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Fighting Misinformation and Strengthening Science-Based Policy in CWD Legislation
New legislative proposals influenced by misinformation campaigns could undermine CWD management efforts, influence public perception, and disrupt conservation funding.
The ongoing push for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) solutions is not just about science and wildlife management, it’s also about striving against misinformation and misguided policies that could worsen the crisis. Recently, legislative proposals in North Dakota and Indiana have raised concerns among conservationists and wildlife professionals. These bills could undermine CWD management efforts, influence public perception of the disease, and disrupt conservation funding.
North Dakota’s Controversial CWD Bills: A Dangerous Precedent
In North Dakota, a series of proposed bills threaten to erode science-based CWD policies in favor of narratives that contradict well-established research.
- SB2137 (The Baiting Bill): Passed in the Senate, this bill restricts the state’s ability to regulate baiting, a practice known to increase CWD transmission among cervids. This undermines existing science-backed measures designed to slow the spread of the disease. It also takes management decisions away from professional wildlife biologists and gives it to legislators.
- HB1236 & HB1325: These bills seek to prevent the North Dakota Game and Fish Department from allocating funds to CWD management and redefine diagnostic requirements in ways that contradict established prion science.
- Public Access to CWD Records Bill: This legislation, promoted by individuals questioning the legitimacy of CWD, aims to make all positive detections publicly available for four years, including microscopic slides of prions and necropsy reports. However, the proposal ignores the scientific consensus on CWD testing and the logistical challenges of cataloging slides for every positive test.
These bills have been strongly influenced by misinformation campaigns that question the very existence of prions—the infectious proteins responsible for CWD. Some proponents falsely claim that CWD is a nutritional deficiency rather than a contagious disease. This rhetoric mirrors past disinformation efforts that sought to dismiss the severity of prion diseases like Mad Cow Disease.
Indiana’s Risky Genetic Experimentation Bill
In Indiana, another troubling piece of legislation, SB32, proposes a program to breed and release deer that are “genetically resistant” to CWD. While the idea of genetic resistance is intriguing, the science behind it remains inconclusive. The approach assumes that some deer might have genes that make them immune to CWD, yet research has shown that so-called “resistant” deer can still become infected—just at a slower rate.1,2
Similar programs have been proposed in other states, but their implementation risks unintended consequences, such as the spread of undetected infections and disruptions to natural selection in wild deer populations. Conservation groups have expressed strong opposition to this bill, citing concerns over inadequate scientific backing and potential ecological risks.
The vast majority of CWD researchers agree that this is a bad idea. Read their statement HERE
The Role of Science in Combating Misinformation
The push for legislation based on misinformation highlights the urgent need for strong, science-backed communication efforts. Misinformation about CWD isn’t just a public relations issue. It has real-world consequences. Policies influenced by unverified claims can increase disease transmission, misallocate conservation funding, and erode public trust in wildlife management agencies.
To counter these narratives, conservation organizations and wildlife professionals must prioritize:
- Clear, evidence-based communication: Explaining CWD’s prion pathology in accessible language.
- Proactive engagement with policymakers: Ensuring that legislative decisions are informed by peer-reviewed research.
- Funding for CWD response: Advocating for sustained funding to support CWD research, surveillance, management, and suppression efforts, ensuring long-term disease control.
A Responsible Approach to CWD Management
The TRCP and other conservation groups recognize the need to address CWD with urgency, but without alarmism. The spread of CWD is a serious issue that requires measured, science-driven responses. While some states struggle with misinformation-driven policies, others continue to advance responsible wildlife management strategies that emphasize testing, research, and adaptive management.
As hunters, conservationists, and policymakers navigate the complexities of CWD, it is crucial to remain steadfast in the commitment to scientific integrity. The hunting community plays a vital role in monitoring and mitigating CWD, but they must be equipped with accurate information and supported by policies that prioritize conservation over controversy.
The fight against CWD is not just about managing disease. It’s about ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy healthy wildlife populations and sustainable hunting traditions.
Learn more about CWD by clicking HERE
Citations
- Robinson, S. J., Samuel, M. D., O’Rourke, K. I., & Johnson, C. J. (2012). The role of genetics in chronic wasting disease of North American cervids. Prion, 6(2), 153-162. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.4161/pri.19640.
Research indicates that deer with certain genetic traits, previously thought to have genes that make them immune to CWD, can still become infected, albeit at slower rates. This study found that white-tailed deer possessing at least one copy of the 96S allele were infected at rates three to four times lower than those with the 96GG genotype. However, these “resistant” deer still contracted the disease, suggesting that the 96S allele delays infection rather than prevents it entirely.
- Moazami-Goudarzi, K., Andréoletti, O., Vilotte, J. L., & Béringue, V. (2021). Review on PRNP genetics and susceptibility to chronic wasting disease of Cervidae. Veterinary Research, 52, 1-15. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13567-021-00993-z
This study highlighted that while certain prion protein gene (PRNP) polymorphisms are associated with reduced susceptibility to CWD, they do not provide complete immunity. Deer with these polymorphisms may experience longer incubation periods before clinical signs appear, but they remain susceptible to infection.
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
TRCP Launches Public Land Access Webpage
New webpage is an educational resource for hunters and anglers concerned with federal public land transfer or sale
Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced their Public Land Access webpage, an educational resource for hunters, anglers, and all Americans who take pride in their public lands and are concerned with the threat of federal public land transfer or sale.
Spurred by Utah’s August 2024 petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to transfer Bureau of Land Management acres to state ownership, the TRCP made their position clear that the organization opposes the blanket sale or transfer of federal public lands to states.
America’s 640 million acres of national public lands – including our National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands – provide irreplaceable hunting and fishing opportunities to millions of Americans. Federally managed public lands are the backbone of America’s outdoor recreation industry, which contributed $639.5 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2023.
In January 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Utah’s petition, marking another major win for public land hunting, fishing, and access. However, this was not the first attempt to force the sale or transfer of federal public lands, and unfortunately, it will not be the last. In the 2025 state legislative sessions that have just begun, legislators in several Western states have already voted in support of resolutions aimed at forcing federal agencies to transfer their lands.
The Public Land Access webpage details the unintended financial impacts of federal land transfer, the history of public land transfer attempts, and the intricacies of state trust land management. Visitors also have the opportunity to take action and sign a petition to keep public lands and wildlife in public hands.
To learn more about the threat of federal public land transfer or sale and to sign the petition, visit the webpage HERE.
Photo credit: Josh Metten
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
In the Arena: Franklin Adams
TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.
Capt. Franklin Adams
Hometown: Born in Miami, Florida
Occupation: Retired; former occupations include warden-naturalist for the National Audubon Society, Florida Master Naturalist, land surveyor (with projects in Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys), surveyor/mapper for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Merchant Marine officer, and eco-tour operator/ fishing guide with a USCG 100-ton Master’s license
Conservation credentials: As a true Gladesman, conservationist, and historian, Adams has spent more than six decades championing Everglades restoration efforts while working for and with conservation nonprofits, government agencies, and private businesses, as well as chartering inshore fishing adventures. He’s also the former chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation and a 31-year board member, as well as past president of the Florida Division of the Izaak Walton League of America and Collier County chairman of the Friends of the Everglades.
While thousands of people and scores of organizations are involved in the conservation of America’s Everglades, few, if any, have the breadth and depth of experience and understanding as Capt. Franklin Adams. This is a man who was fortunate to experience South Florida in a relatively unspoiled, natural condition, and was on the front lines of early protection efforts. Who else was personally mentored by Marjory Stoneman Douglas – the author, women’s suffrage advocate, and conservationist credited with launching the Everglades conservation movement – and once hunted waterfowl in the wetlands that later became Everglades National Park? Adams has been officially recognized as a “Guardian of the Everglades,” largely for his advocacy for Big Cypress National Preserve and successful effort to help protect what became the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, now the largest state park in Florida and a refuge for Florida panthers and the rare Everglades mink, as well as the largest number of rare native orchids and bromeliads in North America.
Here is his story.
I was introduced at a young age to fishing, hunting, and enjoyment of the great outdoors by my father, G.B. Adams. I actually accompanied my dad duck hunting on West Lake prior to it becoming part of Everglades National Park in 1947. I was taught gun safety and to respect wildlife and wild places.
One of my most memorable outdoor experiences was a couple years before that when I was taken to the woods by my daddy for my seventh birthday. (We referred to the Everglades and Big Cypress as “going to the woods.”) We had to walk into the campsite at night as he and his friends had gotten off work late. It was so new and exciting for a young boy that I have never forgotten that first family experience. A cold front was approaching as we came into deer camp, so dad had me collect some “boot jacks” off a cabbage palm tree in the upland hammock and he used them to start a lightered pine fire.
“I began to see objects in the smoke and mist – deer, Indian chickees, and turkey gobblers floated through my imagination that night as I went into a deep sleep.“
Dad had brought venison chili, which was heated up on the fire grid and biscuits were baked in a Dutch oven. Smelled good, and tasted even better. After supper dad and his friends sat around the fire and sipped some “brown swamp water” and told stories of past trips and experiences. I leaned up against an old live oak and listened as the cold front moved in and enjoyed the odor of the burning, smoking pine. As the front moved in, a ground fog began to mist slowly through the hardwood hammock and I was fighting to stay awake. I began to see objects in the smoke and mist – deer, Indian chickees (traditional shelters used by the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes), and turkey gobblers floated through my imagination that night as I went into a deep sleep. In the morning, I awoke to the smell of lighter knot coffee, pancakes, and sausage on the fire. That was my first trip to the Everglades’ Big Cypress region and I was captured by that wonderful experience. I have been going back ever since. So, add 80 more years to that 7-year-old’s birthday. Thanks, Dad.
If I could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be, and why? That’s a difficult one. There are so many places known for their fishing and hunting and I have never been to them. I want to take my grandson, Michael, with me, so probably the Ten Thousand Islands of the southwest Florida area. Up Lostmans River, Broad River, or Shark River to fish for snook. Why, it’s an area I know and love and not too distant from home.
Conservation absolutely enhances my outdoor life. This is how my career came about. As I accompanied my father in his surveying business around South Florida, I witnessed the destruction and continual loss of wetlands and woods that we had enjoyed. I began to become concerned and to inquire as to causes for the loss of these treasured natural areas. Why was it necessary to destroy that hardwood hammock, that prairie, or fill in that duck hunting lake? Mom and Dad began to encourage my conservation concerns and provided me with nature books, stressing the importance of outdoor ethics and the value of natural areas if left alone and protected.
“If we are to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what our interests are, then we have an obligation to defend and speak out on behalf of nature and wildlife.“
The more I learned, the more I became frustrated, and somewhat angry. When I was in high school, I discovered Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s book, The Everglades: River of Grass, published in 1947. From her book I learned so much, including that one could speak out in defense of natural areas. Later she would become a mentor and a family friend. In 1970, she established Friends of the Everglades to fight the Big Cypress jetport project and asked me to be the Collier County chairman. As I added on some age and experience, I headed up several conservation organizations as an unpaid volunteer over the years, including serving as chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation and a board member for 31 years.
If we are to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what our interests are, then we have an obligation to defend and speak out on behalf of nature and wildlife. If you are not already doing so, start by becoming a member and supporter of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
The biggest outdoor challenge we face in Florida, and there are many, is protecting wetlands and the water quality that they provide, cost-free if we protect them. We continue to lose critical habitat to unwise development and, yes, greed, and not respecting nature.
It is vitally important to mentor and educate your children, grandchildren, and families as to the importance of conservation; why it is imperative for them to be involved in learning about and becoming knowledgeable defenders of the outdoors they enjoy and love. Otherwise, we will continue to lose habitat. Nature and the outdoors not only are important to wildlife, but they are also vitally important to us as an escape from stress, and provide restorative experiences that we can share with family and friends for a lifetime of memories.
Banner image: Franklin at a Fakahatchee Strand Preserve campfire talk, credit Dino Barone
Field Notes from the Deschutes: A Day with California Bighorn Sheep
TRCP’s Oregon and Nevada field representatives volunteered at a recent California bighorn relocation operation
A train of headlights and dusty-red taillights cut the pre-dawn dark as they rolled north from Maupin and downstream along the Deschutes River Access road. Our convoy, comprised of state-badged vehicles from both Oregon and Nevada and private rigs, rumbled to a halt at the Beavertail access site and quickly set about deploying various trailers, tables, and tools. Tangible excitement was suspended in the cold morning air, surrounded by the focused silence of folks preparing to work. Within moments, the crew had transformed the graveled boat ramp into a field veterinary station that rivaled any backwoods veterinary clinic. No sooner had the sun begun to crest the canyon wall when the helicopter’s blades split the calm to briefly touch down.
The reason for the early rendezvous was to capture and relocate California bighorn sheep from Oregon to Nevada. I, along with my TRCP colleague, Nevada field representative, Carl Erquiaga, joined the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation and Nevada Bighorns Unlimited volunteers to assist biologists and wildlife managers from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
In the Lower Deschutes, some 900 California bighorns call the canyon home—a remarkable conservation success story, embodying resilience and the power of collaborative wildlife management. Once widespread across the state, bighorn sheep populations were driven to near extinction in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to habitat loss, overhunting, and diseases introduced by domestic sheep. By the early 1900s, bighorn sheep had vanished entirely from Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada. In the 1950s, efforts to reintroduce the species began, with state agencies and partners working tirelessly to restore these iconic animals to their native range. Transplants from neighboring states and Canada re-established herds, and through ongoing management, Oregon’s bighorn numbers are now strong enough to pay it forward.
Numerous sporting organizations whose missions revolve around bighorn sheep have risen to the challenge across the western United States and Canada to help bolster wild sheep conservation. National organizations like the Wild Sheep Foundation and many state-based groups like the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation and Nevada Bighorns Unlimited hold fundraising events every year and contribute millions of dollars to wildlife agencies which have expanded their bighorn efforts. Many of these groups also provide much-needed volunteer labor for projects such as sheep relocations. In many cases those dollars and volunteer hours can be matched with federal funding through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937. Without these groups, projects like this would be nearly impossible to carry out.
The helicopter roared up the canyon while the crew scanned rimrock bands for the unmistakable white rumps of bighorns. When groups were spotted, the pilots charged the sheep over steep terrain and the obvious pop from the net gun signaled a success. Not long thereafter, a daisy chain of blindfolded ewes descended from the sky where they were met with stretchers and gloved hands.
Whispers replaced conversation as each ewe was carefully carried to the processing area where they were handled reverently and deliberately. Vitals were recorded. Weight, temperature, and other measurements of body and reproductive condition were jotted in field notes. Blood and fecal samples were collected for analysis. Each sheep was fitted with a GPS collar and given a mild sedative to keep them calm in the trailer, as well as select vitamins and minerals to fortify them on their journey. Don Whitaker, ODFW’s chief ungulate biologist, moved through the scene with the quiet confidence of a man who’d spent decades working with wild animals and understood the dedication required to conserve them. Watching him work was like seeing a musician with their instrument, his passion and skill apparent with every gesture.
By noon, twenty sheep had been processed and loaded into trailers bound for Nevada’s Calico Mountains. This herd would bolster a struggling population in the high desert north of the Black Rock. Relocation is no easy task. It requires coordination, funding, and a level of commitment that transcends state lines and agency borders. This event is also a testament to the principles enshrined in the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This system, which ensures wildlife is managed in the public trust with sound science, also includes the belief that access to nature should be available to all.
As the last trailer pulled away and the canyon settled back into its winter stillness, I was struck by what I had witnessed. The relocation done here was indeed wildlife management, but also a declaration of work beyond the status quo. This work is the legacy of conservation in North America: a system where hunters and anglers fund and passionately work for the future of species like the California bighorn.
Photo credit: Tristan Henry
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
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