August 20, 2010

In the Spotlight - Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance

Promoting Responsible and Accurate Communications about Chronic Wasting Disease

The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance was formed in January 2002. Its mission is to promote responsible and accurate communications regarding chronic wasting disease (CWD), and to support strategies that effectively control CWD to minimize its impact on wild, free-ranging cervids including deer, elk, and moose.

“The strength and longevity of the CWD Alliance is a direct result of the collaborative partnership forged by its member organizations,” said Matt Dunfee, Project Coordinator for the CWD Alliance. “By pooling resources and expertise, the CWDA partnership of conservation-minded NGO’s has continually expanded its capacity to disseminate responsible and accurate communications regarding CWD, and support strategies and research that effectively control CWD with the hope to minimize its impact on cervids.”

The Alliance has always recognized that appropriate public information and education are vital to the resolution of the CWD dilemma. In an effort to promote responsible, timely and accurate communications to those who need it most, the Alliance has:

  • Developed and maintained a comprehensive CWD website.
  • Co-sponsored several national CWD symposia.
  • Consistently contributed to the publication of responsible and accurate CWD articles in the magazines of its member organizations.
  • Served as an authoritative resource for other media sources seeking information about CWD.
  • Promoted and participated in the development of cutting-edge CWD research and management strategies with universities and state wildlife agencies.



About the CWD Alliance Website

Visitors to the website will find an array of useful tools to access information on CWD including:

  • Interactive national CWD regulations map
  • CWD news, legislation, & policy archives
  • Links to state/federal agency resources
  • Informational CWD video
  • FAQ for hunters
  • Expert contact information
  • Current news and updates
  • CWD bibliography
  • Meeting/symposia information
  • Interactive CWD timeline




Tools for Staying Up to Date on CWD


Our primary focus at the CWD Alliance is to provide timely, scientifically accurate information regarding chronic wasting disease, its impacts on wildlife and humans, and recommendations for its control,” stated Dunfee.

One of the many ways the CWD Alliance addresses this objective is by offering a number of services to help interested individuals stay abreast of the latest developments in CWD. The regularly updated web site section, ‘What’s New’, found on the Alliance’s home page, provides up-to-date CWD news and information at the state and national level.

Most recently, the Alliance has joined the social networking scene, posting breaking CWD information on their Facebook page and Twitter feed. To monitor recently added publications to the CWD bibliography, RSS users can subscribe to the CWD publications feed through their RSS reader. Non-RSS users can also take advantage of this feed. By simply clicking on the RSS link, they can view the last 10 articles added.

Sources: Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance Web Site and Matt Dunfee, CWD Alliance Project Coordinator

What Other Essential CWD Resources Should Every Wildlife Professional Know About?


Know of an invaluable resource (e.g. manual, website, online database) that every wildlife professional interested in CWD should be aware of? Send the title and a link (if available) of this indispensable resource to us at wdin@usgs.gov, and we will share it with your colleagues on the Digest.