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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPrivilege of the floor.PDF7 t30t09 CayugaHeights Board of Trustees 836 Hanshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850 RE: Caluga Height's Proposed Deer-Killing Plan Dear Board of Trustees: By now you have received plenty of information both pro and con from people on both sides of the deer-killing plan. For that reason, I won't repeat in this letter, the many reasons why I feel the plan is ill-conceived, cruel, dangerous, untenable, and based on bad information. I do want to ask that you not support the bait-and-shoot deer-killing plan, but rather consider using a safer, more humane, and effective approach to the human-deer "problem" in Cayuga Heights. As you know there is ample literature and many suggestions to draw from. I hope you will consider availing yourselves of that information I appreciate the difficult position you are in, and thank you for your time and attention to my letter. Sincerelv. ll ',A tA -K) &l.tL,rt*d-tu Gayle dray O gsjfe grel, LIytSW, Chf E[ysianfieVs- 1354 Et tis r{of tru K*t-,-''--. Itfrn&,W t4Si0 syRA#4"JS,€ ':. :3:1 :},L.rI*.3{"}t?9,. .frrJ3r 3-34 :.--- Itllrr'rl /i:t. ll ,.'.r . c. r .un 'iL, Cayuga l-leights, pr+p+e*d deer-k!lling plen !s unsafe, unethicel,unrealistic, anej Unsafe: unngcessary,.. ' cayuga Heights Police chief Tom Boyce said in a memo that he coulci not guarantee safety of thecommunity if outside conrractor.s do the shocring (as is pr.opl;J. - "'' ' A recent study from the u5 Army showed trre ranlg; of a typical rifle bullet to be up ro 2,6 miles.cayuga Heights is onry t.7 squaie mires. '' s rrv'Lsr rrrrc I'rurrel ' Companlon animals, ciiildi'en playing in yards, bikers and drivers are all within builet range of anypotential bait-and-shoct site, 5hr:oting rifles in this ciensely pcpulated area is hazardous.' There's no area large enough to make shooting deer safe - many residents will have to sign off onhaving ,.^/eapons discharged within 500 feet ofln"i,, f"ro,.n*r. Unethical: ' Killing sentient animals to protect gardens that can be safeguarded with fences, repellants andchoosing deer-.resistant piantings is not morally justifiable. Many resicierrts have become successfuigardeners by alterinE their approach and beinE open to living in t.,urmonf with wilcllife.' our suburban deer are human-habituated anirirals known by many as individuals. They have their ownfamilies and bonds with others in their herd. Tearing ,l'r"r" family itructures apart will be devastatingto both ihe deer and the people who care about tnim.' The contractor cayuga Heights has received quotes from says killing deer is like ,,brushing my teeth,,and "mowing the lawn'" He, along with a city in ohio that coniracted him, recently had to settle alarn'rsuit for s25,000 urith a citizen over complaints about interfering with freedom of speech.' saying the deer meat will benefit the hungry is irresponsible. Venison cjonated to food banks frombait-and-shoot programs is not usDA inspected, and has been shown in scientific studies to containlead from the bullets used' Lead is a potent neurotoxin which can cause neurorogicar, gastrointestinaland reproductive disorders. There is no safe rever of exposure. Unrealistic: ' when deer populations sucidenly cirop, as woulci happen after a bait-and-shoot operation,compensatory rebcund comes into play, where the deer become ,".i" iuii", going into estrus eariyand producing more twins and triplets. This can lead to more deer the following year.' cayuga Heights is completely surrounded by other municipalities, so the deer will move in to fiii qapscreated by a sudden drop in population. : ' Rochester Hills, Michigan had to shut down its bait-and-shoot program two months into it due topublic outrage' commenting on the failure, one council member said, ,,the solution has becomeworse than the p;.oblem.,, Unnecessary: ' There's no evidence the cjeer population is spiraling out of controi (deer accident reports have stayedwithin the sarne range for the last 15 years, and even went down substantially in 2008)" H"J"-ffiLi:l proven techniques for alleviating conflicts with deer that are safer, more ethical, and ' Residents with successful gardens are willing to educate others in the community.' More than one funder has offered to support non-lethal options, saving tax-payers money. zz July 2oag \*li.li{Gf; 0F {,4\ }' r"j G;.\ i-l E i GHTS jil! Dear Mayor Gilmore, I arn including a copy for your records of an email letter Village Trustees and Folice Chief tsoyce regarding the pending decision about bait and shoot deer killing plan. Si#cerelv,*+;r-vv^ vLJ ) ,,r7 { I <. li -_r.- "i,*-;'luA- vti''L'o"'-"-''4' rz8 North Sunset Drive Dear Mayor Gilrnore, As a resident of the Village of Cayuga l-{eights I am writing to object in the strongest terms to the proposal to bait and shoot deer in our Village. I moved here 17 years ago because the lthaca area has a reputation for being an educated and enlightened connrnunity, one that stands for ethical and humane treatment towards all, including our animal residents (one measure of this is that we have a very successful "no kill" anirnal shelter in our community, one that sen/es as a model for many others). I have attended meetings and read extensively on both sides of this issue and I am convinced that "bait and shoot" culling will not solve our deer problem and will in fact create many more problems, as it has in other communities where it has been tried. I can speak to one of the nnost frequent complaints heard about the deer in Cayuga Heights. I am a homeowner and a gardener and I have invested blood, sweat and treasure in the landscaping around my house. Many people stop on their walks to tell me what a beautiful garden t have. I also have many deer who pass through and nibble my plants. lt's not practical to fence my entire property but I have found that a combination of repellents (Liquid Fence, Deer Guard) and netting, and/or careful selection of plants actually works. lt's not a perfect solution but it is a no kill solution. The gardeners in the Village need to be aware that there are solutions to deer damaEe to landscaping that do not involve the cruelty and brutality of a bait and shoot program. As for the alleged deer/car collision issue and the deer/disease issue that are the other motivations behind the proposal, they are in my view vastly overstated. I do agree that we have a deer overpopulation problern, but thene are other population control solutions available, and given the (legal and ethical) complications of implementing the "bait and shoot" curlling, they may be more economical in the long run. I am convinced that the proposed program is not only hazardous to Village residents (including pets) in that it involves firing lethalweapons in residentiafareas, but that it will not in fact result in any real solution to the problem of deer overpopulation in the long run, and moreover that it is cruel, inhumane, brutal and divisive. As an educated and enlightened community, we need to commit ourselves to finding a solution to deer overpopulation that is both humane and sensible. Respectfully, n fi Elisabeth Lyon -)A\128 North Sunset DrirH ll1 Ly'nts Rdil, 'P'lsh, N Y 1t{-S+7 fuy'U rsr >ffi1 6#wWr'fiffr, Mr,,,({ffifll4il# W''yffiM#I; Ru,+!,x,Nly tq{113'{ynT/u, ,5^r#fffi; &*ffn rs *sae {*wffi*l r4t T.'-7, 1* +{i-e- fa$'*ca' G*\**A' n -1b4&e'Lt;tr 1"-''ettda T +{/LL4LL' *! tr^ 7_,0 fi ^ ** 6*+rn* 6-t^-t) 4-uLA r"t:twffirff"'*- u*+h* a'**ni.A r*A t*"uw-a-^ , iZ U*f;t .4t 'n*'ut u*;'-r*u* " T+ig w$r--tr-- +n*k Y *ft "4'ryffiffi^ -"-*}#rffik^ffi,ffi**^ Wtto\ d9ct"''tr#::;^nry,yW-6 wxwfu^+"+e|{';;our;k{'14^LJvws{e'a-a','1 D '} \).A'h""L6ff*t' 0**a- {l'-A" N}* Cayuga !-lelghts'prop+sed deer-k!l!ing plan !s unsef'e, unethice!, unrealistic, and Unsafe: u ftrTee e55& ry. . . ' cayuga Heights Police chief Tom Bcyce said in a memo that he could not guarantee safety of thecommunity if outside contractors do the shooiing (as !s pr.oposed).. A recent stucy frcm the us Army showed the range of a typical rifle bullet to be up to 2.6 miies.Cayuga Heights is only 1.7 square miles,' Companion animals, cliildren playing in yards, bikers and drivers are all within bullet range of anypoteniiai bait-and-shoct site' shooting rifles in this densely populated area is hazardous.' There's no area large enough to make shooting deer safe - r.ny i.esidents will have to sign off onhaving ',//eapons discharged within 500 feet oflheir homes. Uneth!cal: ' Killing sentient animals to protect gardens that can be safeguarded with fences, repellants andchoosing deer-resistant piantings is not morally justifiable. Many residents have i:ecome successfulgardeners by altering their approach and being open to living in harmony with wilcllife.' our suburban deer are human-habituated animals known by many as individual:;, They have their ownfamilies and bonds with others in their herd. Tearing these family itru.trr", apar,t will be devastatingto both ihe deer and the people who care about them.' The contractor Cayuga Heights has received quotes from says killing deer is like ,,brushing my teeth,,and "mowing the lawn." He, along with a city in ohio that contracted him, recently had to settle alawsuit for $25,000 rruith a citizen over complaints about interfering with freedom of speech.' Saying the deer meat will benefit the hungry is irresponsible. veniion donated to food banks frombait-and-shoot programs is not USDA insfected, and has been shown in scientific: studies to containlead from the bullets used' Lead is a potent neurotoxin which can cause neurological, gastrointestinaland reproductive disorders. There is no safe rever of exposure. Unrealistic: ' when deer populations sucjdenly cirop, as would happen after a bait-and-shoot operation,compensatory rebound comes into play, where the deei'become more fertile, going into estrus earlyand proo'ucing more twins and triplets. This can lead to more deer the following year.' cayuga Heights is completely surrounded by other municipalities, so the deer vrrill move in to iill gapscreated by a sudden drop in population. ' Rochester Hills, Michigan had to shut down its bait-and-shoot program two months into it due topublic outrage' commenting on the failure, one council member said,,,the solution has becomeworse tharr the p:.oblem.,, Unnecessary: ' There's no evidence the cieer population is spiraling out of control (deer accident reports have stayedwithin the same range for the last 15 years, and even went down substantially in 200g)" There are many proven iechniques for aileviating conflicts with deer that are safer, more ethical, andnrore effective. ' Residents with successful gardens are willing to educate others in the community.' More than one funder has offered to support non-lethaloptions, saving,u*-fuy"r, money. 7130109 't Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees 836 Hanshaw Road Ithaca,NY 14850 RE: Cayuga Height's Proposed Deer-Killing Plan Dear Board of Trustees: By now you have received plenty of information both pro and con from people on both sides of the deer-kitling ptu". rot that reason, I won't repeat in this letter' the many reasons why I fr.f tfr. ifur i, i11-roo..ived, cruel, dangeious, untenable, and based on bad information. I do want to ask that you not suppoJthe bait-and-shoot deer-killing plan, but rathercorrrid., using a safer, more humane, and effective approach to the human_deer,,proutJ*; ild;"g" H.igt tr. As you know there is ample literature and ilil;"*-io*, to draw rrom. I hope you wili consider availing yourselves of that information I appreciate the difficult position you axe in, and thank you for your time and attention to my letter. SincerelY, r AAUA"W Gayle GraY (J 'Qry/! Qral LttSW' cfr.t E[ysianff,etIa". 13 l 4 Et t k t{ ot t out 40a4"',."'*'-^' ItfrMa,W 14950 "'* 5'SRA{:{.*15fi f:,l.Y: -n5i: :p*;b**l'" t|-**#l*-*-" , ' ''- :3.11 .Jl""Jg- :?.sJl3S ' nn'ry 'l;i 'li-'"::; |etittilH:* . "rc"'""'-qrt***,-,,r, /lr^J{L'WJ{t iiIt v'f; ^t I\.1' .( I ", Twafi*r* \,$xr'^'d Like horses' deer are creatures of panic and {luhl.Io trap and hold them for hours or days in :lffiIi*|f,,!1fi#,:ffi;gt*.*" and to ronow tr,i, *itr, tr,u-;;;;;; and unnarurar surgery lr-JIJiSrT:#l lll#fl',ffii'es sterilization. I ask for a swirt and honorabte death ror the deer just .