SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Members of the House and Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance committees held a joint meeting today to discuss the status of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Minnesota. The informational hearing featured testimony from experts at the University of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources, Board of Animal Health, and Pollution Control Agency.
“We have seen the number of fishing licenses increase significantly this year and I predict that hunting licenses will see a similar rise,” said committee chair Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul). “We need to continue our outreach and education to all hunters, especially new hunters, to ensure that all Minnesotans are safe and our outdoors and wildlife are protected.”
Today’s joint meeting was part of a quarterly series required under bipartisan legislation enacted in 2019, and legislators largely focused on preparations for the fall hunting season. A brand new educational booklet produced by the University of Minnesota is available here.
“Over the last year we have reached over 5,400 Minnesotans through in person and Zoom outreach events and we are continuing to adapt our approach in the wake of COVID-19,” said Dr. Peter Larsen, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota.
The U of M’s new educational booklet includes a glossary of relevant terms and illustrations that break down CWD in an easy-to-understand format. Hard copies will be distributed throughout Minnesota this month. For the first time, educational materials have been translated into Hmong, and there are plans to create an Ojibwe translation soon.
Video of the entire meeting available here.