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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA007 - Presentation by Ames Citizens for Non-Lethal Urban Deer Management Por C�'fy Cferl�s a�F�ce Ames Citizens for Non-Lethal Urban Deer Management --Presentation to Ames City Council— October 24,2006 Speaker: Erica Fuchs,4014 Marigold Drive in Ames, representing the Ames Citizens for Non- lethal Urban Deer Management, www.freewebs.com/amesdeer,e-mail: ames.deer@hotmail.com We would like to thank you,the City Council members,for reopening discussion of the Deer Management Plan. We also wish to thank the Task Force for its willingness to end hunting in Emma McCarthy Lee Park, and to reduce the contact between bow-hunters and the public. We have several concerns about the Task Force recommendations. Concern#1: The Task Force originally decided to recommend hunting in Ames because it believed the number of deer-vehicle accidents was rising(according to a Tribune article on Oct. 21"),yet data do not show an increase in severe car-deer accident numbers. Over the last ten years in Ames there has been no increase in the number of car collisions with wildlife(mostly deer)causing$1000 or more damage,based on Department of Transportation data. (Please see Plot "Ames Total Car Collisions and Car-Wildlife Collisions per Year') Furthermore, Ames Police recently corrected their 2006 data on car-wildlife crashes that caused $1000 or more damage, and found that from January through Oct. 12'b of this year there have been only FOUR(not 15 or more) such accidents...three with deer, and one with a"large bird." The neighborhood representative on the Task Force wrote a Sept. 5'b letter to The Tribune in which she stated: "The police department provided data involving vehicle and deer accidents since 2002. There were 11 accidents reported in 2002, compared to 15 in 2006 from Jan.-July." In fact, the Ames Police Department provided the number of car-wildlife(mostly deer) crashes that it reported to the DOT in 2002 because the collisions caused$1000 or more in damage. The correct number of such accidents for 2006 through Oct. 12'is only 4, much lower than the incorrect number, 15, given to the neighborhood representative for January through July. It should also be noted that 11 major car-wildlife crashes were reported in 2002 by the Ames Police to the DOT,but the DOT counted a total of 17 such accidents that year. Our plot uses official DOT data,which include Ames Police Dept. numbers. We feel that if the rate of major car-deer accidents is not increasing in Ames,then a main rationale for hunting in the parks does not exist. Also, if the goal is to reduce the number of car- deer collisions,then hunting in city parks far from Highway 30 and Highway 69, where most car-deer accidents occur in Ames, does not address the risks of hitting deer on these highways. 1 Concern#2: We feel Ames should only allow hunting in parks within the city limits as a last resort,and should instead consider increased hunting outside the city limits,in the perimeter zone, to kill deer as they leave or enter Ames. Since we last presented to City Council, over additional Ames residents have signed our petition to repeal Ordinance 3 89 1, which allows hunting within city parks. Some task force members have told us that they feel increased perimeter zone hunting would not reduce the number of deer within Ames because the home range of the deer may be only one square mile. However,no deer in Ames have been radio-collared, and so we do not know the sizes of their home ranges during the year. Several lines of evidence can be used to support perimeter zone hunting as a method to reduce the population of deer in Ames. First,because the number of major car-deer collisions has not increased in Ames for 10 years, and the DNR uses car-deer collisions on highways as an index for tracking deer population trends, this suggests that the Ames deer population has been kept stable due to hunting outside the city limits,car-deer collisions, and non-human forces. Second, we were told by the DNR that deer typically congregate in the city during winter, which suggests they do not at other times of the year. Bill Bunger, depredation biologist,told me that he thinks a certain number of deer go in and out over city lines, with most staying close to Ames. Third, a traffic technician from the Iowa Department of Transportation told me that deer are probably coming north into the city along the Skunk River, which is the reason many deer are killed on the eastbound(but not westbound)segment of Highway 30 between S. Duff and Interstate 35. The frequency of killed deer required the DOT to place a deer warning sign only on this eastbound segment of Highway 30. Fourth,the Iowa City Task Force notes in its 2005-2006 report that"one community in Illinois reported ... they did not kill deer and no longer had a `deer problem.' However, the surrounding communities were actively managing deer using an annual kill." This suggests that killing deer outside of a city can result in reduced numbers of deer, and reduced deer problems, within a city. If Ames finds that female deer do, in fact, have small home ranges and are staying within a given city park year-round,then Ames may be the perfect test site for immunocontraception of female deer, which is successful when used on a small, localized population of up to 100 does. Hunting within the city limits is not the only option. 2 " 1 Concern #3: Killing deer in city parks has been proposed to"preserve ecological integrity" within Ames,but there have been no studies on the ecological health of Ames woodlands, or on whether ecological integrity can be preserved (or achieved)simply by reducing winter deer density to 30 deer per square mile as recommended by the DNR. A 2001 review article, "Effects of White-tailed Deer on Plants,Plant Populations and Communities," in The American Midland Naturalist, says that"many of the most dramatic changes happened in the past, so that present vegetation [may have] already undergone most changes that deer can cause. Ecological studies may miss these effects because we have no baseline to serve as a reference. Some highly preferred species that are [very] susceptible to deer browsing may now be so rare or even absent that we cannot now detect effects on them." Furthermore, herbivory damage can be seen at and below densities of 30 deer per square mile. Concern#4: The Ames Deer Management Plan lacks non-lethal components, which urban deer management experts agree should be implemented to reduce car-deer collisions and deer damage to landscaping. Dr. Allen RutbeEg, a deer management expert at the Center for Animal and Public Policy at Tufts Veterinary School, wrote the following to me about Ames deer management: "A comprehensive approach is needed. If there's lots of food for deer in the yards and in nearby fields, no amount of killing will make the problem go away. It is, indeed, essential to locate the deer-vehicle collision hotspots, and use multiple approaches (signage, public education, speed limit reduction, even speed pumps)to reduce the risks to deer and motorists." Dr. Robert Warren, a wildlife biologist specializing in urban deer population management, from the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, wrote the article, "Deer Population Management Through Hunting and Alternate Means of Control,"which states: "Prior to implementing a deer control program in an area, it is important that some background data be obtained to specifically define the nature of the deer overabundance problem. These data will help define the specific objectives of the deer control program. The success of the deer control program then should be judged based on how well the specific objectives are achieved. For example, if one objective is to reduce the amount of damage to landscape shrubbery to a specified level,then data are needed to define the current level and distribution of damage in an area. Also, if another objective is to reduce the number of deer-vehicle collisions by a specified number,then data are needed to document the current number and location of collisions. These data also will help define specific locations within a particular area where the symptoms and problems with deer overabundance are greatest, which will enable the deer control program to be conducted more efficiently(i.e., intensify control efforts in those specific locations where the problems are greatest)." 3 We would like the Ames Deer Management Plan to include the following non-lethal measures: 1. Public education on defensive driving, deer-resistant landscaping, and garden plant protection. 2. Identification of additional car-deer collision hotspots, such as Highway 69 as it leaves North Ames, and Highway 30 within the city limits. Accident rates may be decreased by speed limit reduction with enforcement, and by seasonal posting of deer warning signs during Oct.,Nov., and Dec., when most car-deer accidents occur. (Please see "DOT Map ofAmes Car-Wildlife Crashes causing$1000 damage or more, 1996-2005'9 DOT traffic technician Kurt Schackelford,District 1,told me it is a fact that"for every mile per hour increase,there is an increase in the rate of all accidents...and this includes accidents with animals." He said I may quote him at City Council. 3. Construction of deer underpasses or overpasses at car-deer collision hotspots, with fencing to funnel deer, which is the proven method for reducing the number of car-deer crashes. Hedlund,J.H., Curtis, P.D.,Curtis, G., Williams,A.F. (2004)Methods to Reduce Traffic Crashes Involving Deer: What Works and What Does Not," Traffic Injury Prevention, vol. S,pp. 122-131: "The only widely accepted method with solid evidence of effectiveness is well-designed and maintained fencing, combined with underpasses or overpasses as appropriate. Both temporary passive signs and active signs appear promising in specific situations." 4. Before Ames allows hunting in parks within the city limits,we would like the city to collect more data on the deer population over several years, such as by continuing aerial surveys, analyzing car-deer crashes,measuring deer herbivory in Ames parks, and radio-collaring 10-20 does to determine the size of their home ranges. These results can help tell us what management methods will work best for our city. We feel that by working together, Ames staff,wildlife experts, and residents from *all* the city park neighborhoods—not just one—can create a comprehensive deer management plan that is MORE than simply a deer hunting ordinance. Thank you. 4 Ln _ N Q� 0 a a Q} N qJ O TM° 0�7 .� 1 � °d N _ p" 4- -z) o � co 0 0 o O o 0 0 0 0 o O O o O O O O O O O O O O O •— O Q! OD N fJa L!� d' Ch N .za auzn.K DOT Map of Ames Car-Wildhi e Crashes causins 41000 Damage or more, I996- Z005 z ss c c_ a Riverside Dr m F Q Q tl ario 1 131h St D ;•. Lincoln W 30 30 v o a t � N ss 14 From: Annual Report of the 2005-2006 Iowa City Deer Task Force Long-term Nonlethal Deer Management Plan: "The City of Iowa City will develop an educational program that will provide residents with information on deer habits and guidelines for limiting deer damage through the use of screening, alternative plantings, and other techniques. Educational materials will be distributed through a variety of methods including public informational meetings, pamphlets, and government television programs." "The City of Iowa City will evaluate the need for and,where appropriate, install or petition the State or County to install on roadways under their jurisdiction warning signs that may reduce the likelihood of vehicle-deer accidents. The City will prepare annual reports on effectiveness of deer reflectors. In addition, thoughtful consideration will be given to deer migratory paths as transportation improvement projects are approved by the City Council." Education and other Nonlethal Initiatives for Improved Human-Deer Coexistence-- Completed and Current Projects: The City of Iowa City has undertaken a number of steps toward nonlethal management: *Requested the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)to consider Iowa City as a deer contraception test site. *Coordinated an education program with the Johnson County Conservation Board entitled "Whitetail Deer: Treasure, Trophy or Trouble?" Two programs were presented and both were made available to the public. *Began updating the brochure explaining Iowa City's approach to deer management and emphasizing methods to help residents devise strategies for living with deer. *Display ads in local newspapers, and the use of City Channel 4 to convey high risk periods for deer-vehicle collisions. On-line listing of deer-resistant plantings, and a map indicating deer vehicle accidents. *Advertised seminar on gardening, landscaping,and wildlife(joint project with IC Landscaping). *Conducted Deer Issues Listening Sessions at which residents can convey to Task Force members and each other their opinions about and experience with Iowa City's deer. *Worked with media on defensive driving campaign during high deer-vehicle accident incidence time of year. *Began production of a video on deer-traffic issues. *Completed a consultant-assessment of impact of N. Dodge Street improvements on deer. An under-passageway is being considered. *Installed five warning signs. [Note: signs should be in place only during Oct., Nov.,Dec.]