The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published an Environmental
Assessment for a proposed White-Tailed Deer management program At Wertheim
National Wildlife Refuge Shirley/Brookhaven, New York. The refuge is
located on Long Island in New York. The Environmental Assessment proposes
hunting by the public as the solution to the perceived high density
of the deer population on the refuge.
Needless to say, the proposal is totally without scientific
merit. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s claims of deer densities
are internally contradictory and very suspect. Further, hunting deer
of both genders and skewing the gender ratio in favor of does not only
will not reduce the size of the deer herd – it will increase it.
Peter Muller of Wildlife watch as submitted extensive
comments critiquing the proposal and would be happy to e-mail you copy.
Contact him at peter@wildwatch.org and put “Wertheim Comments” in the
subject line.
Although the public comment period is past – we still
encourage everyone to write comments to:
WERTHEIM NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
SHIRLEY/BROOKHAVEN, NEW YORK
Contact: Patricia L. Martinkovic,
Refuge Manager Long Island NWR Complex
P.O. Box 21 Shirley, New York 11967
(631) 286-0485
Please write and call and express your outrage at this
mismanagement of our refuges.
