August 6, 2002
The spread of chronic wasting disease is a national issue and the federal
government is committed to helping the states fight this devastating disease.
To that end, we will work diligently to provide technical support and
financial assistance to continue and advance the excellent work that the
states have been doing for many years.
At the Department of the Interior, we redirected 1.7 million dollars in
2002 funding to address CWD the National Park Service redirected
1.2 million dollars for efforts at Rocky Mountain and Wind Cave national
parks, and the U.S. Geological Survey has redirected 500 thousand dollars
to expand capabilities and initiate collaborations with the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources.
Additional monies are likely forthcoming in 2003. The House mark of the
Interior appropriations bill includes 2.7 million dollars for the Geological
Survey and an additional 3.9 million dollars were requested during floor
debate.
It has also come to my attention that the Department of Defense has 42.5
million dollars in research grants available through their National Prion
Research Program. CWD research projects are eligible for this funding.
From a land management and wildlife research perspective, the primary
federal departments tackling this issue are the Departments of Interior
and Agriculture. I assure you that Interior Secretary Gale Norton appreciates
the wildlife and economic impacts of CWD, and sees a coordinated state-federal
partnership as an important step to containing and someday hopefully eradicating
this disease. She has named me as the Interior Department's point person
on this issue and this is a responsibility I take very seriously.
As an avid hunter, former professional deer biologist, and administrator
with several state wildlife management agencies, I understand the wildlife
management issues involved and I realize the impacts CWD is having on
the hunting community and the states. The agency I now lead the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service puts out a report every five years
titled "The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation." The 2001 report we released just months ago found that
hunting contributes more than $20 billion dollars to the economy annually.
A lot of the money goes back into wildlife management. So you can plainly
see here the nexus that exists between hunting and wildlife conservation,
and why this issue is important to both.
I want to emphasize that the federal government recognizes that states
have the primary responsibility for managing resident species such as
deer and elk within their borders. Given this understanding, allow me
to define the Interior Department's role.
The land management agencies within Interior have stewardship responsibilities
on many acres of land across the U.S., much of it in the western United
States. To date, CWD has been found only on one unit managed by the Interior
Department, and that unit is Rocky Mountain National Park.
Nonetheless, the Department is taking a proactive approach. The National
Park Service, which manages the park, has been working with the Colorado
Division of Wildlife for the past 20 years. And the Fish and Wildlife
Service is getting in front of the problem by developing strategies to
prevent CWD from spreading to National Wildlife Refuge lands. It, too,
is working with the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
These partnerships with Colorado are resulting in joint state and federal
research projects, surveys, surveillance, elimination of infected animals,
and the development of management strategies.
In addition to work on the ground, the U.S. Geological Survey the
scientific agency at Interior is in a position to play a vital
role in the fight against CWD. The Survey's National Wildlife Health Center
in Madison, Wisconsin, specializes in wildlife disease research. The center
has coordinated state and federal activities on several high-profile wildlife
diseases, including West Nile Virus, Newcastle disease, avian cholera,
and botulism, to name just a few. The center can play the role of national
coordinator while working cooperatively with the states.
It can be used as a clearinghouse for CWD information and as a source
of invaluable research on the subject.
Since becoming the Interior Department's point person on chronic wasting
disease, I have joined with APHIS administrator Bobby Acord to inaugurate
and co-chair the Chronic Wasting Disease task force. The task force brought
together the most knowledgeable and experienced professionals on chronic
wasting disease from federal and state agencies and academia and asked
them for their recommendations. We asked what the Departments of Interior
and Agriculture can do to assist state and federal agencies, and tribes,
in their efforts to manage CWD. The task force identified six areas: communications,
scientific and technical information dissemination, diagnostics, disease
management, research, and surveillance. With this plan in hand, we have
assembled a nine-member implementation team with members from Interior,
Agriculture, and the states. Bobby will tell you more about the team.
In closing, let me just say that to combat CWD, we need to address the
problem in free-roaming and captive cervids in such a way that respects
the varied roles of federal and state agencies, and also engages affected
private landowners. We need to do this in a way that brings the strengths
of each to bear on the issue. I believe we have a good start and I feel
encouraged seeing the incredible turnout of professionals here today.
Together, with continued cooperation, communication, and collaboration,
we can combat the spread of this devastating disease.
Thank you.
Questions? Please see our answers to the Frequently
Asked Questions, and try the Index/Site
Map and the Search Engine, before
you contact us, if necessary.
Speeches
Privacy/Disclaimer |
|