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STOP THE SLAUGHTER
Fire Island National Seashore has announced their plan to shoot Fire Island’s deer possibly killing one-third to two-thirds of the population and reduce it to only 20-25 per square mile. This will take place 30 days from now. FINS will repeat this killing procedure periodically to maintain this level. Perhaps the cruelest element of this “ solution” is to destroy any deer approaching a human in friendship in an effort to eradicate this previously unique and cherished relationship which we enjoy so much as part of the Fire Island experience. (Does that mean armed shooters will be roaming through our communities ready to shoot at sight any “tame” deer)
FINS is deliberately ignoring animal advocates who have demonstrated that deer control should be achieved solely through reproductive means, and an acceptable vaccine already exists. Fire Island is the first place on earth where free-roaming deer have been successfully contracepted with a remotely delivered dart. Between 1995 and 2009 the deer population was cut in half.
Fire Island National Seashore Deer Management Program
Published in the Federal Register December 31 (a day when the majority of the public is otherwise occupied) and will go into effect in 30 days. The public may comment during those 30 days. Together we can do a lot to discredit the Plan and HOPEFULLY STOP IT.
THE PLAN: ALTERNATIVE D Deer browsing management actions would include fencing of an area encompassing the historic core at the William Floyd Estate (approximately 80 acres) and small-scale fencing to protect special-status species, as well as exclosure fencing in the Sunken Forest (approximately 44 acres of maritime holly forest). The deer population would be reduced to an appropriate deer density to achieve the plan objectives (estimated at 20-25 deer per square mile across Fire Island and 20-25 deer per square mile at the William Floyd Estate) through a combination of sharp shooting, capture and euthanasia of individual deer (where appropriate), and public hunting (within the Fire Island Wilderness only). Once reduced, the deer population could be maintained through fertility control. Fertility control would be implemented using a chemical reproductive control agent (when an acceptable agent becomes available). Until an acceptable and effective reproductive control agent becomes available, the deer population would be maintained using the same methods used for direct reduction as described above. Deer observed approaching humans within the Fire Island communities would be captured and euthanized to reduce the risk of negative human-deer interactions and prevent other deer from learning this behavior through observation. Alternative D has been identified as the NPS preferred alternative
There is a 30 day waiting period before this can happen. Below is a petition to prevent it.
Reviewers and Respondents Please Note: If you wish to comment on this plan/EIS, you may 1. Post them electronically at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/FireIslandDeerManagementPlan or
2. Mail comments to the names and addresses below.
Sally Jewell Department of the Interior 1849 C Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Phone 202 208-3100
Jonathan Jarvis, Director National Parks Service 1849 C Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Phone 202 208-6843
Mike Caldwell, Northeast Regional Director National Park Service U.S. Custom House 200 Chestnut Street Fifth Floor Philadelphia, PA 19106 Lindsay Ries, Wildlife Biologist Stephanie Boyles Griffin, senior director of innovative wildlife management Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO The Humane Society of the United
States 202-452-1100 or 866-720-2676 We need your help to prevent this unnecessary lethal control. Please take one minute to tell the NPS that you strongly support the use of effective, non-lethal fertility control methods for deer on Fire Island» You can copy and paste the following to start off your letter: I’ve recently learned that the National Park Service has released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Deer Management Plan for Fire Island National Seashore which approves the shooting of as much as two thirds of the current deer population. For more than 15 years, The Humane Society of the United States has worked with the NPS to implement a fertility control study using humane methods to manage deer population. The study has been widely supported and successful. The NPS should continue working with organizations like The HSUS and Fire Island residents to implement humane deer management strategies rather than killing semi-tame deer, who are a cherished part of the visitor experience at Fire Island
Jeannie Lieberman
Note: this is also going to editors of Long Island Papers in hope they will spread the word 
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