KALISPELL – State wildlife officials are inviting the public to a series of meetings to discuss the recent discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the Libby area.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials have scheduled the first meeting for July 19. Additional meetings are set for Aug. 2 and Aug. 16.
All of the meetings will start at 12 p.m. in the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall and the public is invited to attend.
FWP staff will provide regular updates on the CWD Response Plan involving FWP and the City of Libby and answer any questions from the public.
Additional informational meetings are being planned for later this summer in Libby, Kalispell, Thompson Falls and Eureka.
Between late May and early July FWP has submitted 29 samples of white-tailed and mule deer for CWD testing.
Two were confirmed positive and three are suspected to be positive. The positive detections have only involved white-tailed deer.
FWP is working with the City of Libby and Lincoln County to develop a CWD Response Plan.
An Incident Command Team has been assembled with FWP staff from Libby, Kalispell, Bozeman and Helena to respond to the situation.
People in the Libby area who see a deer that appears to be sick are asked to call (406) 291-6539 or Lincoln County Dispatch and leave a message.
FWP notes that CWD is a fatal disease affecting the nervous system of mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose.
