ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) -- An Illinois Department of Natural Resources program to cull deer in Winnebago County forest preserves has caused a disagreement between state and local officials.

The Rockford Register Star reports the department would like its sharpshooters to cull deer in the county. Department officials say the program curbs the spread of the chronic-wasting disease. But county officials decided in January to put the program on a one-year hiatus. State officials say the county's decision jeopardizes efforts to stop chronic-wasting disease.

Sharpshooters have killed 268 deer in Winnebago County forest preserves since 2004. Of those deer, three tested positive for chronic-wasting disease. County commissioner Audrey Johnson questioned if the program is "doing what is right for the deer population."

The neurological disease is caused by an abnormal protein. It is fatal.