The Walworth County Deer Advisory Council will have a special meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, at People’s Bank of Elkhorn, 837 N Wisconsin St., to discuss recommendations for preventing the spread and responding to other chronic wasting disease issues on both a statewide and local level.
Unlike the annual spring council meetings during which quota and permit level recommendations are determined, the January meeting will focus specifically on CWD in Wisconsin’s white-tailed deer herd.
The council will review information on CWD in the county and region and discuss the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ 15-year Chronic Wasting Disease Response Plan. The CWD Response Plan guides the DNR’s approach to addressing CWD in Wisconsin’s wild deer herd.
The Walworth council will consider current CWD data, recommendations from the stakeholder-based CWD Response Plan Review Committee and online public feedback on the response plan when developing action item recommendations. Action items in the plan cover topics such as CWD surveillance and monitoring, hunting season tools, captive deer regulations, safety, research, and public involvement.
Public comments on CWD-related agenda topics will be accepted at the meeting, and members of the public may also comment through a public survey that will be made available starting in late December on the council’s webpage at dnr.wi.gov, keyword “CDAC.”
Council response plan recommendations will be presented to the statewide CWD Response Plan Review Committee in January and then the Natural Resources Board in March 2017.
Additional information on council recommendations, agendas and membership is available at dnr.wi.gov, keyword “CDAC” or email DNRCDACWebMail@Wisconsin.gov for more information.