Cornell UniversityThe Nature Conservancy

Community Example: Hopewell Township, New Jersey

Key facts
  • Community Size: Medium city (10,000 to 50,000 people)
  • Region: Northeast
    • Plan established in 2010
    Link(s): Township Administrator/Engineer, Hopewell Deer Management Committee Ordinance, Hopewell Deer Management Task Force, Hopewell Deer Management Report

    A variety of citizen complaints, from damage to gardens and crops, deer-vehicle collisions, Lyme disease, forest health concerns and the health of the deer herd itself drove the formation of Hopewell Township's Deer Management Task Force. Hopewell Township's deer management program centers on managed hunting of the community's public lands. A range of metrics is used to track the success of the program.

    Location

    Community Survey
    Survey completed by a local government representative
    Initial discussion about deer as a community issue
    Which parties initiated the original discussion about the possibility of a local deer management program?

    Formal (elected or appointed) community leaders (e.g., town supervisor, town council)

    Issue Drivers
    What deer-related concerns were the main drivers of the original discussion about need for local deer management?

    Deer damage to gardens and plantings around homes; Deer damage to farm crops; Deer-related vehicle accidents; Concern about Lyme or other tick-borne disease; Deer damage to forests or other native plants; Concern about health of the deer herd

    Any particular impact/event that was a tipping point for your community’s decision to develop a deer management program?

    None

    Gathering Information
    How did community members and/or leaders gather information to understand the deer-related problems?
    Information about concerns, interests, attitudes of local residents

    Unsolicited complaints to local leaders; Public meetings; Survey(s) of residents

    Information about problem levels (e.g., number of deer-related vehicle accidents, amount of plant damage or crop damage)

    Contacted local police department for deer-related vehicle accident records; Contacted local naturalists/scientists for estimates of forest damage

    Information about local deer population size or deer density

    Sponsored biological research

    What process was used to define the deer management problem(s) in the community?

    A local deer committee charged with defining the problem held discussions, but the committee did not have an outside facilitator

    Special challenges
    Describe any challenges the community faced in defining the deer and deer management problem.

    Challenge: 
    A deer managemnt program that permitted hunting on public lands was implemented. Residents adjoing those public lands expressed concnern but collaboration, educatin and meetings with hunters satisfied the concerns

    Given how your community identified your deer management problem, what would you or your community have done differently?

    We would not change at this point

    Information Gathering
    How were different types of information used?
    Content experts from wildlife agency:

    To determine feasibility, To determine acceptability of action alternatives

    Content experts from other organizations:

    To determine acceptability of action alternatives

    Community opinion presented by stakeholder groups:

    Was not used

    Research reports or papers:

    To determine acceptability of action alternatives

    Deer management plans from other communities:

    To determine acceptability of action alternatives

    Program Goals
    What specific long-term goals were identified for this community’s deer management program?

    See presentation

    When were goals for the community-based deer management identified?

    During the process of selecting action alternatives

    Selecting Management Actions
    What actions were considered to meet your community’s goals related to managing deer-related impacts?
    Lethal Actions to manage deer population size

    Regulation changes to create or encourage additional hunting opportunity in the community (using regular licensed hunters), Managed public lands hunt (e.g., hunting by permit on park lands)

    Actions to influence or modify behavior of community residents

    Information & education to encourage residents to use fencing to exclude deer from specific areas, Information & education on preventing tick-borne illnesses, Information & education on preventing or limiting deer damage to gardens and landscape plants, Information & education to discourage deer feeding

    What actions were selected to meet your community’s goals related to managing deer-related impacts?
    Lethal Actions to manage deer population size

    Regulation changes to create or encourage additional hunting opportunity in the community (using regular licensed hunters), Managed public lands hunt (e.g., hunting by permit on park lands)

    Actions to influence or modify behavior of community residents

    Ordinance prohibiting feeding, Information education; education to discourage deer feeding

    Key characteristics of the management program
    Was venison donation a component of the implementation process?

    In New Jersey licensed butchers must prepare the meat. Limitations on butcher locations make donations very costly.

    The community's approach to outcome assessment
    Did the community develop an assessment plan for measuring progress towards deer management goals?

    No

    What kinds of baseline information did your community collect before implementing the deer management program?
    Deer population or deer density

    Spotlight counts for an index to deer abundance

    Damage to forest regeneration

    Partner with universities to conduct plant damage studies

    Crop Damage

    Monitor Department of Natural Resources or Cooperative Extension reports of crop damage

    Damage to gardens and landscape plantings

    Monitor Department of Natural Resources or Cooperative Extension reports of residential damage

    Deer-vehicle collisions

    Collecting police reports on number of deer-related vehicle accidents in community

    Rate of tick-borne disease cases in the community

    Review annual reports from county health department with number of reported cases of tick-borne illnesses

    Residents’ perceptions

    Resident surveys to assess residents’ perceived level of problems with deer and how tolerable those problems are

    If an assessment plan was created, what indicators are used for measuring outcomes of management actions?
    Deer population or deer density

    Spotlight counts for an index to deer abundance

    Damage to forest regeneration

    Partner with universities to conduct plant damage studies

    Crop damage

    Monitor Department of Natural Resources or Cooperative Extension reports of crop damage

    Damage to gardens and landscape plantings

    Monitor Department of Natural Resources or Cooperative Extension reports of residential damage

    Deer-vehicle collisions

    Collecting police reports on number of deer-related vehicle accidents in community

    Rate of tick-borne disease cases in the community

    Review annual reports from county health department with number of reported cases of tick-borne illnesses

    Who is responsible for carrying out the assessment plan and monitoring the success of the deer management program?

    Deer Committee