ENVIRONMENT MINISTER THANKS HUNTERS AND LANDOWNERS

Saskatchewan Environment Minister David Forbes commends hunters and landowners for helping to combat chronic wasting disease in the wild.

Last fall, Saskatchewan Environment issued more than 14,000 Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Control Permits for the province's three Herd Reduction Areas. Testing found 32 new cases of chronic wasting disease in the 6,600 samples hunters took from the current Herd Reduction Areas.

"The response from hunters was fantastic," Forbes said. "But the Herd Reduction Program wouldn't work without the landowners in the Herd Reduction Areas giving hunters permission to hunt on their land. I applaud what the hunters and landowners did this past year and look forward to working with them again this fall."

Environment staff held town hall meetings in Lucky Lake, Cabri, Kindersley, D'arcy and St. Walburg to meet with landowners and discuss the fall 2005 CWD Control Program. The suggestions from those meetings will be used to help improve the program.

Within the past five months, two new cases of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging deer have been found in the D'arcy and Love areas. Plans to establish a Herd Reduction Area in the Love area are underway and will be finalized once the department has met with local landowners and other stakeholders in these areas. A Herd Reduction Area was recently established near D'arcy.

Since 1997, Saskatchewan Environment has found 68 cases of chronic wasting disease after testing approximately 22,600 samples taken from wild deer.

Saskatchewan is taking the lead in developing a National Chronic Wasting Disease Control Strategy. Lessons that have been learned about the disease in the wild in Saskatchewan will be useful in developing the national strategy.

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For More Information, Contact:

Everett Dorma Environment Regina Phone: (306) 787-6127