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Comprehensive deer-management plan recommended
(by Sue Reid - June 08, 2011)
Comprehensive deer-management plan recommended
By SUE REID
Solon City Council's safety and public properties committee approved and recommended last week a comprehensive deer-management plan which includes both lethal and non-lethal measures. The plan was forwarded to the full City Council.
"Whether council chooses to take a piece out of the plan or not would be up to them," said Councilman William I. Russo, who chairs the committee. "The idea is to give the administration a number of tools to deal with the deer issue."
Council is not expected to take action on the issue this month, Mr. Russo noted, due to the absence of some members at the regular scheduled meetings.
The committee approved and recommended the plan by a vote of 2-1, with Mr. Russo and Councilman Richard A. Bell voting in favor. Councilman Edward H. Kraus, who said he opposes the bowhunting option within the plan, voted no.
"I don't support bowhunting," Mr. Kraus said, "but the other aspects (of the plan), I do support."
"If you want the opportunity to reduce the cost, bowhunting has to be considered," Mr. Russo said. He added that bowhunting has been done, and other communities have been able to do it in a safe manner.
"I wanted to avoid cherry-picking," Mr. Russo said. "What happens with that is that people start to think one particular item is the way to go."
The committee unanimously agreed at its previous meeting to omit deer parks from a future plan and directed Public Works Commissioner James S. Stanek to explore a less costly culling program.
Mr. Stanek said, while there are less expensive options, those outfits do not have the level of experience or success as did White Buffalo, which the city contracted with for sharpshooting in its past program.
"There are some who are less costly," he said, "but I'm not sure of their experience and credentials, and I would have concerns with that."
There are not a whole lot of companies out there with the credentials of White Buffalo, Mr. Stanek said. He added that the company, out of Connecticut, has contacted him about its desire to work for the city again.
Mr. Stanek told the committee that, although discussions can continue on methods of deer management, if the city's chooses to go with bowhunting, a program could begin in late September or early October. Culling by sharpshooting is typically done in January and February, he said.
"If we don't start making some decisions, it can get late real fast," he said.
Mr. Stanek said he did contact Andy Montoney, U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife services director, to investigate if he could administer the program, and he indicated he could do part or all of it. In terms of a cost associated with those services, Mr. Stanek said, he would have to sit down with the USDA, craft a plan, and then determine cost.
"We would have to evaluate all of our resources," he said.
Mr. Stanek said that safety and the financial side of the issue seem to be the two determining factors.
"We have to find a happy medium," he said.
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