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Holmes County approves limited deer sampling with FWC and USDA to bolster CWD surveillance
Summary
The Holmes County Commission approved a limited sampling partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and USDA to take 1–4 deer on county property to improve chronic wasting disease surveillance in a targeted zone.
The Holmes County Commission on Dec. 3 approved a plan to conduct a short, targeted sampling operation intended to improve surveillance for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a zone near the county’s first detected case.
John Kramer, regional director with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told commissioners that last year the agency sampled about 295 deer in the CWD zone and found only a single positive case. Kramer said researchers recommended additional targeted sampling inside a 1-mile and 5-mile radius around the index detection, and proposed partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a one- or two-night operation to take one to four deer on county property to increase the sample size.
Kramer said the operation would focus on county-owned land on Moss Road near Smith Park and near the model-airplane flying field and that sharpshooters experienced in nighttime operations would perform the take, coordinated with the sheriff’s office and law enforcement to notify neighbors and ensure public safety.
Commissioners asked staff to confirm landowner permissions and law-enforcement coordination. After discussion about timing and sample handling, a commissioner moved to approve proceeding with the limited sampling partnership; the board approved the motion by voice vote.
The board’s authorization directs staff to coordinate the field operation with FWC, USDA and law enforcement, and to return to the commission with any procedural updates or if expanded sampling is needed.
