ADWA ACTION ALERT

Join Our Online Community Receive action alerts, tips, news and special offers via e-mail.

ADWA Goes to Washington

Surveys indicate nearly 80 percent of Americans support hunting and nearly 19 million hunters contribute more than $30 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The deer (aka cervid) industry adds another $3 billion to the economy and the two combine to create more than one million jobs, many of which are located in rural America.

Working to represent these industries and build a better habitat for business, the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance participated in a “Legislative Fly-In’ organized by the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA), an association that gives a political voice to approximately 15,000 deer breeders. The lobbying event attracted representatives from across the country and met with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Safari Club International, National Rifle Association, United States Department of Agriculture and the offices of more than 70 Congressional and Senate members.

Among some of the topics discussed were:

• Building better communication and cooperation with national hunting organizations and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus to preserve our hunting heritage and increase participation in the sport.

• Establishing the Center for Infectious Diseases, a university consortium that will support research for developing strategies to treat and prevent infectious diseases in farmed and free range deer. Funding for the Center was approved in the recent Farm Bill and will help prevent the deaths of more than 80,000 deer annually from epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and blue tongue.

• Finalizing a USDA rule to deal with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and herd monitoring of moose, deer and elk. The USDA has been working on a rule for 11 years and the current lack of continuity among various state certification programs greatly hinders, and sometimes prevents, interstate commerce.

• Including venison in the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Program. Significant venison imports (especially from New Zealand) are available in U.S. retail outlets, yet the American consumer often believes they are buying a wholesome, natively-produced venison product. The current ruling for COOL requires labeling for any meat or poultry products for beef, chicken, lamb, goat and pork. With the inclusion of venison, an American venison market could grow and help produce more jobs.

• Supporting a voluntary application of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The American Deer & Wildlife Alliance supports a voluntary NAIS program among commercial breeders in support of animal health programs and interstate movement of animals, but does not favor mandatory participation in NAIS.

“This year’s Legislative Fly-In initiated many positive discussions and all of our attendees were well-received on Capitol Hill,” says Shawn Schafer, executive director of the North American Deer Farmers Association. “As a rapidly growing industry, it’s vitally important for governmental agencies and decision-makers to understand the economic impact of the deer and wildlife industry on hundreds of thousands of jobs. So, we are very grateful to all of the organizations and individuals who dedicated their time and resources to participate.”

Among the groups involved in the meetings were the Whitetails of Wisconsin, New York Deer Farmers Association, Texas Deer Association, Wisconsin Commercial Deer and Elk Farmers Association, Exotic Wildlife Association, Whitetails of Oklahoma, Missouri Whitetail Breeders and Hunt Ranch Association, Illinois Deer Farmers Association, Whitetail Deer Farmers of Ohio, North Dakota Deer Ranchers Association, Minnesota Deer Breeders Association, North American Elk Breeders Association, Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association and the Cervid Livestock Foundation.