Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the biggest challenge we face for cervid health in Pennsylvania, the commonwealth's success or failure in mitigating this threat will largely hinge on the effectiveness of outreach, education and public awareness. Collaboration between Department of Agriculture, Game Commission and the Wildlife Futures Program to combat CWD through jointly sharing meaningful information, in the form of visual mapping tools, in a non-biased and transparent manner, is a critical step forward to inspire the social and behavioral change necessary to slow disease spread.
This platform provides a means for hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, deer farmers, state and federal animal health officials and wildlife agencies to view information in real time and make informed decisions. This platform will be pivotal in collaborating with surrounding states to address a systemic threat that far exceeds the jurisdictional authority or scope of any once state or agency.
Thank you for participating in Pennsylvania's chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance efforts. CWD test results provide the Department of Agriculture and Game Commission with critical information about the health of Pennsylvania's wild and captive deer and elk populations, thereby helping us better manage these valuable resources.