The Northeastern Regional Advisory Council on Nov. 20 heard a presentation on a pilot mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing program and voted on multiple agenda items. Staff said the program will begin on a limited basis to allow hunters time to adopt new procedures and to test logistics before broader rollout.

Ginger Stout described submission options that will be available to hunters, including self-sampling kits, freezer drop-offs, head-barrel collection points, office drop-off or submission through a local biologist. "We'll supply the testing kit," Stout said, and added the department will produce instructional videos and brochures so hunters can remove required tissue samples without hauling whole heads out of the field.

Regional wildlife manager Dalen Christiansen said the Myton area has seen increased testing and outreach, that staff have taken samples from mature bucks and begun live-animal testing and GPS‑collar monitoring, and that the department will assess results over the next one to two years. "We have really increased our testing in the area and our outreach to landowners," Christiansen said.

On enforcement and incentives, staff said voluntary target units will have testing paid for by the department; outside those target units, hunters may be responsible for testing costs. Stout said turnaround for tests typically runs two to six weeks and the department can reimburse processing fees for hunters if a positive result is found. During the trial year the code provides for a fee for failing to submit samples when required, she said.

RAC members and public commenters pressed on human‑health risk. One RAC member summarized recent laboratory work suggesting low evidence of human transmission; Stout replied, "Right now, we don't have any direct evidence that CWD has caused a prion disease in humans," but cautioned about long‑term uncertainty and strain changes.

Staff said they will expand education and drop-off locations to make sampling accessible to nonresident hunters and to partner with taxidermists and processors to facilitate submissions. The item was presented for information and did not require a RAC vote; staff emphasized that the pilot is intended to refine logistics and public outreach before any broader requirement is implemented.

Next steps: department staff will run the pilot, release instructional materials, expand drop‑off options where feasible, and return with data and recommendations after the trial period.