The Latest: DNR chief tells states to work together on CWD

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on a chronic wasting disease conference in Wisconsin (all times local):

10:50 a.m.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole is telling wildlife officials attending a multi-state conference on chronic wasting disease that they need to talk to each other and come up with a regional approach to slowing the disease.

Representatives from wildlife agencies from an array of Midwestern states are gathering Wednesday and Thursday in Madison to discuss CWD. Cole began the conference by telling attendees that they’ve been trying to solve the disease on their own for too long.

He said states need to stop duplicating efforts and show the public that “we are on it.”

The conference agenda calls for discussions on the state of CWD research, where to focus research and CWD best management practices.

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8:55 a.m.

Wildlife officials from around the Midwest are converging in Wisconsin to discuss chronic wasting disease.

The two-day conference is set to begin Wednesday at Madison’s Monona Terrace convention center. It’s slated to conclude Thursday afternoon.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is hosting the event. Officials from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Wisconsin DNR, the Minnesota DNR and the Michigan DNR are scheduled to attend. They plan to discuss the latest research on CWD and how to better manage the disease. The conference will conclude with recommendations for improvement.

CWD attacks deer’s brains, causing them to grow thin, act abnormally and eventually die.