Deer Farming Measure Passes NC Legislature

On September 29, the North Carolina legislature passed a 2015-2016 Farm Bill with a controversial provision that would transfer management of captive deer from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission to the state’s Department of Agriculture. The NC House of Representatives removed this provision from the bill on September 24, but it was later added back in during conference committee. The bill now goes to Governor McCrory for signature. The North Carolina Chapter of The Wildlife Society, along with many conservation and sportsmen’s groups, oppose this provision due to the likelihood that cervid farming operations will expand under the management of the NC Department of Agriculture. The penning of cervids is associated with an increased risk of herd individuals contracting a highly contagious disease known as Chronic Wasting Disease. Efforts from these groups, such as a letter the NC Chapter sent to House Speaker Moore, urged lawmakers to strip this provision from the bill.

Read more at WRAL.