On the evening the Northeastern Regional Advisory Council met, staff outlined a pilot program to expand mandatory testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD) and said it would be rolled out incrementally to give hunters time to adapt. Ginger Stout, the staff presenter for the item, said the department plans to offer multiple sample‑collection options, including supplying testing kits for hunters to take their own lymph‑node samples and drop them at designated freezers or head‑barrel locations, or submitting at offices or check stations.

Stout said the department will produce instructional videos and brochures so hunters can collect samples in the field without hauling entire heads to an office. "We'll have a bunch of different options for hunters, all the way from hunters taking their own samples, and we'll supply the testing kit," Stout said. She described the coming year as a trial period and said the code provides for a fee if required samples are not submitted during the pilot.

Nut graf: The pilot approach is intended to balance surveillance needs with practical concerns from hunters and landowners. Staff emphasized outreach — additional drop‑off locations and an education campaign — and said the department will monitor the program before expanding mandatory testing to full units or multiple hunts in a single year.

Staff described logistics and incentives. Voluntary sampling in designated target units (on a five‑year rotation) will be paid for by the department; non‑target voluntary tests generally require hunter payment. Turnaround time for test results was described as typically two to six weeks; the department said it can reimburse processing fees if a sample returns positive and that positives will be notified. Stout said the department partners with taxidermists and processors to accept samples and has coordinated instructional material to simplify submissions.

During public comment and Q&A, a resident asked about testing and management in the Myton area. Dalen Christiansen, the regional wildlife manager, said the Myton unit has increased testing and outreach to landowners, that staff are cooperating with landowners to harvest suspect mature bucks and are beginning live‑animal testing and GPS‑collar monitoring, and that the department expects clearer results over the next one to two years.

The RAC treated the item as informational and no RAC vote was required. Staff said they plan additional outreach next year, more drop‑off points, and continued evaluation before expanding mandatory testing.

Ending: The department framed the coming year as a trial to refine procedures and outreach; staff said they will report back to the council as data and program adjustments become available.