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Millions of Your Tax Dollars to Kill Tame Deer in Valley Forge National Park
  1. Signatures
    381 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. Senate (+ 5 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
      • Sen. Arlen Specter (PA)
      • Sen. Robert Casey (PA)
      • Natonal Park Service Director (Jon Jarvis)
      • NE Regional Director, NPS (Dennis Reidenbach)
  2. Created By
    elisabeth anderson
    west chester, PA
About this Petition Petition Letter
Why This Is Important

If you are a U.S. Taxpayer, this Park belongs to YOU!

Valley Forge National Historical Park wants to kill 1,000 tame deer in the next 4 years because they claim the deer are too numerous (we strongly disagree!) and are destroying some wooded plots ("forests") in the Park. They also hope that decimating the  herd will help prevent Chronic Wasting Disease, a deadly illness to deer.  They plan to spend millions of your tax dollars to shoot the deer over a period of time to  protect the forest when it is unnecessary since PNC, Inc, has offered to  install deer fencing free of charge.  Fencing would immediately protect the forest, be more effective than killing deer and would cost the public nothing.  Killing a large number of deer quickly reduces the gene pool and  leaves a vacuum inviting perhaps diseased deer to move in--not a good strategy, if one is concerned with disease.  If it were really necessary to reduce the deer herd, PNC included in its offer to fund the contraception of 1,000  deer with PZP, a thoroughly tested and effective immunocontraceptive.  As of the end of September, the Park has blatantly disregarded PNC's offer, which includes a scientifically proven alternative. 

The deer are habituated to humans and easily approach people, even when accompanied by their dogs.  These tame creatures have become loved by many who visit the Park and have become of themselves, a major attraction.  Please see that these gentle and trusting animals are not heartlessly slaughtered when non lethal control methods have been generously offered at no expense to the taxpayers. 

The actions of the Park Service show nothing but utter contempt for the taxpayers, the scientific community and the deer.  Please  speak out to your elected and appointed officials.

Thank-you!

Recent Signatures

Stop the Fleecing of our Tax Dollars to Kill Deer

Dear Sir:

The White-tailed Deer Management Plan/EIS of Valley Forge National Historical Park claims that there are too many deer in the park, that the deer herd is increasing and that they are destroying the forest. Their plan is to cull close to 1,000 deer over several years.
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On August 20th, Mr. Michael Caldwell, Superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park was presented with an alternative offer. He was given a packet from PNC, Inc, a charitable foundation containing:

1) A legal document offering to pay for 1,000 doses of PZP, an immunocontraceptive with a documented history of herd reduction. The offer included the training of three people to dart the deer with the PZP.

2) Another legal document offering to fund the installation of reinforced deer fencing for four (4) 10 acre "forest" plots where the Park claims the deer are decimating the understory. Fencing would immediately prevent any deer from entering the wooded plots, thus solving the Park's perceived problem of deer damage to forest and understory.

3) Included in the packet was the Allen T. Rutberg, and Ricky E. Naugle article in Wildlife Research, 2008, 35, 494-501 entitled "Population-level effects of immunocontraception in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgnianus)" outlining the successes of PZP in reducing the number of deer. The article reveals "In the most intensively treated segment of FINS [Fire Island National Seashore] deer density declined by ~58% between 1997 and 2006." (of note, there are no peer reviewed published articles on the effectiveness of killing deer to reduce populations. Once deer are removed, deer from surrounding areas fill the vacuum.)


Even with the unrealistically low estimates of the cost of lethal control ($200 per deer when many estimates range from $400 per deer and higher), the park's estimated cost is almost $3,000.000.

The Park’s plan is gravely flawed. It is a complete waste of $3,000,000 or more of taxpayers' money. By refusing to consider seriously the generous offer of fencing and contraceptives, the Park shows utter contempt for the tax payers and the deer population.

Please stop this reckless decision for the sake if the taxpayers and the deer.

Respectfully,

[Your name]