Mt. Lebanon again at odds over deer population
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The economics and efficacy of deer culling have once again divided Mt. Lebanon residents.
Some residents have told commissioners that something must be done because deer remain a menace on roads and in their backyards. Still others say that dropping $66,000 for a density study and subsequent culling would be an insult during the bad economy.
The municipality contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2006 to 2008 to curb the deer population, but has not renewed the contract.
Funds have not been appropriated for a study or culling in the manager's 2012 recommended budget, but commissioners allowed citizens to talk at length on the issue at the Monday commission meeting.
Some residents said the deer population here isn't a problem at all and that taxpayer money shouldn't be used for issues on private property. Iris Riemer of Mt. Lebanon said killing deer would also send the wrong message.
"We want our children to respect nature," she said.
Still, most residents on record are concerned about the cost and efficacy.
Before the municipality can obtain a permit to cull, it first has to sign off on a $16,000 deer population study. The culling process itself would cost about $50,000.
Those funds must be outlined in the budget, commissioners said. Since they haven't been accounted for in the current recommended budget, the issue will be likely be addressed in later public hearings and at the final budget meeting Nov. 28.
In a letter addressed to the commission, Laura Simon, urban wildlife field director of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote that suburbia provides a prime deer habitat and a goal of three to five deer per square mile is unrealistic.
"Unless the town is willing to take unprecedented measures to drastically reduce deer habitat," she wrote, "the end result will be that the deer rebound quickly and exhibit extremely high reproductive rates and high survival, as the rich food resource and lowered deer density will trigger a boom in fawning."
First Published November 17, 2011 5:32 am
