The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing nearly $2.8 million to 17 states and one tribe to conduct research and management activities to combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

“APHIS is committed to protecting agriculture and wildlife across the country, and slowing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease across our agricultural and wildlife landscapes contributes to that vital mission,” Greg Ibach, USDA undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, said. “This is a prime example of federal, state and tribal partners working together to develop solutions to extremely challenging problems, and these cooperative agreements will help us control the disease and protect our natural resources.”

More than $2.4 million will be awarded to 15 different State Departments of Natural Resources and one Tribal Nation. Five State Departments of Agriculture will receive a combined total of $349,531 to combat CWD. States receiving funding announced today include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin, along with the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

These funds will allow these partners to further develop and implement CWD management, response and research activities, including surveillance and testing.

APHIS gave priority to states and tribes in states that have detected CWD and have a CWD monitoring and control program or that propose to create a control program.

APHIS also used $200,000 to continue funding work on validating the use of predictive genetics in white-tailed deer.

Also, $1.26 million was allocated for indemnity payments to producers to assist state agricultural agencies in controlling CWD by removing infected herds or exposed cervids.

In determining how to allocate this funding, APHIS held a virtual summit in May with state agricultural and wildlife representatives, tribal officials and the cervid industry to discuss and develop current and future needs to address CWD. Attendees helped develop a list of key priorities that will help us manage existing reservoirs of the disease, but also give us additional tools to better manage it in the future.

APHIS used these collaboratively established priorities as the criteria for evaluating the projects states and tribal nations suggested. Those priorities are:

  • improving CWD management of affected farmed herds and free ranging endemic populations;
  • improving CWD management of affected areas or premises;
  • conducting additional research on amplification assays;
  • conducting additional research on predictive genetics; and,
  • developing and/or delivering educational outreach materials or programs.

In July, APHIS solicited proposals from state and tribal governments to expand the ability to understand and combat this disease. APHIS received 53 proposals, had a scientific and program panel review those and worked with the entities were needed to refine the scope of the most promising projects.

A complete list of the projects is available here.

CWD is an infectious, degenerative disease of cervids that causes brain cells to die, ultimately leading to the death of the affected animal. The disease has spread widely and the limited number of tools, as well as their effectiveness, impacts the ability to effectively control the disease.