Board of Health to talk chronic wasting disease surveillance plans

Chronic wasting disease surveillance is on the Teton District Board of Health agenda July 21, and it is the kind of unglamorous work that decides whether hunters and agencies have a clear, consistent playbook when a sick animal shows up in the valley Board of Health Meeting Agenda.

This is not a new problem. After a confirmed CWD case in Grand Teton National Park in 2018, county staff warned that Teton County would need a long-term carcass disposal plan once the old “dead animal pit” closed, and that an incinerator could run $700,000 to $1,000,000 plus ongoing operating costs Staff Report on Wild Game Carcass Disposal and CWD. What I will be listening for on July 21 is whether the Board is ready to push toward a permanent countywide disposal and testing setup, or whether we are still stuck in interim workarounds and handshake agreements across agencies.