We watched Monday's hearing on International Falls DFLer Rob Ecklund's HF2814, which would establish additional safeguards against the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease at Minnesota deer farms.
Here's our corrected embed of the House Information Services YouTube of the hearing (the one on the Minnesota House Information Services Youtube channel originally began about 13 minutes into the hearing, though now it also doesn't , ):
At Session Daily, Brian Hall reports in Deer farmers could face more requirements to safeguard against chronic wasting disease:
In a continuing effort to eradicate and control the spread of chronic wasting disease, Minnesota deer farmers could be forced to test their entire herd.
Sponsored by Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL-International Falls), HF2814 would require owners of farmed white-tailed deer to test their animals for the disease by October. Additional testing would be required for animals who test positive for chronic wasting disease.
The bill includes a $250,000 appropriation to the Board of Animal Health for the testing and would establish a requirement for a soil test before sale or transfer of land where the disease was detected while farming cervids, including deer, moose and elk
Following a 9-3 vote by the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee Monday, the bill was sent to the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee without recommendation, in part, due to questions surrounding the testing used for the deer and soil.
The real-time quaking-induced conversion test has not been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Approval is expected in the near future,” Ecklund said. “We go to great lengths and take all precautions in protecting our meat and food supply. The RTQuIC test is one more tool that we have available to protect the industry.”
Several Republicans felt the bill was being considered too early given the test hasn’t been approved by the USDA.
Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck) said that the bill was originally going to be laid over before a late addition recommended it be moved on. Because of the time, Anderson said members didn’t feel an urgency in putting amendments forward.
“Given what we’ve heard today, we do need to slow down,” said Rep. John Burkel (R-Badger).
Ecklund said there’s approximately 3,500 captive white-tailed deer in the state.
“If we do find any problems through the use of this technology, then we would know the areas in the state that need the most attention,” he said.
The companion, SF3037, is sponsored by Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) and awaiting action by the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee.
“We’ve been fighting CWD for five years,” Ecklund said. “I’d like to get to the bottom of what’s going on here.”
He later added: “If we had something in our swine population, if we had something in our turkey population, if we had something in our cattle population, it would be all hands on deck to make sure that we were addressing this.”
Ecklund sent out a statement on the hearing:
Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a remote hearing to discuss two bills authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls) aimed at preventing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) among Minnesota’s wild white-tailed deer population, as well as other animal diseases. Committee members also received an update from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding the concurrent authority over farmed white-tail deer.
“We’ve been dealing with CWD in Minnesota for several years and the spread remains deeply concerning among Minnesota’s wild deer population. Now, farmers and livestock producers are facing emerging threats from diseases like avian influenza and African swine fever,” Rep. Ecklund said. “With live-testing technology for CWD now at our doorstep, along with further investments in the U of M’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (VDL) with its proven track record as a critical research tool, it’s time to take bolder action to protect wild white-tailed deer and other animal populations.”
The legislation, HF 2814, includes several new requirements for deer farm owners. The bill requires live-animal testing of farmed deer for CWD no later than October 1, 2022, with further testing requirements for those testing positive. In certain circumstances, the farms would be required to depopulate the premises of all farmed Cervidae. Additionally, for farms where CWD is present, a soil test for evidence of CWD is required prior to the sale of the premises. Finally, the bill includes a $250,000 appropriation to the BAH to coordinate live-animal testing with the U of M Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. The committee approved the bill which will next be considered in the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Rep. Ecklund is author of a separate bill to invest $1.5 million in the VDL at the U of M. In addition to CWD, the VDL would use the increased capacity to test for African Swine Fever and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The committee held the bill over for possible inclusion in a future Agriculture finance bill.
Video of the hearing will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube Channel. Documents and other information from the hearing will be available on the committee webpage.
Related posts:
- [VIDEO] COVID in whitetail deer: MNHouse Ag Committee question & PBS NewsHour report
- Minnesota Board of Animal Health: Chronic Wasting Disease endemic area update map
- The curious focus on a deer farmer's record of petty crime on the part of the BAH exec director
- Strib: Fighting Chronic Wasting Disease one of five top outdoor issues to watch in 2022
- MN DNR: Positive test on 1 Brainerd Lakes area deer extends CWD management to 2024
- CWD news: DNR to rescind rule temporarily banning farmed deer movement into/within MN
- MN DNR: December CWD hunts offer deer hunters additional harvest opportunities
- CWD update: MN Center for Prion Research & Outreach's MN-QuIC field-deployment paper
- Minnesota CWD update: Changes for deer hunters in southern Red River Valley
- MN DNR: CWD suspected in a wild deer harvested along northwestern MN border
- Minnesota Chronic Wasting Disease news digest: upcoming firearms hunt spurs coverage
- Watch MNHouse Environment Committee hearing on CWD, EAB & local government water grants
- DNR: Chronic wasting disease testing is mandatory for MN deer opener in CWD zones
- CWD: Outdoors writer bags skinny doe, responds to American Cervid Alliance guy's letter
- State rep Tim Miller: MN state public officials beholden to radical anti-livestock enviro groups
- MN Deer Farmers Association sends House environmental committee chair a letter
- DNR temporarily bans farmed deer movement into & within MN to protect wild white-tailed deer
- CWD update: DNR Commissioner's letter to BAH Director on regulation to protect state's wild deer
- Bemidji Pioneer: Must-read article on illegal dumped CWD deer remains in Beltrami County
- Statement: Minnesota DNR learns of 2 deer farms that received deer from CWD+ farm in Wisconsin
- Hunters, tribes, conservation groups and St. Louis County call on state to get rid of deer farms
- Tune in to House Enviro Committee hearing tomorrow morning for latest CWD information
- MN DNR press release: Return to mandatory testing in chronic wasting disease zones this season
- South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks: CWD detected in mule deer in new area, Perkins County
- UMN MNPRO’s latest research detects CWD prions in cervid muscles using RT-QuIC
- MNReformer Radio podcast interviews Jamie Becker-Finn on Chronic Wasting Disease politics
- Listen to MN House environment committee chair Rep. Rick Hansen talk CWD on Matt McNeil Show
- Special Board of Animal Health meeting to review farmed Cervidae rulemaking postponed
- Bad news from the North: CWD sweeps through Alberta & Saskatchewan deer & elk herds
- Forum News Service: MN Deerhunters Association wants to end deer farming
- Just in: House DFL Lawmakers urge resignation of Minnesota Board of Animal Health President
- Star Tribune: Deer farming and "CWD-infested dump site on public land" in Beltrami County
- Are deer farmers posing against MN DNR rule pausing movement of captive whitetails?
- MN DNR temporarily bans movement of farmed whitetails in state to protect wild deer health
- 5 more MN deer farm herds exposed to CWD; Beltrami carcass dump site inquiry continues
- News release: U of M testing finds presence of CWD prions at Beltrami Co. carcass dump site
- BAH: Southern Minnesota CWD investigation identifies new infection in Beltrami County
- Concerned about CWD in MN deer? Learn about new research from MNPRO's Peter Larsen
- Some of the science at the center of Update on Chronic Wasting Disease Efforts hearing
- VIDEO: MNHouse passes bill for process to extend funding for ENRTF projects for one year
- Session Daily: Experts want to study how CWD flows in state's waterways
- Sen. Andrew Lang seems behind the curve on current funding & progress of CWD test research
- VIDEO: University of Minnesota scientists share CWD research, search for test with lawmakers
- Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund plan from U of M for CWD diagnostic test
- Peter Larsen slideshow: Development of Advanced Diagnostic Tests for CWD by U of M
Photo: Wild white-tailed deer in the woods.
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