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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Suit filed to stop deer hunt at Valley Forge

 

Two animal-rights groups filed a federal lawsuit today to stop a plan to shoot more than 80 percent of the deer at Valley Forge national park, calling it "extreme and shortsighted." The suit also charges that administering birth control to female deer is environmentally unsound, and shooting the deer endangers public safety.Valley Forge officials say the herd has grown too large and destructive, consuming many plants and saplings that the forest cannot regenerate.

Here's more from my Inquirer colleague Jeff Gammage:

The plan to deploy sharpshooters in winter, the season when George Washington's troops suffered at Valley Forge, "is not only an appalling twist on the park's history" but "another sign that the National Park Service has abandoned its century-old mission to strive for parks in which conservation of nature is paramount," the suit said.

The filing by Friends of Animals, a national advocacy group, and Compassion for Animals, Respect the Environment, a West Chester organization known as CARE, was lodged against park Superintendent Michael Caldwell, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, the National Park Service as an agency and other NPS officials.

Park officials intend to reduce the herd by 86 percent, from an estimated 1,277 deer to between 165 and 185, during the next four years. Federal employees or contractors are to fire silencer-equipped rifles, mostly at night, at deer lured to areas baited with apples and grain.

 
Posted by Amy Worden @ 6:48 PM  Permalink | 6 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:34 AM, 11/13/2009
    Luring and baiting...very sportsman-like.
    — scargosun
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:06 PM, 11/13/2009
    Nope. I think PETA is a terrible group. They put down 90% of the animals they 'rescue' b/c they don't believe people should own pets.
    — scargosun
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:48 PM, 11/13/2009
    Why is shooting deer an "appalling twist on the park's history"? In fact, it's a replay of what Washington did. After shooting every single deer in the area to feed the troops, Washington's army foragers went as far as Pottstown looking for deer to hunt. Unfortunately, they found few and the troops went hungry. To be historically correct, 185 deer are actually too many.
    — DonQ
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:52 PM, 11/13/2009
    PETA is not a party to this suit, nor is it endorsed by either group that is suing the park!
    — Eeyore76
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:35 PM, 11/13/2009
    How do these animal "rights" groups plan to deal with this menace? I have a friend suffering from life-shortening brain damage from lyme disease. It's irresponsible to NOT cull this herd. Do they really believe other PEOPLE should suffer because of their insistence on some imginary Eden-like qualities of animals? These folks are far removed from reason and common sense. Would they let poisonous snakes infest their backyards? Doubtful. They live too far from nature and don't understand its dangers.
    — annabodot


6 comments
About Amy Worden
Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here.
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