Seats for free MI CWD symposium
The Michigan departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development will host a chronic wasting disease symposium Oct. 3-4 in East Lansing, Michigan. The symposium will highlight CWD research and management from across the country.

"An impressive list of experts who are internationally known for their research of the disease will be speaking," said Dr. Kelly Straka, DNR wildlife veterinarian. "There are representatives from multiple universities, including Georgia, Colorado State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Midwestern and Michigan State."

In addition, the symposium will feature speakers from state agencies representing Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Wyoming, as well as nongovernmental organizations and government agencies, such as the Quality Deer Management Association, the North American Deer Farmers Association, the United States Geological Survey and the United States Department of Agriculture.

The format of the symposium includes speakers fielding direct questions from the audience. Attendees will be able to hear firsthand about the disease and how it is being studied and managed across the country.

When:
Tuesday, Oct. 3 – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 4 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(On-site check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. each day.)

Where:
Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, Michigan State University
219 S. Harrison Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824

Cost: Free – there is no registration fee.

Note: Lunch is not provided. A food truck will be available for attendees to purchase lunch.

Those interested can register at http://survey.sogosurvey.com/r/0AymgU. Seating is limited. There are approximately 100 spots available, and registration will close as soon as seating is filled. The event will be live-streamed for those unable to attend.

Chronic wasting disease is a contagious neurological disease affecting members of the cervid family, including deer, elk and moose. It attacks the central nervous system of infected animals, resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior and loss of bodily functions. There is no recovery.

In 2015, Michigan's first free-ranging CWD-positive deer was confirmed. Since the discovery of that animal, the DNR has sampled more than 13,800 deer from around the state. A total of nine of those animals have tested positive for CWD.

For more information, visit the DNR website mi.gov/cwd.

Contact: DNR Wildlife Division, 517-284-9453