Number: 2000-02
WHEREAS, our nation’s wildlife belong to its citizens and is held for them, in trust, by the state and federal governments; and
WHEREAS, the management of our nation’s wildlife has traditionally and appropriately been under the authority of state and federal wildlife and fishery professionals; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation has resolved to oppose big and trophy game ranching, in part because of the increased risk of disease transmission; and
WHEREAS, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been diagnosed in wild mule deer and elk herds in northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming; and
WHEREAS, CWD has been diagnosed in game ranched elk herds in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota and Oklahoma and wild deer and elk in Colorado and Wyoming; and
WHEREAS, brucellosis has been diagnosed in the bison and elk herds of the Greater Yellowstone Area; and
WHEREAS, bovine tuberculosis has been diagnosed in wild white-tailed deer in Michigan; and
WHEREAS, several bighorn sheep herds have been extirpated due to exotic diseases; and
WHEREAS, the suspected source of all the diseases listed above is domestic livestock; and
WHEREAS, the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and many State Veterinarians seek to assert their management authority over wildlife diseases and therefore, free-ranging wildlife; and
WHEREAS, the disease management methods of APHIS and the State Veterinarians do not recognize the public ownership of wildlife; and
WHEREAS, the disease management techniques of these agricultural agencies are promulgated around test and slaughter programs which reduce wildlife populations and their genetic viability;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 16-18, 2000, in Seattle, Washington, supports disease management of free-ranging wildlife populations by wildlife professionals, working under the authorities of state and federal wildlife agencies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation re-affirms its opposition to big and trophy game ranches because of the increased risk of disease transmission to wild populations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation insists physical barriers such as double-fencing be erected and be required to be maintained at big and trophy game ranches to absolutely preclude physical contact between wild and contained animals and insists on strict limits on interstate transport of big and trophy game ranched animals until effective tests are developed to certify the health of the transported animals and require testing of those animals prior to transportation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports and encourages federal and state cooperative disease research and management based on maintaining the viability of wildlife populations and limiting the exposure of wildlife to the exotic diseases borne by domestic livestock and game ranched wildlife; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation and its affiliates are opposed to all attempts by livestock disease agencies to assert their management authority over wildlife; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports a federal and state disease management summit meeting to address wildlife disease management conflicts and plan for cooperative and coordinated management of wildlife diseases and that federal guidelines be developed for CWD management.