SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, SALMON AND WATER

March 05, 2001 Hearing Room B

8:00 a.m. Tapes 48 - 50

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Ken Messerle, Chair

Sen. Frank Shields, Vice-Chair

Sen. Jason Atkinson

Sen. Roger Beyer

Sen. Ginny Burdick

Sen. Ryan Deckert

Sen. Bill Fisher

MEMBER EXCUSED:

STAFF PRESENT: Jennifer Solomon, Committee Administrator

Cheryl Young, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 41, Public Hearing

SB 931, Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 48Tape, A
005	Chair Messerle	Opens Meeting. Opens Public Hearing on SB 41 and SB 931 at 8:05
SB 41 AND SB 931, PUBLIC HEARING
011	Staff	Summarizes SB 41 and SB 931
023	Mary O’Brien	Botanist of canyon land NE Oregon. Testifies in opposition of SB 41 and SB 931. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT A).
071	Sen. Shields	Questions transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease to humans.
073	O’Brien	Responds that it will take years before it is known if CWD can jump to humans.
084	Sen. Shields	States that he has heard of people who have eaten elk meat with CWD. Asks how long ago this happened.
088	O’Brien	Responds that she does not know, and expands on answer.
107	Al Elkins	Representing the Oregon Hunters Association. Speaks in opposition of SB 41 and SB 931. Defers to Dr. Cook. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT B).
116	Walter Cook	Veterinarian with Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Discusses Chronic Wasting Disease and other diseases and how it’s spread. Dr. Cook narrated a slide presentation. States that they are involved in research and education.
398	Chair Messerle	Asks if CWD can be managed in domestic herds through surveillance and between states.
403	Cook	Responds that the USDA is developing a certification program.
429	Chair Messerle	Asks for a prognosis for the three states that are showing signs of CWD now to keep it from spreading amongst the wild herds.
433	Cook	States that it appears the disease is spreading slowly.
443	Sen. Burdick	Asks if research has found a way to destroy prions.
445	Cook	Responds that they have found that strong concentrations of some chemicals seem to work.
454	Sen. Burdick	Asks for clarification on types of destruction of this disease.
458	Cook	Responds.
463	Sen. Beyer	Asks if this disease occurs naturally in the wild or was it introduced at some point.
466	Cook	States that it was first noticed within captive populations.
477	Sen. Beyer	Asks if CWD affects other cervid’s such as reindeer, caribou or moose.
480	Cook	States that it is limited to deer and elk.
490	Sen. Beyer	Asks if the buck shown in the slide was wild or captive.
492	Cook	Responds that it was a captive animal.
496	Sen. Shields	Asks if either Wyoming or Colorado will be willing to make a recommendation to the committee as they are considering this issue in Oregon.
510	Cook	States that his advice is to prevent the disease from getting into Oregon.
Tape 49, A
047	Sen. Shields	Asks what keeps it (CWD) from moving faster?
050	Walter Cook	Responds that it is a slow moving disease.
059	Chair Messerle	Asks what his recommendation would be on bringing trophy deer back, or the spreading of the disease by wildlife into our state. Asks if there is a chance of that happening and if there is anything we can do to prevent it.
066	Cook	Responds that yes it is possible. Expands on answer.
076	Sen. Fisher	Asks how long they’ve known about the disease.
077	Cook	Responds they first starting noticing it in their captive population in 1967.
082	Sen. Fisher	Asks how that relates to elk farming.
083	Cook	States that the first documentation was in the Colorado wildlife research facilities.
088	Sen. Fisher	States that he indicated that the wildlife got it from the elk ranches.
092	Cook	Replies and clarifies.
097	Sen. Fisher	Asks how it would have started in their research facilities if it wasn’t in the wild population.
099	Cook	States his hypothesis.
113	Sen. Beyer	Asks how large the facilities were when it was first discovered.
117	Cook	Responds that in Wyoming it is a few hundred acres. The main body of research occurs within a 20-acre area.
124	Sen. Beyer	Asks how many animals are kept in this tight enclosure.
126	Cook	Responds.
130	Sen. Beyer	Asks if there are deer or elk ranches or farms in that area that have the identified disease.
132	Cook	Responds not in Colorado.
150	Steven Kafoury	Representing the Wildlife Society. Speaks in opposition of SB 41 and SB 931.
162	Warren Aney	Representing the Oregon Chapter of Wildlife Society. States some concerns regarding these bills. Speaks in opposition of SB 41 and SB 931.Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT C).
249	Sen. Burdick	Asks if hoof and mouth disease would affect elk and deer.
251	Aney	Responds.
260	Bob Davison	NW Field Representative for the Wildlife Management Institute. Testifies in opposition to both pieces of legislation. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT D).
347	Chair Messerle	States that he is becoming convinced this is a very serious disease, and that we are not doing enough in the wildlife management to control the disease. States he is also concerned about domestic herds and how they are managed and is even more concerned about the management of our wild herds. Asks Mr. Davison if he has any suggestions to add to his testimony in that regard.
365	Davison.	Agrees that it is a concern.
367	Sen. Shields	Asks if any study has been done that shows the percentage of total population with CWD in the wild herds, vs. the percentage within domesticated herds.
378	Davison	Responds.
383	Chair Messerle	States that the herds identified with the disease have been destroyed.
399	Dr. Sharon Methvin	Representing the Animal Protection Institute, is a biocultural anthropologist. Addresses the social and cultural implications and speaks in opposition to both bills. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT E).
Tape 48, B
048	Chuck Woosley	Executive Committee of the Oregon Division of the Izaak Walton League of Oregon. Speaks in opposition of SB 41 and SB 931. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT F).
137	Dr. Larry Peetz	An Oregon Veterinarian. States he has great apprehension of the expanding of the elk farming industry in Oregon. Feels the program should remain under ODFW. Asks the committee not to support the bills. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBITS G AND H).
212	Aney	Asks that the bills not be moved forward.
221	Todd Bastian	Oregon Regional Director for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Speaks in opposition of these bills.
232	Col. Julian McFadden.	Citizen. Testifies in opposition of these bills.
386	Rod Harder	Executive Director of the Oregon Sportsman’s Defense Fund. Testifies in opposition of bills. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT I).
475	Phil Donovan	On behalf of the Oregon Guides and Packers Association. Speaks in opposition of bills. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT J).
516	Jim Workman	Outfitter from Northeastern Oregon representing Oregon Guides and Packers Association. Speaks in opposition of both bills.
Tape 49, B
038	Jim Workman	Continues testimony.
078	Chair Messerle	Makes a challenge to both sport groups as well as the ODFW that we need to do more at those levels, such as transferring harvested animals across line, etc. We need to be very careful that we are doing all we can to prevent the spread of this disease. This is an issue we should be taking a hard look at to be responsible as well.
088	Sen. Shields	Asks if someone can give him a comparison of the size of the two economies in this potential economic argument.
101	Workman	Responds to question.
111	Harder	Makes comments regarding the million-dollar figure, and hopes to have more fiscal data in the near future.
121	Phil	Comments further on the million-dollar figure.
141	Sen. Ferrioli	Representing District 28. Speaks in favor of SB 931. States that recently there has been a steep reluctance on the part of ODFW to accept the concept of elk ranching. States there needs to be an interactive management strategy brought to bear on elk ranching. He believes the Oregon Department of Agriculture is the right agency to do that since they are responsible for managing animal husbandry and confined animal feeding operations and other agricultural operations in Oregon. Supports both bills.
213	Michelle Blake	Speaks on economic opportunities. Speaks of possible risks to the public and farmers. Opposes both bills. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT K).
241	Roger Huffman	Administrator of the Animal Health and Identification Division of the Department of Agriculture. Speaks of some issues in SB 931. Asks for some issues to be clarified and specified.
277	Dr. Andrew Clark	State Veterinarian of the Department of Agriculture. Clarifies Hoof & Mouth disease for the committee. Submits written testimony. (EXHIBIT L).
284	Sen. Shields	Asks if there has been a study done about how fast CWD moves in wild population vs. farmed population.

290	Clark	Responds that he is not an expert on CWD and expands on answer.
301	Sen. Shields	Asks if this disease seems to move more from farm to farm, or does it seem to move more in a wild population. Asks if there is a differential.
311	Clark	Clarifies.
328	Sen. Burdick	Asks Dr. Clark if he concurs with Dr. Cook’s assessment regarding the length of time prions stay in an area, and what implications that would have if an elk farm suffered from that and it was useless for livestock and cervids.
342	Clark	States that prion is very resistant. Expands on response.
365	Sen. Burdick	Asks Dr. Clark if, as a veterinarian, he would recommend they put other livestock on that land, or consider that too risky.
371	Clark	Stated that he would consult with others, but it would be something that would be given a great deal of consideration.
384	Sen. Burdick	Asks if there was a contaminated farm and all the elk were destroyed and cattle were moved onto that farm, does he think that there would be an undermining of consumer confidence in the beef supply.
395	Clark	Responds.
419	Lois Jordan	Citizen. Testifies in support of both bills.
450	John Mullins	Citizen. Speaks on behalf of himself and his wife Robin. Testifies in support domestic elk farms.
491	Sheldon Kirk	Citizen. Testifies in support of bills. Speaks of concerns of disease and escapes.
Tape 50, A
051	Stan Hermens	Citizen. Speaks in favor of both bills.
092	Sen. Shields	Asks about money spent since he got his permit.
093	Hermens	Responds.
114	Sen. Shields	Asks where this ranch is located.
115	Hermens	Responds.
126	Richard Patterson	Testifies in support of bills. Submits videotape. (EXHIBIT M).
146	Steve Simpson	Citizen. Speaks in favor of both bills.
174	Patterson	Talks about herd in South Dakota was put down due to CWD, and how other breeders are donating elk to put on this farm.
180	Chair Messerle	States for the record, those people who signed up to speak in favor of elk farming: Harold Amidon, Ed Powers, Jim Wagner, Carl Lindquist, George Esler, Katie Cate of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, Lonnie Woosley.
193	Sen. Shields	Asks Dr. Cook if they have learned anything of the nature of the disease just by its movement from state facility to state facility, or from farm to farm or by its movement itself.
208	Dr. Cook	Responds and clarifies.
216	Sen. Shields	Asks if its potential moved from the facility to the farms.
218	Cook	Responds that no one knows for sure. Expands on response.
230	Sen. Shields	Asks if there is any evidence that it moves more decisively from farm to farm, or does it move just as rapidly in the wild, and does the concentration factor make a difference.
237	Cook	States that there has been no research studies on that at this point. Expands on explanation.
260	Sen. Shields	Having studied the disease and knowing it’s a brain stem diagnosis, any educated guesses as to how far we might be from a test to be given on live animals.
268	Cook	Responds.
286	Sen. Fisher	Asks if there is any history of ranch animals being in contact with wild animals.
298	Cook	States not that he is aware of.
310	Chair Messerle	Submitted testimony to be put on record. (EXHIBITS N through U). Adjourns meeting 10:13 a.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Cheryl Young, Jennifer Solomon,

Committee Assistant Administrator

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – SB 41, written testimony, Mary O’Brien, 2pp.

B – SB 41 and SB 931, written testimony, Al Elkins, 1p.

C – SB 41 and SB 931, written testimony, Warren Aney, 2pp.

D – SB 41, written testimony, Robert Davison, 2pp.

E – SB 41, written testimony, Dr. Sharon Methvin, 2pp.

F – SB 41, written testimony, Chuck Woosley, 3pp.

G – SB 41 and SB 931, written testimony, Dr. Larry Peetz, 5pp.

H – SB 41, written testimony, Dr. Michael W. Miller, 5pp.

I – SB 41, written testimony, Rod Harder, 2pp.

J – SB 41, written testimony, Phil Donovan, 1p.

K – SB 41, written testimony, Michelle Blake, 1p.

L – SB 931, written testimony, Dr. Andrew Clark, 1p.

M – SB 41 and SB 931, video tape, Richard & Linda Patterson

N – SB 41, written testimony, Geoff Latham, 2pp.

O – SB 41, written testimony, Harold Amidon, 14pp.

P – SB 41, written testimony, Kathleen Kidwell, 3pp.

Q – SB 41 and SB 931, written testimony, Richard Furrer, 1p.

R – SB 41 and SB 931, written testimony, Merle Kidwell, 2pp.

S – SB 931, written testimony, Kathleen Kidwell, 1p.

T – SB 41, written testimony, John Mullins, 1p.

U – SB 41, written testimony, George & Jan Elser, 1p.

V – SB 41 and SB 931, written testimony, Merle Kidwell, 1p.