Manassas National Battlefield/Erika Zambello.

Six national parks in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia have concluded annual operations to reduce overabundant white-tailed deer. The parks, ranging from Civil War battlefields to urban sites, donated more than 19,000 pounds of venison, equalling over 75,000 meals to local nonprofits. These nonprofits serve meals locally and across the region to families in need.

Deer are professionally processed and tested for chronic wasting disease as required before the venison is donated.

While these six parks preserve different aspects of America’s history and natural treasures, all have suffered the effects of high deer populations. Overabundant deer populations do immense damage to plants and eat nearly all tree seedlings; as a result forests cannot sustain themselves. Deer also damage agricultural crops, which are a key component of the historic setting at many Civil War battlefields. These six parks manage deer to support long-term protection and restoration of native plants and to promote healthy and diverse ecosystems.

Deer management has produced positive results at several area national parks. Catoctin Mountain Park (Md.) has actively worked to reduce deer populations in the park since 2010 and has seen more than an 11-fold increase in native tree and shrub seedling density over the past 10 years. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park conducted their first deer management operations in 2019. Antietam National Battlefield and Monocacy National Battlefield conducted their third seasons of deer reduction activities. Rock Creek Park completed its sixth season of deer management. Each park follows a deer management plan, developed according to the National Environmental Policy Act.