When the topic is the management of cervid (deer) farms, big money calls the shots in the state legislature.
Senate Bill 513 (The N.C. Farm Act of 2015) passed the N.C. Senate by a 43-2 vote on May 19. The bill covers many agricultural topics, with deer farming one portion. The N.C. House must approve the bill before it goes to Gov. Pat McCrory.
The N.C. Deer & Elk Farmers Association, which has spent thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, supports the changes, which make it easier on them to do business.
Without going into their entire history, the deer-farm changes began with Rep. Roger West (R-Marble), whose district is home to a large deer farm. West, who is no fan of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission — having had a number of his constituents arrested in a bear-poaching sting several years ago — got changes in the way deer farms are regulated put into the 2014 Budget Act.
SB 513 removes management of “farmed” cervids from the Commission and gives it to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Commission retains authority for wild whitetail deer and elk, but it is extremely concerned with the possible introduction of Chronic Wasting Disease into North Carolina’s wild deer population through the transfer of farm-raised animals from other states.
Gordon Myers, the Commission’s executive director, hinted that the agency was forced to go along, writing that things “changed significantly in the last legislative session.” He approved the authority transfer, noting that “statutory language produces several significant outcomes that improve the current baseline safeguards against introduction of CWD.”
He also wrote, “The captive cervid oversight transfer is the result of extensive collaboration and compromise” between the Commission, the state agriculture department “and multiple constituent groups.”
Maybe Myers forgot the strident opposition from the N.C. Wildlife Federation, Quality Deer Farm Association and N.C. Camouflage Coalition, which all qualify as constituent groups.
We believe Myers and the Commission want to keep CWD at bay, but we’re not sure the bill doesn’t relax regulations. Here’s why: If you look at the Senate’s legislation, you find an amendment that would have banned more deer-farm permits in any county where CWD appeared in a captive cervid — a practical, preventive measure. The amendment failed by a 20-26 vote.
If CWD ever gets into the state, it will be a disaster for our deer herd, deer hunters, economy and state budget. That a bill would risk such ruin to benefit 37 deer farmers is amazing. That our legislators would vote for it is almost unbelievable.
We also couldn’t help but wonder how SB 513 improves the Commission’s perfect record of keeping CWD out of North Carolina.
Be the first to comment