Re: E-M:/ deer/forests

[Tim Flynn <tflynn@freeway.net>]

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Enviro-Mich message from Tim Flynn <tflynn@freeway.net>
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On 6/4/97 5:07 PM ,Poulsondav@aol.com wrote:

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>
>  The deer/forest impact story is at http://gr.mlive.com/news/0602deer.htm
>

Dave,
>From those of us who care about Michigan's native forest communities, 
Thanks!
Excellent story, well told.   

The DNR is at this moment setting deer harvest quotas for next year.   If 
you care about Michigan's forest lands and their web of life, please call 
Ed Langunau (sp?), the DNR's deer guy,   at (517) 373-9403 and ask that 
the state lower the deer herd by 
     a) changing the pattern of clearcutting on state forest lands - they 
use clearcutting to hype the population levels, and 
     b) by moving to a smaller, healthier herd by lowering the DNR's 
target for deer numbers in order to comply with Natural Resource 
Commission policy No. 2007.  

This policy says that the Department will manage the herd so as to not 
destroy native plant communities (***'ed section below). Yet todate 
damage to native plants is not being considered in the quota setting 
process.   

Ask them to scientifically justify the population targets they are 
setting in light of effects on native plant communities (sound science?). 
 They have never done so, we needed to force the issue into the light of 
day!

We have 19 million acres of forest and 1.8 million deer, that's an 
average of 60 deer per square mile of forest, in some places densities 
exceed 80 per.   Canada yew, Eastern Hemlock and our Cedar swamps, to 
name a few communities, can not regenerate at densities exceeding 10 deer 
per square mile!   This is truly a forest health pandemic.

Please call and request an answer: will they protect our childern's 
natural heritage?
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NRC Policy #2007
General Policy:

The Department's goal is to manage the deer herd using management 
practices based on ***scientific research and surveys*** to achieve the 
following:

1.	Maintain a quality deer herd that is in balance with its habitat to 
yield healthy fawns, does, and bucks.

2.	Maintain a quality deer herd to meet the social, economic, and 
recreational demands of the public *** while also considering carrying 
capacity of the range, native plant communities ***, agriculture, 
horticulture, silviculture and public safety.

3.	Maintain a quality deer herd to provide quality recreational 
experiences for those people wishing to hunt deer and those people 
wishing to view deer.

4.	Maintain effective programs to manage wildlife habitat.

5.	Maintain effective enforcement programs to assure compliance with 
environmental and resource management regulations.

6.	Maintain an active public information and education program designed 
to increase ecological
	awareness and to acquaint the people with methods of deer management and 
the conditions needed to maintain a healthy, vigorous deer hard.

The Department may develop procedures when and where needed to implement 
this policy.



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Rage, rage against the dying of the life"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tim Flynn     tflynn@freeway.net       Harbor Springs, MI 49740



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