Yes Bill, in NY that's the case and NY farmers of CWD susceptible animals should be congratulated but I don't think T in Pa is all wrong in blaming your industry, at least not here in PA.

Here in PA, farmers of CWD susceptible animals appear to be giving your industry a black eye and have a competitive advantage over you because we lack a similar mandatory CWD testing program for facilities that ship animals around the state.

The outbreak in NY appears to have been caught quickly and confined to a minimal area because of your program.

A similar outbreak here in PA could easily spread CWD far and wide within our borders before it was even found, and T in PA is partially right in blaming cervid farmers here in PA for not supporting that mandatory testing insurance program that would minimize that spread. If PA's cervid farmers supported such a program, I think there's little doubt it would be in place.

In PA, we have 750 CWD susceptible herds that have no mandatory CWD testing requirements. None. They can legally ship those susceptible animals from untested herds anyplace in the state and I understand that our PGC is getting about 1 new permit application each and every week.

Play out the scenario Bill. A similar outbreak in PA as you've seen in NY, from whatever source, would likely be spread far and wide before it was even diagnosed here in PA, likely become almost endemic in our statewide wild deer population, before it was even diagnosed. How long would it be before it walked across your border and increased your costs?