Governor Jennifer Granholm has appointed Dr. George R. Anderson, Dr. Rosina M. Bierbaum and Dr. Lonnie J. King to the state's new Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Task Force. Former Department of Natural Resources Director Howard A. Tanner and William W. Taylor, chair of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University, serve as co-chairs.

"These conservation professionals are key ingredients in the task force's success," said Granholm. "They will help Michigan move forward with a plan to stop CWD at our borders and to protect our wildlife resources across the state."

Dr. George R. Anderson, East Lansing, is Executive Manager, Michigan Association of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Physicians (MAPPP). He has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ohio State University.

Dr. Rosina M. Bierbaum, Ann Arbor, is Dean and Professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan. She has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from State University of New York.

Dr. Lonnie J. King, Okemos, is Dean and Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, and has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ohio State University.

CWD is a brain disorder that kills deer and elk. The exact form of transmission is not known. CWD has appeared in deer and elk in Wisconsin, making it a threat to Michigan's deer and elk populations. The disease has been found in whitetail deer in Illinois and has been discovered in free-ranging deer in Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The disease has also been diagnosed in captive deer in Colorado, Nebraska, South Carolina, Montana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada.

The task force will develop and make recommendations to implement a comprehensive and coordinated state CWD prevention plan.