Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold meetings statewide to gather public comments on management options to consider if chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is detected in Montana’s free ranging deer and elk populations.
Wildlife managers and others hope the meetings will also help Montanans become more aware of the disease, the options available to protect wildlife populations, the potential impact of CWD on wildlife and the economy and how other states have managed the disease within their borders.
Since 1996, FWP has randomly tested about 4,500 wild elk and deer and CWD has not been detected. However, with expanded testing by states and provinces, positive cases of CWD have been identified in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Saskatchewan, only 100 miles from the Montana border. Wildlife managers expect CWD will be detected in the future in Montana.
The meetings are scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. in:
- March 3 Missoula FWP Headquarters: 3201 Spurgin Rd.
- March 4 Kalispell FWP Headquarters: 490 North Meridian Rd.
- March 16 Great Falls FWP Headquarters: 4600 Giant Springs Rd.
- March 18 Bozeman FWP Headquarters: 1400 South 19th
- March 22 Miles City FWP Headquarters: Industrial Site W
- March 23 Glasgow FWP Headquarters: Rural Route 1 – 4210
- March 29 Billings FWP Headquarters: 2300 Lake Elmo Dr.
CWD is a rare neurological disease found in a small percentage of wild deer and elk in limited areas of North America. CWD attacks the brains of infected deer and elk, causing animals to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior, lose bodily functions and eventually die. There is no known cure for CWD.
For more on CWD, go to the FWP website at www.fwp.state.mt.us and use the search function by entering “CWD,” or go to the CWD Alliance website at www.cwd-info.org . For details, contact FWP at 406-444-4039 or at tfeldner@state.mt.us .