Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Congressman Glenn Thompson speaks during a listening tour stop recently at the Conewango Club in Warren. Pictured, from left, are: United Fund of Warren County Executive Director Lacey Hanson, Ellwood National Forge President Mike Barrett, City of Warren Manager Nancy Freenock, and Thompson.

Congressman Glenn Thompson and a Democratic representative Ron Kind and introduced legislation to research and manage the spread of chronic wasting disease.

In the county, the disease affects deer. One positive test result was reported earlier this year on a deer preserve.

Thompson and Ron Kind have introduced the “Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act” to support states in their response and implement management strategies and research initiatives to address the threat.

“CWD has been a big problem for the deer populations of Pennsylvania and additional cervid animals, such as elk and moose, throughout the country,” Thompson said. “This bill was crafted with robust stakeholder support and will prioritize research in the transmission of, resistance to, and diagnosis of CWD. It is imperative we better understand the genetic implications of the disease, so we can develop policies best suited to solve the problem. I look forward to moving quickly with my colleagues in Congress to do our part in eradicating CWD.

Chronic wasting disease was found in a deer on a preserve in Pine Grove earlier this year. The discovery led to the creation of DMA 5 — disease management, a 211 square mile that includes a 3-mile buffer around the area where the positive deer was found where more intensive sampling will be conducted.

It will take years of monitoring because officials explained that the incubation period for the disease can be up to two years. The disease can persist in the soil for years. Symptoms include weight loss and excess saliva and deer that appear sick.

Thompson’s statement details that a number of wildlife entities have expressed support for the bill including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Wildlife Federation, Boone & Crockett National Deer Association, North American Deer Farmers Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Mule Deer Foundation.

Information from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership provides the details on the proposed legislation – $35 million annually for the USDA to partner with the states for management activities; $35 million annually for CWD research; directing the USDA to review a herd certification program and by required the agency to “develop, maintain, and publicize educational materials on CWD best practices and precautions based on the best-available science.”

“The threat posed by CWD to deer hunting in America is difficult to overstate–for too long, funding woes, research questions, and ineffectual enforcement have resulted in a worsening status quo,” Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership said. “Curbing the accelerated spread of this disease each year requires an all-encompassing effort that can only be achieved by the pragmatic, bipartisan approach in this bill.”