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MEDIA CONTACT:
Marylou Berg, Communication Manager, 240-314-8105
Public Comment Period on Deer Task Force Recommendations Open Through Sept. 9
ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 8, 2011 -The City of Rockville is accepting public comment on how to manage the white-tailed deer population in Rockville. In July, the City's White-tailed Deer Management Task Force presented to the Mayor and Council a draft report and made seven recommendations regarding deer management in Rockville. Now, the task force and the Mayor and Council are requesting comment from the public.
Comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9. Comments can be submitted by email to deertaskforce@rockvillemd.gov or by mail to Deer Task Force, City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.
The task force report and recommendations can be viewed on the City's website at www.rockvillemd.gov/government/commissions/rpab/deer.
The report outlines a total of seven recommendations, including two that would require changes to the City Code. One would allow for taller backyard fences from eight feet to 10 feet and the second would allow for reducing the deer population using lethal means.
Other recommendations include adopting the White-Tailed Deer Management Plan, maintaining a deer/vehicle collision database, conducting annual infrared flyovers, researching traffic control devices and implementing a public education plan.
A white-tailed deer management policy was adopted in Rockville in 1996 with an objective to manage the impact of deer on public and private property within the city limits. Since then, the number of deer in the state and in Rockville has continued to increase. In 1988, the state recorded 135,000 white-tailed deer, compared with 230,000 in 2007.
In the mid-1990s, aerial surveys in some areas of Rockville indicated the deer population had reached up to 115 per square mile, with up to 40 per square mile considered manageable.
The task force, which consists of 16 members, including the Department of Natural Resources, Humane Society of the United States, residents and support staff, studied management plans from other jurisdictions, evaluated data on deer population, analyzed impacts of deer and developed recommendations for a comprehensive management plan.
To learn more about the task force and the recommendations, go to www.rockvillemd.gov/government/commissions/rpab/deer.
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