HomeMy WebLinkAboutTabacchi, M & G DEIS.pdf Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees
Cayuga Heights, Ithaca , NY 14850
15 December 2010
Subject: Comments and Feedback Regarding Deer Management Plan for Cayuga Heights Draft
Environmental Impact Statement(DEIS)
We live at 705 The Parkway on a 2 acre wooded plot with a lovely pond and waterfall. In 1977, we
purchased this property from Alpheus and Nicole Smith,who through the years had fostered a wildlife
sanctuary by their preservation of plant species and undergrowth in which animals take shelter. Mrs.
Smith was the niece of the famed naturalist John Muir, and with her knowledge and background she
encouraged the growth of native plants, bushes and trees.
We purposely purchased this land in the anticipation that we too would preserve this small oasis for our
family,friends and the animals.Since then,we have lived in peace with many species, sharing
our home with deer,squirrels, muskrats, opossums,wood chucks,chip monks, mice,fish,turtles,water
snakes,song birds,crows, hawks, buzzards and waterfowl, all fellow beings whose presence we keenly
enjoy.Occasionally we even see red fox, raccoons and skunks.This small microcosm in a hectic world
gives us much peace, beauty and joy. It is our refuge and our strength.
For many years, we grew vegetables, but alas,the wood chucks have similar tastes—so after many years
of building fences which the woodchucks burrowed under—we happily retreated to the Ithaca Farmers'
Market. Before giving up our vegetable garden,we paid to have someone trap the wood chucks with
"have a heart"traps and relocate them—it would not have occurred to us to go to the Village Trustees
and ask for the extermination of these animals.
Now it appears that we, and all of the inhabitants of our sanctuary,will be subjected to baiting, netting
terror, pain,and mass killing with guns or captive bolt guns. This is indeed horrific—as I write this,there
are mallards swimming on the pond,deer drinking in the stream and squirrels in their nests high above
my head. We are fond of all of our animals, but the deer have become constant, silent companions in
our habitat.They live in families- mothers,daughters and their offspring.These families move together
and their tender,gentle eyes move us each time we encounter them. Because we prove no threat—they
live close to us. We are accustomed to seeing them at dawn and at days end. Bucks come and go—but
one buck this year particularly looked after an orphan fawn—the two are still together and both are
beautiful animals. Bucks sometimes"spar"with one another—in our back yard.The sparing appears to
be in play because no injury occurs. Our cats can walk up to large bucks with no fear—the young fawns
often come nose to nose with our companion animals.
Losing these animals would be painful for us, and those who live on either side of our property. Our
neighbors on one side are vegan and the idea of killing anything is against their deeply held beliefs.
Words cannot express my fear for these gentle deer families—we have bonded with them and they with
us. Not to see them each morning and evening would be a loss indeed. When my Mom lived with us—
she was slowly developing dementia—but she spent hours watching for the deer and called me often to
the window—to point out their beauty and grace.We have named these deer—and know the
characteristics of individuals and their families.They are protective of each other as only close family
members can be. Deer communicate through a series of soft high pitched sounds, and if by mistake we
walk too closely to a young fawn—they more or less snort—kind of a warning to respect their space.
The mother can place a young fawn in the grass or under a tree or bush and the fawn does not move
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until the mother returns. Fawns play—chasing each other almost gleefully. Deer seem to run for sheer
joy—a way of expressing their exuberance.They show affection by grooming each other, by actual
snuggling, and by being watchful for each other. For most of our time here—we have jogged a 3-4 mile
route in Cayuga Heights—often at dawn or right before—just as deer are moving about. Never have any
of these animals been aggressive nor have they bothered our shrubs,flowers or companion animals.
We have learned to love these animals and their families—they sleep in our yard, occasionally look in
our windows and drink from our stream and our pond. In the winter the young ones run and slide across
the frozen pond. Yes—they raid the bird feeder—but they are fun to watch.These are not wild deer
living in a remote forest—they are habituated to humans and part of our community, and to slaughter
them as they live amongst us in their trusting state would indeed be cruel.
We have been coming to as many Village Board meetings as we are able given our occupations—I teach
as a professor at Cornell University and my husband runs a consulting business out of our home. At each
board meeting we attend—we have strongly objected to the killing of deer with our tax monies. We
have paid taxes since 1977 in the Village. It is hard to discuss our feelings given the manner in which our
speaking is so artificially controlled.The opportunity to have a back and forth public dialog with the
trustees almost never happens. Matters so much more trivial than the heavy impact of this killing
program on our community are discussed in obsessive detail. But our concerns, and those of many
others who oppose this program are shown almost no consideration or respect.The people promoting
this killing program have created a climate of intimidation in the village—I experienced this when I ran
for trustee a couple of years ago. Members of our party, which stood for a more open approach to
government,were treated with a Shocking level of disrespect, and even stopped on the village streets
and accused of violating various laws while campaigning. I have been chided by members of the current
board for caring about the deer, creating a climate in which my concerns are seen as trivial or somehow
illegitimate. Basic questions my husband has posed at public meetings about the financing of the killing
program have been deliberately ignored. Some of my neighbors also love the deer and abhor the
thought of such slaughter, but are afraid to speak up or to write to the papers for fear of being
mistreated or marginalized.This is not something I have seen before in over three decades in this
village.
We believe that the mass killing of these animals will affect the nature of our environment and the
character of the village. Children should not experience this violence—nor should anyone who does not
want to be subjected to it.This killing, which will happen each year—will have a deep psychological
impacts upon all of us, and affect our relationship to each other.This also brings a sad sense of loss, a
loss of the beauty and grace of these innocent animals—and a loss of innocence of the neighborhoods,
and a continuing divide among neighbors—who have for years been friends.
While we are not biodiversity experts—we have not noticed a loss of native plants or birds. Our little
part of the word is a busy place with song birds in the spring, summers and fall—and the bright
Cardinals,Jays and other birds at the feeders in the winter.There are plenty of ground cover and native
plant growth on our property—and it has not changed much since Mrs.Smith managed the land over
three decades ago.
I do not see why the Village Trustees cannot put in speed bumps to control traffic, allow fences to
protect gardeners, and live and let live.The Lyme disease issue is interesting,as the most credible
scientific studies show that killing deer in an effort to reduce risk of this disease makes no sense.
Although Mayor Supron believes the number of deer in the village has grown significantly, a population
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study carried out in 2000 showed the population to be between 170 and 200,the same level Mayor
Supron claims it is now. It is hard to believe that our mayor claims that this horrible killing program is
justified in part because deer or deer scat threaten our water quality, when fertilized and chemically
treated lawns are prevalent in our village.
After attending many meetings and reading the DEIS,we believe the deer killing program is little more
than an expensive,divisive,and ill-considered experiment—one designed to test a theory that seems to
have little basis in fact.The DEIS is rife with poorly collected data, misconstrued data and poorly
analyzed information. Given the flawed process that produced it,this makes sense. We can do better for
our community.The trustees have not done their jobs,and this plan needs to go back to the drawing
board.
Respectfully,i
Io �
Mary and Guy Tabacchi
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