The National Deer Association has joined a coalition of logging companies and conservation organizations formed to combat chronic wasting disease (CWD) among deer in the Southeast. The new coalition will promote practices that help discover, manage and mitigate the negative impacts of CWD. NDA joins Alabama Wildlife Federation, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Boone and Crockett Club, Forest Investment Associates, Molpus Woodlands Group, Potlatch Deltic, Rayonier, Resource Management Services, The Westervelt Company, and Weyerhaeuser.
“Approximately 88 percent of the nation’s deer hunting occurs on private land, making it increasingly important that private land owners and managers get involved in the fight against CWD,” said the conservation director for the NDA, Kip Adams. “This coalition was established to meet that need and I am proud that the NDA is a founding member.”
The new coalition recognizes that it will need the cooperation of state wildlife agencies, hunters and private landowners working together to slow the spread of the disease. The group has developed a list of voluntary “best management practices” to help control, manage and prevent the spread of CWD. The coalition will also support communication, research, policy and public health. These categories follow the CWD recommendations of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, but are designed for owners and managers of private land in the southeastern US with large numbers of recreational users.
See best management practices here: https://deerassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CWD-BestPracticesv2.pdf
Chronic wasting disease is transmitted from animal to animal and by contact with infectious material. The disease is contagious and can be freely transmitted within and between cervid populations. There are currently no treatments or vaccines available, and chronic wasting disease is 100% fatal to cervids. To date, no known transfer of chronic wasting disease to humans has occurred. The continued spread of the disease negatively impacts the economic, environmental, and cultural values associated with deer, and the involvement of private owners will be critical to success.
For more information on the CWD Coalition, contact Kevin McKinstry, 800-281-7991 or [email protected].
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association is the leading nonprofit deer conservation group, working to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat, and game. Formed by combining the strengths of two long-standing successful organizations, the National Deer Association has a combined 40-year effort that has changed deer management to improve hunting and protect America’s most vital and admired game species. North America for future generations. Visit DeerAssociation.com or follow @deerassociation on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.