The Department of Environmental Management has banned the importation of deer and elk from states where chronic wasting disease has been found. The ban also extends to some of the animals’ parts, and forbids releasing any of the animals into the wild.
The new rules are now permanent. They had been in place on an emergency basis for 18 months as part of an effort to prevent the disease’s spread. Chronic Wasting Disease is a progressive neurological disease that kills deer and elk. It is not known to be a risk to humans. The new regulations also ban the feeding of white-tailed deer in Rhode Island.