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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL)

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RELEASE: Rep. Ecklund thanks DNR for rapid response to address CWD following new discovery

Monday, December 23, 2019

SAINT PAUL – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, citing the recent discovery of a deer with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Douglas County, has issued an emergency rule temporarily prohibiting the movement of all farmed white-tailed deer within the state. The emergency rule is in effect for 30 days.

“To protect our outdoor heritage in Minnesota, we need to protect our deer population. New confirmation of CWD in different parts of the state is concerning and I thank the DNR for taking this difficult but necessary step,” said Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls). “Researchers at the DNR, U of M, Board of Animal Health and elsewhere are doing great work to address the spread of CWD, and I will continue to support their proactive efforts to protect our cervid populations.”

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health earlier this month confirmed an 8-year-old white-tailed doe tested positive for the fatal deer disease in a small, two-deer hobbyist herd. The DNR is already monitoring for CWD in disease management zones in southeastern and north-central Minnesota where the disease has been detected in both captive and wild deer, as well as in a CWD surveillance area in central Minnesota where it has been found in captive deer.

Since CWD was first detected in Minnesota in 2002, the DNR has tested more than 90,000 wild deer in the state. To date, 73 wild deer have been confirmed positive for CWD in Minnesota. Test results, including locations of confirmed positive test results and statistics, are available on the DNR website at mndnr.gov/cwdcheck.