Delegate withdraws House Bill 0173; county, state to coordinate local deer management plan

Delegate Niraki told the Baltimore County delegation that he will withdraw House Bill 0173, his measure to establish a county deer management program, because he has reached an agreement with the county administration and state agriculture officials to implement a coordinated deer population plan.

"I'm actually going to withdraw the bill," Delegate Niraki said, adding that he had worked “in partnership with the administration” and that the resulting plan with the Maryland Department of Agriculture will be “probably even more extensive” than what his bill proposed.

The chair said the withdrawal made a hearing unnecessary and thanked Baltimore County officials for working with the delegation. Amanda Carr of the County Executive’s team told the delegation that deer management already occurs in Baltimore County annually under existing agreements and that the county has a memorandum of understanding with state and federal agencies. "There is actually currently deer management going on in Baltimore County once a year," Carr said, and she said county staff will meet with the state secretary to discuss expanding local management and formalizing a county plan.

Delegates noted that existing work has focused on areas such as Oregon Ridge and Cromwell Valley Park and said a county-level plan would allow a more comprehensive, coordinated approach. Delegate Niraki and others said the county executive’s office, the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources would be involved in further planning.

No formal vote or committee hearing occurred; the bill hearing was canceled after the withdrawal. Delegation members expressed support for the collaborative approach and for county-state coordination to address crop loss and neighborhood concerns related to deer.