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Council advances amendments to ban feeding wildlife and clear path for deer management
Summary
Councilmembers discussed and voted to advance code changes that would ban feeding or attracting deer and give the town statutory authority to participate in Fairfax County’s deer-management program pending a future MOU; a friendly wording change clarifying the Department of Wildlife Resources was adopted.
The Vienna Town Council on April 28 approved moving forward with proposed amendments to Chapter 3 of the town code that would make it unlawful to feed or otherwise attract deer and would add broader prohibitions on feeding wild animals; the changes also permit deployment of a county-led deer management program if the town later agrees by MOU.
"The first one is unlawful to feed or attract deer," Police Chief John Morris told the council, linking the change to concerns about chronic wasting disease and the public-health risk of concentrating deer. He said the language largely mirrors a state model ordinance and gives the town clearer local enforcement authority.
Chief Morris told council staff had contacted Fairfax County and that the county is willing to extend its deer-management program to Vienna if the town wants, but that council would still separately decide whether to sign any MOU to participate. "This does not pin us down to the program," he said; "it just if we decide to sign that MOU with Fairfax County in a few months, this would give us chapter 3 approval to do it."
Councilmembers asked about penalties and repeat offenses; the town attorney noted the model language includes a civil $50 penalty and also quoted a state-available misdemeanor maximum of up to $500 in some circumstances, clarifying how state enabling language maps to the town code. Councilmember Anderson described his preference for an incremental approach toward any active deer-reduction program and requested additional staff work and MOU review before any operational decision.
A friendly amendment proposed by the town attorney to replace a generic reference with an explicit reference to the Department of Wildlife Resources was accepted and the item passed on the council roll call vote 6–1. Council and staff said they will continue outreach and bring any future operational proposal (for example, sharpshooting under county programs) back to council for a separate policy decision.
The ordinance language and related analysis are part of the meeting record; staff said an MOU with Fairfax County is being drafted and would be brought forward for attorney review before any program implementation.
