Community Example: Southold, Long Island, New York

Key facts

Community Size: Medium city (10,000 to 50,000 people)

Region: Northeast

Plan established in 2008

Link(s): Southold Deer Management Program, Can't See the Forest for the Deer

The dramatic increase in the white-tailed deer population within the Town of Southold has resulted in widespread landscape damage and crop losses, as well as an increase in Lyme disease and deer/car collisions. Southold Town's Deer Management Program is the most efficient and effective means currently available for reducing Southold's deer population. In cooperation with the State, Southold participates in the NYSDEC Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) and the NYSDEC Deer Damage Permit "Nuisance" Program (DDP). Through both of these programs, additional antlerless deer tags are issued and only licensed resident bow hunters are eligible to participate. From the initial 2008 hunting season through the 2015 Nuisance season, more than 1100 deer have been harvested. In 2014 a total of 288 deer were taken with 165 donated to food banks. Since 2008 the program has donated more than 30,000 pounds of venison for Venison Coalition, feeding the hungry at local pantries across Long Island.

Location

Community Survey

Survey completed by a local government representative

Phase 1: Problem Definition

Initial discussion about deer as a community issue

Which parties initiated the original discussion about the possibility of a local deer management program?

Individual residents who were having problems with deer;Organized groups of stakeholders (e.g., a local business group, others)

Issue Drivers

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

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

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

Increase in cases of Lyme or other tick-borne disease

Gathering Information

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

Original discussions were held in Town Hall with a cross-section of hunters/community groups, etc A deer committee came after that, not before

How did the community find a process facilitator when considering the process they would use?

I served as the process facilitator with informal input from others

Special challenges

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

Challenge:

Lack of understanding of the magnitude of the problem (enviornmental devastation)

Community Response:

Hosted discussions with wildlife experts

Challenge:

Opposition to hunting as only option and opposition of hunting programs by local hunters concerned by lost of deer as a wildlife resource for their own hunting needs

Community Response:

Forums with experts outlining why other approaches were not feasible or effective. We created a Deer Management Committee made up of local hunters to ensure buy-in for the hunters

Challenge:

Limited access for viable hunts

Community Response:

opened up town-owned parks and preserves for annual hunts, reached out to secure permission from private landowners to include properties for hunts

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

I would have originally developed a plan and a budget for a 5 to 7 year organized cull by the USDC

Phase 2: Decision-Making

Structure of the decision-making process

In what year did the first decision-making phase begin?

2008

What parties initiated or convened the process?

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

What was the mechanism by which action alternative were selected in the community?

Consensus-based deliberation

Briefly summarize the decision-making process.

Informal discussions (roundtables) led to community-based discussions. Subsequently, action was taken by the Town Board without a public vote or hearing

In what ways did community members have opportunity(s) to provide input during the decision-making process?

Unsolicited comments on action alternatives were accepted by leaders, Leaders or deer committee held public comment meetings, Leaders or deer committee surveyed residents about decision alternatives

Did your community use a facilitator to help make decisions about deer management goals and actions?

I served as facilitator

Information Gathering

What information sources were consulted by the community group that made decisions about deer management action alternatives?

N/A there were no community group that made decisions about deer management

How were different types of information used?

Content experts from wildlife agency:

To determine cost, To determine feasibility, To determine acceptability of action alternatives

Content experts from other organizations:

To determine cost, To determine feasibility, To determine acceptability of action alternatives

Community opinion presented by stakeholder groups:

To determine cost, To determine feasibility, To determine acceptability of action alternatives

Research reports or papers:

To determine cost, To determine feasibility

Deer management plans from other communities:

To determine cost, To determine feasibility

Other source (identified above):

To determine cost, To determine feasibility, To determine acceptability of action alternatives

How did the group find/identify the content experts they consulted?

Through sister agencies ( NYS DEC), educational institutions ( Cornell) and online research

Program Goals

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

substantially reduce the heard to 10 to 20% of the current population

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

During the process of selecting action alternatives

Selecting Management Actions

Special Challenges

Describe the two or three most important challenges the community faced during the decision-making phase.

Challenge:

Overcoming opposition of hunting by a segment of the population and by local hunters

Community response to challenge:

Brought in experts to educate on the lack of effectiveness of sterilization and included hunters in crafting programs

Challenge:

Cost of administering a deer management program

Community response to challenge:

Worked with the Long Island Farm Bureau to secure grant funding and budgeted an appropriation in the 2015 budget

Challenge:

Overcoming strict NYS regulations governing hunting

Community response to challenge:

Lobbied state representatives for changes to state regulations with limited sucess

Thinking back on your community’s decision-making process, what would you or your community have done differently, if anything?

The decision-making process of the Town was the best option for addressing a problem of this magnitude. It relied heavily on community input

Phase 3: Implementation

Key characteristics of the management program

Have any actions already been taken with respect to your deer management program?

Action taken has been the administration of annual hunts/culling relying on volunter hunters. the program is more sucessful each year. we have also created a position "Wildlife Manager" who will be assigned the task of developing a deer management plan

What is/was the annual budget for your community's deer management program?

50000.00

Did your community create any new positions to assist in implementing the deer management program?

Paid position(s), Volunteer, None, deer management duties were assigned to an existing position

What partners, if any, has the community engaged in to help implement the effort?

Federal agency

Was venison donation a component of the implementation process?

Since 2008 our program has donated over 30,000 pounds of venison for Venison Coalition, feeding the hungry at local pantries across Long Island.

Special challenges

Describe the most important challenges your community faced in implementing your deer management program

Challenge:

Acceptance by hunters concerned that the deer population would drop due to large-scale hunts

Community response to challenge:

Included hunters in the formulations of the plans

Challenge:

Over-coming opposition by animal rights groups

Community response to challenge:

Reached out to the population at-large and and with heavy public out-reach, forcused on facts, not emotions

Challenge:

Dealing with overly restrictive NYS hunting regulations

Community response to challenge:

Met with State officals, elected and administrative and was able to get modest changes

Considering your community’s deer management program implementation, what would you or your community have done differently?

redesign a culling program based not on a 1 year proposed solution (it failed) but a multi-year plan

Phase 4: Evaluation and Adaptation

The community's approach to outcome assessment

Did the community develop an assessment plan for measuring progress towards deer management goals?

Yes

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

Deer population or deer density

Remote camera studies to estimate deer population or deer density

Damage to forest regeneration

Parks department or citizen science efforts to monitor deer damage to natural areas in community parks, 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

GIS mapping of deer-related vehicle accidents in the community, Collecting police reports on number of deer-related vehicle accidents in community, Monitor deer-related vehicle accidents in areas where reflectors are installed on roadside, Estimate rate of deer-related vehicle accidents per miles traveled in problem areas, Ask municipal agencies to monitor and report road kills in the 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

Create a system that allows residents to report complaints, and monitor change in number and type of complaints submitted to the system, 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

Camera-trap monitoring studies to estimate 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

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

Create a system that allows residents to report problems, and monitor change in number and type of complaints submitted to the system, Resident surveys to assess residents’ perceived level of problems with deer and how tolerable those problems are

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

Deer Committee, Elected leader(s), Deer Management Coordinator

How program implementation has been adapted over time

What, if any, changes have been made to the deer management program since its initial implementation?

Change:

none, yet

Special challenges at this phase

Describe any challenges your community faced in evaluating your deer management program.

Challenge:

difficulty in getting specific deer population numbers

Community response to the challenge:

Developed a townwide GIS-based mapping program which relies heavily on public input

Challenge:

difficult to determine if the lack of reduction in deer collisions is the result of an increased population of deer or more fenced out properties

Community response to the challenge:

Haven't been able to develop one, yet

Challenge:

Reduction in crop damage may mean a reduction in the deer population or the increase reliance on deer fencing by farmers

Community response to the challenge:

Haven't been able to develop one, yet

Assessment of program success overall

What would you or your community have done differently for the evaluation of its deer management program?

Would have focused on smaller geographic "pilot" areas

Does the community consider its CBDM program to be successful in achieving its objectives? Why or why not?

Appreciation for the effort-yes but success- no. People have not seen a perceivable difference in the overall deer population