OLA report on board of animal health deer oversight

Key Facts and Findings:
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The Board of Animal Health (BAH) is responsible for protecting the health of Minnesota’s domestic animals, including deer and elk.
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The board has five members, but not one who represents the general public.
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As of April 2018, Minnesota had 398 registered herds, consisting of about 9,300 deer, elk, and other similar species.
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Minnesota law does not require that deer and elk identification tags be read and recorded when completing an animal inventory.
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Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an always fatal, neurodegenerative disease found in both farmed and wild deer and elk.
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Since 2002, CWD has been identified on eight Minnesota deer and elk farms and in wild deer in two Minnesota counties.
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BAH staff do not systematically analyze whether deer and elk producers submit tissue samples for CWD testing for all deceased animals.
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From 2014 to 2017, about one-third of producers that reported dead deer or elk failed to submit tissues from at least one of those animals for CWD testing.
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BAH has, in some instances, failed to enforce deer and elk regulations. However, the board has improved its deer and elk program over the past several months.
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BAH and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have struggled to appropriately share the information they both require to respond to CWD outbreaks.
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While Minnesota’s CWD regulations are among the most rigorous in the nation, there are some areas where other states’ policies better protect deer and elk against the disease.
Key Recommendations:
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The Legislature should consider expanding the number of board members and adding at least one member of the general public.
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BAH should clarify expectations of whether and how often producers must verify their herd inventory on an animal-by-animal basis.
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BAH should (1) systematically analyze CWD-testing compliance, and (2) appropriately penalize those producers who fail to submit CWD-testing samples.
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BAH should develop an approval program for deer and elk producers who wish to collect their own CWD test samples.
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BAH should (1) ensure producers follow Minnesota deer and elk laws, (2) strengthen consequences for producers, and (3) monitor field staff performance.
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BAH and DNR should draft a memorandum of understanding outlining each agencies’ responsibilities with respect to data sharing.
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The Legislature should convene an advisory task force to evaluate the state’s regulations related to deer feeding and live-animal imports.