Our supporters and members have asked us to con3nue our educa3onal and outreach role with regards to chronic was3ng disease. We were proud to sponsor the January 2016 symposium on chronic was3ng disease, the first event of this type ever held in Texas. We want to ensure stakeholders, interest groups, and the state agencies have the most accurate and up-to-date informa3on possible.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Special Commission hearing on proposed rules related to chronic was;ng disease will be held June 20, 2016.
The Special Commission mee0ng on June 20th is to hear public and resource witness tes0mony on proposed rules to enhance detec0on of chronic was0ng disease and regulate the movement/transfer of whitetail deer. The proposed rules were originally published in the April 22, 2016 Texas Register, which can be found here. Explana0on and background begins on page 2853 of the Register. In order to accommodate some issues brought forth by the deer breeding community since publica0on, TPWD has included some amendments to the proposed rules. Appendix A is an execu0ve summary of the current proposed rules with amendments; the complete rules with amendments are included on the agenda for the June 20th hearing. Click here to read the agenda.
The hearing begins at 9am at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus Commons Learning Center. Doors will open around 8AM, and there will be a table set up where witnesses must complete a short form. Most witnesses will sign up either “for” or “against” proposed rules. You may register as a witness without tes0fying, and your name will s0ll be included in the public record.
“Resource witnesses” work for a state agency or other state funded enterprise, and should register “on” the issue, rather than “for” or “against.”
Each witness is given three minutes, and typically the order follows the order in which the sign in sheets were received. In other words, those who sign in early will go first. The Commission may call a resource witness to the podium at any 0me.
It is important that all interested par0es are equally represented to present a balanced viewpoint to the Commission.