January 22, 2020
By RANDY ZELLERS/ AGFC Assistant Chief of Communications
BATESVILLE — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will hold a public meeting to discuss the recent discovery of chronic wasting disease in Independence County at the University of Arkansas Community College, Room 902 of the Nursing and Allied Health Building in Batesville at 6 p.m. Jan. 30. The college is at 2005 White Drive.
One CWD-positive deer sample has been detected so far in Independence County during the 2019-20 deer season. The deer was illegally harvested and confiscated during an AGFC investigation. Samples were submitted through the AGFC’s normal testing protocol, and positive results were confirmed by two laboratories.
Cory Gray, chief of the AGFC’s Research, Evaluation and Compliance Division, says the meeting is part of the agency’s overall CWD plan to keep the public informed about the disease and give local landowners and hunters an additional chance to have one-on-one communication with the wildlife veterinarian, wildlife health biologist, wildlife biologists and other staff about the disease.
“Hunters are our greatest ally in helping manage this disease, and we want to walk this path with them and discuss concerns they may have about CWD,” Gray said. “With the recent positive case of CWD found in Independence County, we hope this meeting will gather support for additional sampling opportunities to further our knowledge of this disease.”