Comment now on CWD zone proposals

Story by Lone Star Outdoor News

Duval and Jim Wells County landowners and hunters will want to make their voice heard with respect to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s proposals on new and expanded zones for chronic wasting disease monitoring.

Public comment on a new proposed CWD Surveillance Zone is open until Aug. 24, the date of the next Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s meetings.

The proposed amendment including the new zone was made in response to the detection of CWD in a deer breeding facility in August of 2021. The zone covers 644 square miles and more than 400,000 acres.

Jim Wells County landowner George Noyes told Lone Star Outdoor News he didn’t feel the proposal was adequately publicized, and that he was fortunate to learn about recently in a conversation with a wildlife biologist.

According to the notice on TPWD’s website, within CZs and SZs, the movement of live deer is restricted and if the department has established mandatory check stations, the presentation of harvested deer at a department check stations is required. In addition, deer carcass movement restrictions apply.

The proposed Surveillance Zone is described as follows:

Surveillance Zone 8: That portion of the state lying within the boundaries of a line beginning at the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 and Farm to Market Road 624 in Jim Wells County; thence northwest along FM. 624 to U.S. Highway 59 in Live Oak County; thence southwest along U.S. 59 to State Highway 44; thence west on S.H. 44 to the city limit of Freer in Duval County; thence following the Freer city limit so as to circumscribe the city of Freer before intersecting with S.H. 44; thence eastward along S.H. 44 from the city limit of Freer to the city limit of Alice in Jim Wells County; thence following the Alice city limit to the south and east so as to circumscribe the city of Alice before intersecting with U.S. 281 North; thence north along U.S. 281 to F.M. 624.

Comments may be submitted at https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/202208_cwd.phtml.