Deer culling operations will resume next month in Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site as officials continue to reduce the white-tailed deer population to prevent over-browsing of vegetation.
This will be the second fall that marksmen head out into the two units to kill deer. All venison will be donated to area food banks.
"Management of white-tailed deer at Gettysburg and Eisenhower parks has reduced the impacts of past deer damage to historic woodlots and farm fields. We must continue the management program to maintain this recovery," said Superintendent Bob Kirby.
An important purpose of the herd reduction is to support forest regeneration in historic woodlots that played a role in the fighting of the Battle of Gettysburg. The management program also provides for the long-term protection, conservation and restoration of native species and cultural landscapes.
"Long-term forest monitoring at Gettysburg and Eisenhower parks indicates that more seedlings and saplings are living to become trees than in the 1990's," said Zach Bolitho, the park's chief of resource management. "We're making progress in healthier landscapes here."
The deer management program will continue through the end of March. Annual deer reductions will continue from October through March each year, as necessary. A deer reduction community safety committee is consulted on matters of public safety related to the program. The committee is composed of the local Pennsylvania Game Commission officer, the chiefs of police from Gettysburg Borough and Cumberland Township, the chairman of the Gettysburg National Military Park Advisory Commission, and the park superintendent, chief ranger, and biologist.
In 1995, an Environmental Impact Statement described and considered a variety of options for meeting park objectives for deer management, including public hunting, relocation, and the use of sterilization and contraception. Hundreds of people participated in the public review of the EIS and many commented on it in writing. The NPS decided to reduce the number of deer in the parks through shooting.
The park conducts monitoring of the deer population and long-term forest monitoring to help assess the program and set deer management goals.
Comments
Hunting is a sport. Culling is a job.
But they both have the same effect using the same tools.
Which isn't the same as "purpose."
Anon, what's say you let the adults talk for awhile?
Justin - Actually they do have a common purpose - its just the hunting has an additional purpose and raises money for the state rather than costing the state money.
So once again, MONEY is what's really most important? Did we just detect a tea partier?
"So once again, MONEY is what's really most important?"
Who said "most important"? It is an added benefit. A plus, an extra. It performs its environmental benefit AND provides entertainment AND provides a source of funds. How could that be bad?
Did we just detect an envious Occupy Wall Streeter?
Aside from the obvious conflict with visitors to Gettysburg and its urban setting, how appropriate would it be to have this sort of 'entertainment' on hallowed ground?
Beyond that, under the proposal the environmental benefit will be achieved and the venison will go to a good source -- area food banks -- so this certainly seems the best approach.
Kurt - perhaps you missed it when I said "Gettysburg may not be an appropriate place to allow someone out in daylight without "guiding or watching' but someplace line Denali or RMNP or Glacier could very well be."
While it might not be appropriate in Gettysburg, it could be quite appropriate in many other parks. Why don't you take Lee's suggestion and not be so absolutist - though I must admit that position coming from Lee is quite ironic.