The EHD committee chaired by Glenn Dice has been given the green light by the PDFA board to move forward with importation of the first wave of EHD vaccine for registered members. Rich Huff is handling the receipt of payments for the vaccine. Any PDFA member that registered for the EHD vaccine should contact Rich at 717-737-9136 to finalize payment before the vaccine can be released. Glenn will also moderate an EHD question and answer session during the Spring Meeting program. I want to personally thank Glenn for all the hard work he has put into this project.

   The association was updated at the February board meeting by Andrew Goodman of our lobbying firm Milliron & Associates concerning the civil case of Johnna Seeton vs. Pa Game Commission (PGC). This case involves boars and what state agency, if any, has jurisdiction over them in Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court of PA ruled that the boar within the PA state forests should fall under the PGC. The Governor's office has established the Invasive Species Council. The council's defined purpose is to focus on the prevention and management of non- native invasive species that cause ecological, economic and human harm. This council has defined the boar as such a species. On June 29, 2006 Governor Rendell signed into Law our Bill 1580 which transferred regulatory oversight off all Cervid Livestock Operations to the PA Department of Agriculture (PDA). The importance of this bill was to make the regulatory dividing line between the PGC and the PDA our fences. Outside our fences would be the PGC and inside our fences would be the PDA. Our association hopes to get involved in the boar issue with a goal to keep the regulatory line of our fences where it currently is and protect our family businesses. If you currently operate a hunting ranch you will soon be receiving a confidential questionnaire from us to complete and send back. This is very important to us. The reason for the questionnaire is to give our board of directors a clearer understanding of who is housing boar on their operation so we can get their needed input to help our efforts with this issue in Harrisburg. If you do house boar and have information or ideas about this issue please attend one of our board meetings or forward the information to Bev Gruber. We are taking this situation very seriously and hope we can work together to get this situation under control.

   Many of you got to know Jim Mann of Milliron & Associates. Jim has represented us at the capitol over the past 5 years and was instrumental in the Passage of Bill 1580. Jim has left Milliron & Associates to work with the House Republican Legal Staff. Jim was a great friend of ours and did an exceptional job representing us on the hill. We wish Jim the very best in his new position. Andrew Goodman and Ken Brandt are now our point men at Milliron and we look forward to working with them.

   The industry recently lost a dear friend. Heidi Gourley, the wife of Dr. Dennis Gourley, passed away on February 9, 2008. Heidi was 47 years old. More information is available about Heidi's passing in this newsletter. Heidi was a part of our deer family and will be fondly remembered and sadly missed.

   I am looking forward to our Spring Meeting and I hope to see you there.