Conservation Commission Meeting Includes Captive Cervid Regulations

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Jefferson City, MO | May 29, 2014 – The Conservation Commission will review and consider proposed captive cervid regulations at their June 6th meeting. The meeting is at the Conservation Department Headquarters in Jefferson City (2901 West Truman Blvd). It begins at 8:30 a.m.

The Commission meeting is open to the public, but attendees wishing to speak must pre-register. A number of Conservation Federation of Missouri members have been granted time to speak, and will testify to the importance of strengthening regulations on captive cervids to prevent further spread of Chronic Wasting Disease and other deadly diseases. Your presence at the meeting in support of these regulations will send a strong message to the Conservation Commission.

Missouri’s first cases of CWD were detected in 2010 and 2011 in captive deer at private big-game hunting preserves in Linn and Macon counties. A total of 11 cases of CWD have been confirmed in captive deer at the facilities. CWD has since been found in 10 free-ranging deer within two miles of the captive facility in Macon County.

The proposed regulations include closing the borders to the importation of captive cervids, requiring new captive facilities to double fence (existing facilities are to be grandfathered in with a single fence) and mandatory mortality testing. These regulations align with what many other states are doing to prevent the spread of CWD. Of the 37 states that have captive-deer breeding and big-game hunting preserves, more than 20 have closed their borders to the importation of live deer, including Texas, which is home to a large percentage of the national captive cervid economy.

The meeting schedule includes:

Presentation: National Overview of Chronic Wasting Disease/Deer Health Issues.

Dr. John Fischer, Director, Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Staff Presentation: Overview of proposed captive cervid regulations. Larry Yamnitz, Protection Division Chief, and Mike Hubbard, Resource Science Division Chief.

Comments: Comments on proposed captive cervid regulations by individuals who submitted written requests prior to the meeting (not to exceed three minutes each).

Action Item: Report of the Regulations Committee, which includes recommendations for changes to the Wildlife Code pertaining to captive cervid facilities.

Who Voted for Captive Cervid Transfer (SB964)

Senate Bill 964 adds captive cervids to the definition of livestock. This act will allow the sale of captive cervids to be exempt from sales tax, will allow captive cervids to be considered livestock for the purposes of urban agricultural zones, and will subject captive cervids to the Missouri Livestock Disease Control and Eradication law, the Missouri Livestock Marketing Law, and regulation and marketing of agricultural products.

On motion of Senator Lager, Senate Bill 964 was read the 3rd time and passed by the following vote:

YEAS—Senators

  • 1.     Brown
  • 2.     Cunningham
  • 3.     Curls
  • 4.     Dixon
  • 5.     Emery
  • 6.     Holsman
  • 7.     Kehoe
  • 8.     Kraus
  • 9.     Lager
  • 10.  Lamping
  • 11.  LeVota
  • 12.  Libla
  • 13.  Munzlinger
  • 14.  Nasheed
  • 15.  Nieves
  • 16.  Parson
  • 17.  Richard
  • 18.  Romine
  • 19.  Sater
  • 20.  Schaaf
  • 21.  Schaefer
  • 22.  Wallingford
  • 23.  Wasson

NAYS—Senators

  • 1.     Chappelle-Nadal
  • 2.     Dempsey
  • 3.     Justus
  • 4.     Keaveny
  • 5.     Pearce
  • 6.     Schmitt
  • 7.     Sifton
  • 8.     Silvey
  • 9.     Walsh
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