Quick Response Needed to Control CWD

Mule Deer on Montana Ranch CC by Scott Akerman
Mule deer by Scott Akerman.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a deadly neurological illness that is fatal to deer, elk and moose — and now it is in Montana.  In the last month, the disease has been confirmed in two wild deer shot by hunters near Billings.

The spread of CWD poses a serious threat to Montana’s big game herds, hunting heritage, and outdoor economy.  Wildlife managers, hunters, and agricultural landowers must take aggressive steps to limit the spread of CWD in both geographic distribution and prevalence within herds.

The arrival of CWD in Montana comes just as the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks was in the  process of revising their CWD Management Plan.  The plan calls for more monitoring to catch CWD occurrences, special hunts to determine prevalence within a deer herd, and stepped up public outreach to educate people about the threat.

MWF has weighed in with comments on the FWP’s plan with a call for quick, aggressive action to control CWD.  MWF supports more resources for eradication as a primary strategy for containing the disease, including the use of aggressive special hunts.  MWF also reaffirmed support for a general hunting season that emphasizes opportunity, which can keeps buck-doe ratios low and prevent the spread of the disease.  Finally, MWF reiterated the importance of ending elk feeding in Wyoming, which is a major vector in spreading multiple wildlife diseases.

“Montanans have long feared this day, yet knew it was inevitable,” MWF wrote.  “With solid cooperation from Montana’s hunters, as well as landowners and others, we can work to limit its scope in both range and prevalence. We should strive to eradicate CWD in cervids in our state, and must act quickly.”

Click here for MWF’s CWD letter.

Saving the Last Dance

Sage Grouse

Facing a repeal of federal sage-grouse conservation plans, the Montana Wildlife Federation led a coalition of Montana sportsmen groups in penning a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and BLM Acting Director Brian Steed to save the sagebrush steppe landscape, an iconic bird, and 350 other species that calls this unique ecosystem home.

The 2015 Federal Sage-Grouse Plans were developed by local stakeholders in Montana and across the West to conserve sagebrush habitat, keep the sage-grouse off of the Endangered Species list, and protect habitat for mule deer and hundreds of other species.  The Trump Administration is presently considering repealing the plans.

The Montana Wildlife Federation was joined by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Montana Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Montana Trout Unlimited, Anaconda Sportsman’s Club, Laurel Rod & Gun, Hellgate Hunters & Anglers, Montana Bowhunter’s Association, Helena Hunters & Anglers, Gallatin Wildlife Association, and the Mule Deer Foundation.  The groups, representing tens of thousands of Montana hunters demanded that the 2015 Federal Sage-Grouse Plans be kept intact, fully implemented, and given the necessary time to work.

Click the link below to read the full letter

Sage Grouse Letter

Unacceptable

(Photo courtesy of the BLM)
(Photo courtesy of the BLM)

President Trump will announce Monday his decision on shrinking Bears Ears National Monument. We cannot accept the shrinking of any national monument, as this will set a dangerous precedent, and could put into motion a waterfall of regrettable events that could eliminate access to stunningly beautiful and historic public lands. There has never been a president that has reduced the size of a national monument under the Antiquities Act, and this would be a violation of the Antiquities Act, a slap in the face of the native tribes involved in the fight for Bears Ears, as well as an irreversible disintegration of our shared values of public land access. Bears Ears – 1,351,849 acres controlled by BLM, and USFS – our land, preserved for as a legacy to share with future generations. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. If you have not laid your eyes upon this land, do nothing else until you view several photos and read about what is sacred there. There are 35,000 documented sacred native historical dwelling and spiritual sites, and possibly as much as 100,000 undocumented wonders. Five local Native American tribes are working together to protect this land for all of us to cherish and understand.… Pueblo, Navajo, Hopi, Ute, and Ouray tribes. It would be a travesty to shrink any portion of Bears Ears and lose any more historical artifacts and ancient ruins which define the very purpose of our country – to share land that is not just about one individual or company’s prosperity, but to preserve our past so we can celebrate our future. There is evidence of 10,000 years of Native American residence – longer than any current American community or neighborhood, and up to 3000 years of settlement communities. Bears Ears is also connected to other important sites such as Mesa Verde, Escalante, Canyon Lands, and Arches, where millions of visitors flock each year and support the parks, the land, and the local economies – families like yours and mine.  

(Photo by John Fowler-Flick)
(Photo by John Fowler-Flick)

What an incredible loss it would be if these lands were disparaged for the short-term financial gain of one or two corporate entities, profiting from actions facilitated by a government that is more interested in the progress of a few than the preservation of lands for many to explore and enjoy now and in the future. The American people cannot allow this to happen as we are unique in the world for our values to protect shared public lands for each other’s benefit. There are areas in Montana, such as Missouri Breaks National Monument, which was considered for downsizing, yet another example of the unacceptable encroachment of our rights to explore and appreciate the wondrous landscape and culture of our country in exchange for short-term gain. Please stand up for your American heritage and fight this encroachment on your rights as a public landowner. 

John Salazar is a Montanan, father, hunter, conservationist, and resident of Livingston. This piece by John originally ran in the Livingston Enterprise and Billings Gazette.

Jeff Lukas – MWF Elk Campaign Manager

Jeff Lukas

Elk Campaign Manager

Jeff Lukas is a passionate conservationist who has been fishing and hunting his entire life. Whether it’s floating a small stream chasing trout, pursuing elk in the high country, or waiting in a blind for ducks to set their wings, Jeff is always trying to bring more people afield to show them what we are trying to protect. He loves being in the arena, and he will never shy away from conversations about the beautiful and unique corners of Big Sky country.