Non-Native Deer Position of Marin Humane Society - Take Action

[Guest guest]

http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/ExoticDeer.html

 

Many visitors to the Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County have been lucky enough to glimpse the beautiful white fallow deer and spotted axis deer who have resided in the park for more than half a century.

 

Now, the National Park Service wants to eradicate these special animals because they are non-native, even though there is no evidence that these deer are having negative impacts on the seashore environment. Currently, the Park Service is advancing a plan to eliminate the fallow and axis deer through a combination of killing and contraception. You can view the Park Service’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement at: http://www.nps.gov/pore/home_mngmntdocs_exoticdeer_deis.htm.

 

Public comments are being taken on this proposal and are due by April 8, 2005. In addition, the Park is holding a public information workshop on March 3 at 6:30 pm. If we are to succeed in stopping the park from shooting the deer, the Park Service needs to hear from as many citizens as possible. The Point Reyes National Seashore is a national park — operated for the enjoyment of the American people — so citizens from across the country must have their voices heard! For key information, please see our talking points.

 

Talking Points:

 

1. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) lacks evidence to indicate that the fallow and axis deer are negatively impacting the environment or other species in the park.

2. The DEIS lacks full and objective information about the feasibility of wildlife contraception methods. The DEIR should include an analysis of the feasibility of wildlife contraception written by experts in the field.

3. The DEIS lacks an alternative that considers management of the axis and fallow deer through contraception alone. (The preferred alternative uses contraception, but only in combination with lethal control, i.e., shooting the deer.)

4. The exotic deer are in the park because of human action — they were placed on a private ranch in the 1940s for hunting purposes. We now have an ethical responsibility to devise a humane and non-lethal approach to managing them.

5. The axis and fallow deer are a special and important part of the visitor experience to the Point Reyes National Seashore and this unique wildlife viewing opportunity should not be destroyed. 

 

What You Can Do:

 

* Submit comments in opposition to any lethal plan to eliminate the fallow and axis deer (we recommend you send your letters by U.S. mail instead of email):

 

Superintendent

Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes, CA 94956

ATTN: Non-native deer management plan

 

Or email: ann_nelson

 

All comments must be postmarked or transmitted by April 8.

 

* Send a copy of your comments to the following Federal representatives whose district includes the park. Include a cover letter know letting them that you support only humane, non-lethal methods of managing the deer populations.

 

Senator Barbara Boxer

United States Senate

1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240

San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 403-0100 phone

(415) 956-6701 fax

 

Senator Dianne Feinstein

United States Senate

One Post Street, Suite 2450

San Francisco, CA 94104

(415) 393-0707 phone

(415) 393-0710 fax

 

U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey

Marin Office:

1050 Northgate Drive, Suite 354

San Rafael, CA 94903

(415) 507-9554 phone

(415) 507-9601 fax

 

Sonoma Office:

1101 College Avenue, Suite 200

Santa Rosa, CA 95404

(707) 542-7182 phone

(707) 542-2745 fax

 

* Attend the public information meeting on March 3 from 6:30–8:30 pm at the Point Reyes National Seashore Red Barn, Park Headquarters, Bear Valley Visitor Center, Inverness, (415) 464-5100.

 

* Write a letter to the editor of the following newspapers:

 

Letter to the Editor

San Francisco Chronicle

901 Mission St.

San Francisco, CA 94103

Fax: (415) 543-7708

Email: letters

 

Letter to the Editor

Point Reyes Light

Box 210

Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Fax: (415) 663-8458

Email: editor

 

Letter to the Editor

Marin Independent Journal

PO Box 6150

Novato, CA 94948-6150

Fax: (415) 883-5458

Email: letters

 

Talking Points:

 

1. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) lacks evidence to indicate that the fallow and axis deer are negatively impacting the environment or other species in the park.

2. The DEIS lacks full and objective information about the feasibility of wildlife contraception methods. The DEIR should include an analysis of the feasibility of wildlife contraception written by experts in the field.

3. The DEIS lacks an alternative that considers management of the axis and fallow deer through contraception alone. (The preferred alternative uses contraception, but only in combination with lethal control, i.e., shooting the deer.)

4. The exotic deer are in the park because of human action — they were placed on a private ranch in the 1940s for hunting purposes. We now have an ethical responsibility to devise a humane and non-lethal approach to managing them.

5. The axis and fallow deer are a special and important part of the visitor experience to the Point Reyes National Seashore and this unique wildlife viewing opportunity should not be destroyed. 

 

If you have questions, please contact Captain Cindy Machado of the Marin Humane Society at (415) 506-6209 or cmachado.

 

>^..^<

[Guest guest]

Hi folks,

 

Kate, I'm glad you followed up on this, and thank you for posting details on who to contact. Someone originally posted the sfgate story right before the PETA conference, and I think it got overlooked in all the post-PETA happenings (big KFC demo, etc)..

 

I wanted to offer that if anyone wants to write on this topic but feels they need assistance/support to get in the letter writing frame of mind, please join Bay Area Vegetarians at one of our 3 letter writing parties (LWP) in March! Everyone is welcome; feel free to bring your veg and non-veg friends. Practically all the issues featured at the LWPs are ones that non-vegetarians would support.

 

BAV Monthly Letter Writing Parties3/8 (2nd Tuesday) Berkeley, host: Sara <=== this is a new time/location, please support!http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php?EID=695#695

 

3/12 SF LWP (usually the 3rd Saturday, but on the 2nd Sat this month), host: Thea

http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php?EID=680#680

3/26 Palo Alto LWP (4th Saturday ), host: Robin

http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php?EID=681#681

 

Also, kudos to Val for getting her letter published in a BELFAST newspaper!

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/letters/story.jsp?story=615823

 

Cheers,

Tammy

 

 

 

 

Bay Area Vegetarianswww.BayAreaVeg.org