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A Partnership Between the USGS and the Klamath Tribes to Apply Structured Decision Making for Chronic Wasting Disease Management

Fact Sheet 2025-3012
Prepared in Cooperation with the Klamath Tribes Natural Resources Department
By: , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20253012

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Abstract

Project Overview: The Klamath Tribes (TKT) are the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Paiute peoples, and are the first peoples of the land, having lived in ancestral lands of Oregon and California since time immemorial. Members of TKT have rights to hunt, fish, trap, and gather, including the harvest of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) within the 1.19 million acres of their Reserved Treaty Rights Area.

Anthropogenic changes threaten the well-being of mule deer and elk and of the Tribes that rely on them. Today, these species are a primary protein source for TKT. They are traded within TKT and among other Tribes and provide materials for cultural and sacred items such as regalia. However, mule deer numbers have been declining across the western states for the past several decades because of multiple stressors, including persistent and frequent drought and wildfires, habitat loss and degradation, vehicle mortality, and increasing barriers to migratory movements between summer and winter ranges. The migratory movements of mule deer, which allow deer to access the best available seasonal habitats, put them at risk of another potential stressor—infection with chronic wasting disease (CWD). Chronic wasting disease is a fatal prion disease of deer that has been detected in 36 U.S. states. It was detected in free-ranging mule deer in northern Idaho in 2021, prompting the Tribes to initiate a planning process for CWD surveillance, prevention, and response measures to preserve and protect the deer and elk within the Reserved Treaty Rights Area.

In 2023, the Klamath Tribes Natural Resources Department began to develop their CWD plan by incorporating preliminary input provided by the Klamath Indian Game Commission (KIGC) and working with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This collaborative effort includes the application of structured decision making and the development of mathematical models to analyze potential CWD management strategies. The result will be a transparent assessment that incorporates TKT values throughout the process and can inform place-based management of the cultural, natural, and physical resources upon which the Tribes depend. In addition, this process may provide opportunities for broader coordination by natural resource management agencies to work together to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of deer and elk populations within the Reserved Treaty Rights Area and throughout the state of Oregon.

Suggested Citation

McEachran, M.C., Guntly-Yancey, K.M., Berl, R.E.W., Gentry, D., Runge, M.C., White, C., and Cook, J.D., 2025, A partnership between the USGS and the Klamath Tribes to apply structured decision making for chronic wasting disease management: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2025–3012, 4 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20253012.

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Project Overview
  • Klamath CWD Management Planning Process—Timeline and Goals
  • Next Steps—Revisiting the Preliminary Evaluation and Plan Drafting (2025 and beyond)
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title A partnership between the USGS and the Klamath Tribes to apply structured decision making for chronic wasting disease management
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 2025-3012
DOI 10.3133/fs20253012
Publication Date March 27, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Description 4 p.
Country United States
State Oregon
Other Geospatial Klamath Tribes reserved treaty rights area
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Additional publication details