FWP plans information meetings on CWD

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is hosting upcoming public information meetings to provide an update on chronic wasting disease detections in Libby.

The first meeting will be Friday, July 19. FWP will hold additional meetings on Aug. 2 and Aug. 16. The meetings will start at noon in the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall, 952 Spruce St. Members of the public are invited to attend. FWP staff will provide regular updates on the CWD Response Plan involving FWP and the City of Libby and answer any questions from the public.

Additional informational meetings will be forthcoming later this summer in Libby, as well as Kalispell, Thompson Falls and Eureka.

What: Public Information Meetings on Chronic Wasting Disease

When: Noon July 19, Aug. 2, Aug. 16

Where: Ponderosa Room, Libby City Hall, 952 Spruce St.

From late May through July 3, FWP has submitted 29 samples of white-tailed and mule deer for CWD testing. Two were confirmed positive and three are suspected to be positive. The positive detections have only involved white-tailed deer.

FWP is working closely with the City of Libby and Lincoln County to develop a CWD Response Plan. In accordance with Montana’s CWD Management Plan, FWP has assembled an Incident Command Team involving FWP staff from Libby, Kalispell, Bozeman and Helena to respond to the situation.

FWP, the Libby Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office are responding to reports of deer that appear sick and are removing the animals for sampling. For people in the Libby area who see a deer that appears to be sick, please call (406) 291-6539 or Lincoln County Dispatch and leave a message with your name, number, the location of the animal and the time you saw it.

CWD is a fatal disease affecting the nervous system of mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose. If left unmanaged so that a large percentage of a deer or elk herd becomes infected, CWD could cause significant population declines in the decades to come.

There is no known transmission of CWD to humans or other animals, including pets or livestock. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that hunters harvesting a deer, elk, or moose from an area where CWD is known to be present have their animal tested for CWD prior to consuming the meat, and to not consume the meat if the animal tests positive.

For up-to-date information, please visit the FWP website or FWP Region 1 Facebook page (facebook.com/MontanaFWP.R1).