HomeMy WebLinkAboutCozzarelli, J DEIS.pdf VillSge of Cayuga Heights
utC 1 .: 2010
104 Randolph Road
Cayuga Heights
12/12/2010
Dear Village of Cayuga Heights representatives,
I am a Cayuga Heights resident who has spent a large amount of time and money on
gardening and landscaping for our property over the last several years,and our yard shows
the great efforts we have made. The deer,who visit our yard daily and often in herds,are
extremely frustrating and we are,all too often,exasperated to find our new"deer-resistant'
plants devoured in the night. The deer are ravenous and the battle is never-ending.
Nonetheless,my husband and I are strongly opposed to the deer-culling plan that the board
is proposing. While the idea may seem appealing in the abstract,in reality the plan should
be abandoned for the following reasons:
1. The plan,as proposed,will not provide a permanent solution,and,in fact,will
have very little or no immediate effect for property owners like me who live close to the
boundaries of surrounding municipalities. Deer in other areas will simply move in to fill the
void,and reproduce at a higher rate.
2. It is irresponsible to spend the tremendous amount of capital required by the
program,especially when the community is so strongly divided on its implementation. As
you should know,the tax rates in this area are already excessively high and must be
lowered,not raised. To add a new burden for an issue that does not deal with basic services
ignores this fact,and demonstrates a lack of concern for Village residents.
3. Other than for superficial reasons (yard aesthetics),the rationale behind the
culling is not sound. Deer aggression is rare,and those who do their research quickly learn
that the tick that transmits Lyme disease,despite its name,is carried into yards by small
creatures,particularly chipmunks and rodents. A chipmunk eradication program and
clearing of brush from yards would be much more successful in this regard than a program
targeting deer.
4. Although I am from a family whose members hunt deer,the culling methods
suggested in this program are unethical. It is both wrong and dangerous to bait and shoot
in a residential area,and the new method mentioned recently on the news(to net the deer
and then kill them with a bolt)is very disturbing. The Village should not engage in activities
that model undesirable behavior and could traumatize some residents,especially children.
For these reasons and more,the culling proposal is inappropriate and we are very strongly
opposed to having our tax dollars spent in this way. While we,as avid gardeners and
landscapers,understand more than most the frustration and disappointment caused by the
deer,we cannot support a plan that would be ineffective,expensive,inhumane,and
extremely divisive in our community.
Sincerely,
Julia Cozzarelli