Rep. Art Hershey (R-Chester), chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, recently held two informational meetings on deer management in order to bring greater awareness to this growing problem.

“The deer population in Pennsylvania is continuing to expand as the number of deer hunters decreases and the majority of deer begin to move from traditional hunting grounds in the north to more suburban areas in the southeast part of the state,” said Hershey. “Deer herds have already greatly destroyed their feeding areas up north and are now encroaching on southern forestry and farms.”

Hershey said deer are eating field crops and tree saplings, which is causing millions of dollars of damage to important state industries. In fact, according to testifiers at the hearings, damage to crops amounts to estimated $90 million per year, while damage to actively-managed forests is estimated at $73 million per year.

“The state cannot continue to absorb the high cost of this damage,” said Hershey. “The economy, as well as thousands of jobs, depend greatly on these industries.”

Testifiers at the informational hearings spoke about the need to step up practices to thin the herd, which is devastating the nursery industry in Pennsylvania and continuing to create problems for farmers.

In addition, testifiers also spoke about the increase in Lyme disease cases across the state, which is spread by the deer tick. One testifier said 70 percent of the families in her suburban southeast neighborhood have been inflected by Lyme disease.

“These are all serious issues, issues that most people fail to recognize as being a problem in the state,” said Hershey. “Our deer population needs to be brought in check in order to protect the state’s number one industry, which brings billions of dollars of revenue into the state each year, and ensure greater health protections for our citizens.”

Hershey said the informational meetings were successful in spotlighting this growing problem, and he looks forward to monitoring the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s deer management program over the next several years.

“Deer overpopulation is not an easy problem to solve,” said Hershey. “It will take time for deer management practices to start showing success, and in the meantime, we have to be patient and respectful of the role both humans and deer play in Pennsylvania.”

To see testimony and statements offered to the Committee, visit the PA Landscape and Nursery Association website.

NewsClips: It’s Time a New Group Decides Deer Issue

4/28/2006