Department of Conservation to hold chronic wasting disease meeting

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation has scheduled a Sept. 18 meeting in Cape Girardeau for public comment on protecting Missouri deer.

According to a news release issued by the agency, the meeting will focus on chronic wasting disease, or CWD. Current research suggests CWD has been found in captive and free-ranging deer in north-central Missouri. The disease is limited to deer and other members of the deer family called cervids. There is no vaccine or cure, and it is 100 percent fatal. Once the disease is well established in an area it is impossible to eradicate and, if left unchecked, it could significantly reduce deer numbers over time, the release said.

The public meeting in Cape Girardeau and in other locations across the state will afford deer hunters and other stakeholders an opportunity to comment on how to maintain a healthy deer population. As a result of information received, Wildlife Code changes may be suggested to the Conservation Commission for review, the release said.

The meeting will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center, 2289 County Park Drive. For more information, visit mdc.mo.gov and search "chronic wasting disease."

Pertinent address:

2289 County Park Drive, Cape Girardeau, Mo.