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10-037 Wildlife Management Plan-White Tailed Deer 7-26-10CITY OF SHOREWOOD RESOLUTION NO. 10 -037 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR WHITE - TAILED DEER IN THE CITY OF SHORE' WOOD WHEREAS, over the past several years, the City has increasingly received complaints from property owners of damage done to landscaping by white- tailed deer; and WHEREAS, in 2007 the City contracted with Three Rivers Park District to participate in an aerial survey /deer census; and WHEREAS, based on information provided by the aerial survey, the City contracted with Metro Bowhunters Resource Base (MBRB) for the reduction of deer in select areas over a period of four weekends in 2007 and again in 2008; and WHEREAS, in 2009 the City elected not to conduct deer reduction efforts in order to assess what effect the management program was having on the deer population; and WHEREAS, an aerial survey conducted in 2010 indicated that the deer population had rebounded significantly, and WHEREAS, the City Council directed staff to prepare a plan for the management of white - tailed deer in Shorewood, which plan would set forth goals, objectives and policies relative to such management; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Shorewood City Council that the Wildlife Management Plan — White - Tailed Deer, a copy of which is attached hereto as Attachment I and incorporated herein, is established as the official policy of the City of Shorewood. ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Shorewood this 26th day of July, 2010. Christine LizFe, Mayor ATTEST: Wildlife Management Plan White-Tailed Deer Shorewood, MN Introduction Over the years, Shorewood has prided itself on its protection of natural resources, part of which is the preservation of natural habitat for wildlife. Approaching full development, the City now finds itself in a position of managing wildlife in order to avoid conflicts with human activities and minimize property damage by animals that are not subject to natural predation. In response to resident complaints that increasing deer populations in Shorewood were damaging landscaping in the community and in some cases were being hit by cars, the City initiated a Deer Management Program in 2007. The plan began with an aerial survey conducted by Three Rivers Park District in February of that year. Since then Shorewood has obtained aerial surveys each February. The City then contracted with Metro Bowhunters Resource Base (MBRB), a non- profit organization of bowhunters to conduct a series of controlled hunts in 2007 and 2008 at select locations throughout the City. Following are aerial survey counts for each year as well as the number of deer removed in the controlled hunts: Year Deer Count Deer Removed 2007 121 26 (11*) 2008 74 23 (8*) 2009 64 N/A 2010 106 TBD *In addition to the controlled hunts commissioned by the City, the Minnetonka Country Club was authorized to conduct a trap and dispatch program which removed 11 deer in 2007 and eight deer in 2008. They were not authorized to hunt in 2009. In 2009 the City Council agreed to suspend the controlled hunts and see what, if any, effect it might have on the deer population. It is worth a reminder at this time that while the aerial surveys provide an indication of the deer population, they are only “snapshots” of a given day. The City uses the surveys, combined with resident complaints to gauge the relative increase and decrease in deer population. The 2010 aerial deer survey showed a rather dramatic increase in deer population from the previous year. The count was 106, up 42 from the previous year. Attachment I Past management efforts in Shorewood have been somewhat subjective with no specific goal in mind. After considerable research of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) information, studies conducted by other cities and agencies, and conversations with wildlife managers from Three Rivers Park District, the City has developed a more objective approach to deer management. It is important to state that it is not the City’s intent to eradicate deer from the landscape. Rather, deer are considered to be a valuable element of Shorewood’s ecosystem in which, absent natural predators, humans must assume the role of controlling the deer population at healthy and socially acceptable levels. Deer Management Goal/Objectives/Policies Management Goal: Manage white-tailed deer populations within the city at socially acceptable levels that provide recreational educational opportunities as well as provide opportunity for maintaining a healthy (natural regeneration) of woodland habitat. Management Objectives:  Develop an operational management program to maintain deer populations within acceptable limits  Maintain an overall deer population in the community of 15 deer per square mile (75 deer)  Establish deer management areas, based upon geographic location  Manage deer populations within deer management areas so as not to exceed 20 deer per square mile  Reduce the number of car/deer collisions  Educate residents as to the value of deer and deer habitat; minimizing nuisance problems through planting and landscaping; and the ramifications of supplemental deer feeding  Create a uniform system for handling resident input relative to deer management Management Policies: 1 The City will continue to contract with Three Rivers Park District for annual aerial deer survey services. The annual survey and resident input shall be used as a basis for determining the extent and location of any deer removal efforts for the upcoming season. 2. All resident input, including phone calls, e-mails and letters shall be forwarded to the Shorewood Planning Department, from which it will be provided to the City Council for its annual evaluation of the deer management program. 3. Deer removal efforts necessary to achieve City objectives shall be limited to archery and shall be conducted by the Metro Bowhunters Resource Base (MBRB). In addition, the City may authorize special hunts, conducted by qualified contractors, for the Minnetonka Country Club property. 4. Deer removal operations shall be conducted on public property where practical, and on private property where conditions are conducive to archery and where adjoining property owners do not object. 5. Notice will be mailed ten days prior to the first removal date to all property owners whose land adjoins a proposed deer removal site. The notice shall include the dates of all hunts for that season and contact information for deer management personnel (city staff and police). 6. The City will provide deer management information to its residents through the City’s newsletter and website. Deer Management Plan – 2010: Proposed deer management areas are illustrated on Exhibit A, attached. Three geographic areas have been identified - west, central and east. The largest concentrations of deer are found in the central management area, south of State Highway 7, west of Christmas Lake and in the east management area, east of Silver Lake. The west management area also has some concentrations that have been targeted in past removal efforts. In light of the rebound in deer population last year, the removal effort for 2010 will include four weekends this coming season. Hunt sites will focus on the areas of heaviest concentration. The area that will be most difficult to achieve success is the southerly portion of the east management area. This is due to the relative lack of public land and developed nature of property. Hunt rules have been established for the program (see Exhibit B). The removal efforts will be monitored for comparison with the 2010 population data. Upon receipt of the aerial survey in 2011, the City will determine whether to institute another full effort for that year, or to drop down to a maintenance effort (e.g. fewer sites or fewer weekends, or both).