Page 6 - MDWFP CWD Response Plan

 Continue to gather and evaluate information that would guide research on CWD and
its epidemiology to support future management efforts.

These goals will minimize the impact of CWD on white-tailed deer in the state. The
management of CWD will require a multi-year, adaptive management strategy that can be
refined as the science of CWD management evolves.

Response and support teams will be assembled with specific outlined responsibilities. The
MDWFP will rely on partnerships with private citizens and other governmental agencies to
manage CWD in the state.

General Response to a Confirmed CWD Positive

Upon notification of a confirmed positive CWD test result by a USDA-approved laboratory,
the MDWFP will immediately notify all relevant partners. The Deer Program Coordinator or
Enclosure Program Coordinator will immediately notify the Director of Wildlife Bureau who
will immediately notify the Executive Director’s office and other agency personnel. The
Executive Director will notify the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and the
Governor’s office. A draft news release (Appendix D) will be finalized and distributed
statewide.

The Director of Wildlife Bureau and the Chief of Law Enforcement will serve as the CWD
Administrative Team (CWD-AT) leaders and will immediately activate the CWD Response
Team (CWD-RT). The CWD-RT will consist of the Deer Program Coordinator, Enclosure
Program Coordinator, Deer Program Leader, the appropriate Private Lands Program
personnel, the appropriate Regional Law Enforcement Captain, and other individuals deemed
necessary to coordinate and conduct field response activities. The CWD-RT team leaders
will be the Assistant Chief of Law Enforcement and Assistant Director of Wildlife Bureau.

Additional agency staff will serve as the CWD-AT to assist the CWD-RT in sample
collection, logistics, media, and all other actions necessary. Agency representation will be:
enforcement, wildlife, communications, global information systems (GIS),
information/technology, legal, and the Director’s office.

Management Actions

Eradication of CWD once it is established is unlikely due to the persistence of prions in the
environment. This plan focuses on detection and control of the disease with major efforts
focused on containing the disease and monitoring its prevalence within a defined area. For
eradication and control attempts of other states, see Appendix E.

 Once a CWD positive has been confirmed in a cervid in Mississippi, a CWD
Containment Zone (CZ), High Risk Zone (HRZ), and Buffer Zone (BZ) will be

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