Sep 6, 2012 by Maria Cantwell
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Contact: Sandra Jonker, (360) 696-6211
WDFW seeks to share information on elk hoof disease
OLYMPIA-The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is holding a September public meeting and has launched a website to share information about reports of hoof disease among southwest Washington elk.
Lame elk or elk with overgrown or missing hooves in southwest Washington have been observed with increasing frequency in the region. At times, multiple animals in a group have been reported limping and showing signs of hoof disease, such as deformed hooves or club hooves. The condition has been observed in both male and female elk of various ages.
The public information meeting will run from 6-8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 17, in the Cowlitz PUD auditorium, 961 12th Ave., in Longview. It will include a brief presentation about the elk hoof disease, followed by a question-and-answer session.
WDFW is also providing an online reporting tool for citizens to report affected animals ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_rot/ ). The site offers information on the disease, as well as the reporting tool for those who observe elk with signs of hoof disease.
“The condition we are seeing in elk doesn’t appear to be an exact match with any of the known hoof diseases in domestic or wild animals, but it shares similarities with several diseases known in wildlife or livestock,” said Sandra Jonker, WDFW’s wildlife manager for the region. However, according to local veterinarians, the condition does not seem to be affecting domestic livestock in the area, she said.
WDFW is working with specialists in other natural-resource agencies and universities to gain a better understanding of what is causing the hoof disease.
Understanding the cause of elk hoof disease in southwestern Washington is an important step in understanding and managing its impacts, and citizen reports of elk with hoof disease will assist wildlife biologists in estimating the frequency and range of the condition, Jonker said.
“In recent years, outdoor recreation enthusiasts and landowners who shared reports of hair loss in western Washington Columbian black-tailed deer, helped wildlife biologists track the range and scope of that condition,” said Jonker. “We’re hoping that citizen observations can further our understanding of this disease as well.”
 Monsanto’s advertisements tell a wonderful story, but unfortunately, there’s a catch: Their claims are often exaggerated, misleading, or downright false. Help us share the other side of the story.  |
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We’re Telling Another Side to Monsanto’s Story
Right now, the Monsanto Company is spending millions of dollars on ad campaigns and lobbying to convince you, and decision makers in Washington, that it is “improving” agriculture. UCS is setting the record straight—and we need your help.
We’re launching our own set of ads to tell another side to this story. Our tagline? Monsanto is failing to improve agriculture.
Our analysis has found that Monsanto’s pesticide-promoting, genetically engineered approach has led to new agricultural problems while doing little to feed hungry people and help farmers cope with drought. We’ve also shown that modern, science-based plant breeding and farming practices can achieve such goals more cost effectively than genetically engineered seeds.
While we don’t have the same advertising budget as Monsanto, we do have dedicated supporters like you who value agricultural policies based on objective, science-based analysis over profit-driven attempts to maintain the status quo.
Will you join us in fighting back against Monsanto’s ad campaign by sharing our ads on Twitter and Facebook? (And if you’re not on Twitter or Facebook, you can help spread the word here.)
Jenn Yates National Field Organizer
I know it may seem like politicians only roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty when they are throwing mud at each other.
Well, I want you to meet someone different, someone who shares my commitment to put people before politics: my friend, Jon Tester, U.S. Senator from Montana.
There are few people in Washington like Jon — a truly authentic individual without a shred of pretense in him. He’s a third generation dirt farmer and, to this day, harvests the crops on his family farm each season. He has an indelible presence and a boisterous laugh that can — often — be heard echoing through the halls of the Capitol.
Jon Tester is a good friend and a great senator, and right now he needs our help as he fights for his re-election.
We saw last month how passionate he is about trying to overturn Citizens United, a decision that Jon once described as a “kick in the teeth to our democracy.”
Since Jon arrived in the Senate, he’s done a tremendous job working to lift the curtain of special interest influence in Washington.
It’s no wonder the same special interest groups are pouring millions of dollars into the race to stop him. Jon will need the help of people like you to combat the attacks from these extreme groups.
Take one easy step and add your name to Jon Tester’s email list to stay up to date on his campaign.
Jon is someone who will continue to roll up his sleeves, eager to help move our country forward.
We can’t let the obstructionism in Washington prevail. The other side has gone to war against women and stood in the way of our efforts to get America back to work.
With Jon on our side, we can continue our work to put people over politics.
Best —
Chris
Be a Seed for Change 
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