Dealing with local deer populations may change if officials at the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation like the new decision-making process they’re proposing.

 

According to the Southeast-Brewster Patch, the way it's been done for the past 25 years has been to appoint a small committee of stakeholders, including hunters and homeowners, to canvass the community and report deer numbers. Then they would have to decide on one recommendation for controlling the population.

This past year, the DEC conducted a large-scale survey of New Yorkers in Putnam, Dutchess and Westchester Counties about their local deer population. Based on these survey's the DEC is trying to add a broad-scale public education effort about the survey results and about deer impacts and deer management. What is learned from their effort will be turned over to a small committee of stakeholders to make recommendations. The internet and email will allow the DEC to gather more input from more people.

(Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
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The new process is intended to replace the existing Citizen Task Force model on desired deer population levels, in place since 1990.

For information regarding other DEC deer programs, visit the Department’s Deer Management web page at http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7211.html.

 

 

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