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Hi. I'm State Representative Terry Brown. Welcome to my weekly update, "Talking With Terry."

We have been hearing a lot lately about Chronic Wasting Disease, which was recently discovered in a deer on the west side of the state. As a hunter, I am as concerned as anyone about protecting Michigan's deer herd as well as the economic impact that hunting has on our communities and our state. However, I have heard from many farmers and businesses that simply may not survive the unexpected loss of annual income from bait sales.

As your State Representative, I am committed to protecting Michigan jobs and making sure that Thumb-area farms and businesses succeed. That's why I believe we must look at the immediate, potentially devastating economic harm that this broad response to one case of CWD at a private facility will cause.  As a member of the House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee, I have heard testimony from Department of Natural Resources officials about the CWD situation.  No other deer at that ranch have tested negative for CWD, and no other cases of CWD have been found in captive or free-ranging Michigan deer. The science simply does not justify a ban on baiting across the entire Lower Peninsula. Such a broad action will inflict millions of dollars in damage to farmers and businesses and force them to absorb huge costs and lay off workers. Michigan's economy cannot afford a blow like that right now.

That's why I co-sponsored a resolution in the Michigan House urging the DNR to lift that ban for this season and apply a baiting ban only to the Kent County CWD surveillance zone, near the one case of infection. As an advocate for our agricultural community and a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I have been in close contact with Michigan Farm Bureau officials about the situation.  The Farm Bureau has developed the Michigan Feed Exchange, a free online service to help farmers find new markets for crops grown as bait that they are unable to sell.

The Web site helps link bait or feed crop producers with buyers interested in using these perishable commodities such as carrots or sugar beets for other purposes, such as livestock feed. You can find the online Michigan Feed Exchange at michfb.com/feed. By working together, we can help ensure that Michigan's farmers and businesses do not suffer serious economic losses this fall.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. You can call me, toll-free, at (888) 254-5284. Or, you can e-mail me at terrybrown@house.mi.gov.

I am here to serve you and your family and work on your behalf. Thank you for listening to "Talking with Terry."

Make it a great day!