The state Natural Resources Board has approved changes to fencing requirements keeping deer contained in a deer preserve.
The board ok'd an emergency rule allowing farms not enrolled in the chronic wasting disease monitoring program to retain single fencing.
The changes come after the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection last week announced the Northwoods first confirmed case of CWD near Three Lakes. Currently, deer farm property owners who want to move deer must join Wisconsin's chronic wasting disease monitoring program.
Those who don't enroll have to build expensive double fences or build a solid fence.
Chief Warden Todd Shaller says this action will effect just 43 deer farms in the state and is not tied to the Three Lakes discovery..
He says they're either in the Shooting Preserve Program or the Herd Status Program. He says in 2015 there has been 29 deer farm escapes.
But Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Executive Director and former DNR Secretary George Meyer disagreed. He told the board both the federal and state Departments of Agriculture have strengthened rules concerning deer farms to halt the spread of CWD. Meyer thought this rule weakened regulations...
"....the DNR fencing requirement is the last safeguard to prevent further CWD contamination of the wild deer herd...."
He says he thinks the discussion that the fencing is not checked very often will lead to more inspections than the once every ten years that has been in place
