailed deer. The remaining facilities should have been inspected before the end of August (see the link to the Current Situation on CWD web page in the "Related Links" below to check the status of inspections). Each inspection team included DAM veterinarians or veterinary technicians, DEC wildlife biologists and DEC environmental conservation officers.

"Our interagency teams have focused on bringing all captive domestic white-tailed deer farms, and wildlife rehabilitators known to handle distressed wild white-tailed deer, into full compliance with CWD prevention regulations," Commissioner Sheehan said "We have inspected more than 250 facilities in recent months. While many deer farmers and rehabilitators are in compliance or were found to have minor record keeping or reporting violations presenting little threat to the wild white-tailed deer herd, we have zero tolerance for violation of our CWD prevention regulations."

CWD Update Meetings

At the statewide informational meetings in September, representatives from DEC will present information on the discovery of CWD and provide details on the state's response with up-to-date information on regulations aimed at ensuring the proper handling of deer and prevention of further spread of the disease. The regulations established a containment area in Oneida County, where CWD has been identified. The containment area is comprised of Oneida County municipalities, including the cities of Rome, Sherrill and Utica, as well as the towns of Augusta, Floyd, Marcy, Trenton, Whitestown, Verona, Westmoreland, Vernon, Kirkland, New Hartford, Vienna, Annsville, Lee and Western. In addition, the Madison County towns of Stockbridge and Lenox and City of Oneida are also included.

Containment Area Regulations

Within the containment area, DEC's regulations:

prohibit the movement of certain animal parts out of the containment area;
establish mandatory DEC check stations for any deer taken by hunters in the containment area;
prohibit possession of any deer killed by a motor vehicle in the containment area so DEC can acquire specimens for testing-individuals who see a sick or dead deer should call DEC at 315-336-4809, and
prohibit the collection, sale, possession or transport of deer or elk urine taken from the containment area.

Additional Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed for the containment area, DEC's regulations include provisions to be followed by individuals and facilities across the state. The regulations also:

establish specific record keeping and reporting requirements for taxidermists and require measures to prevent live cervids, that may contain the infectious agent that causes CWD, from coming into contact with any materials, including taxidermy materials;
prohibit rehabilitation of wild white-tailed deer at facilities that house live cervids, and
require retailers who sell deer feed to post a sign provided by DEC to advise buyers of the prohibition on feeding wild deer-regulations also prohibit the sale of deer feed that is packaged or labeled for wild white-tailed deer.

Meeting Dates/Times/Locations

See "Related Links" below for a link to the full press release, which lists meeting dates, times and locations.