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EAC members describe severe deer damage and back enhanced management plan
Summary
At its July 8 meeting the McCandless Environmental Advisory Committee heard extended testimony that heavy deer browsing has devastated native plants and bird habitat and discussed targeted management options, including expanded archery programs and a proposed phased cull using certified sharpshooters, with committee members calling for inter‑municipal coordination.
The McCandless Environmental Advisory Committee spent a substantial portion of its July 8 meeting on the township’s deer problem, where a committee member described widespread loss of forest regeneration and urged a phased management plan.
“We we have a huge deer problem. I mean, there's no regeneration in any of our forests,” the committee member said, describing declines in native wildflowers and pollinators and linking the loss of understory plants to fewer birds and reduced ecological resilience. The speaker summarized prior local efforts — including archery programs and smaller volunteer removals — as insufficient to restore forest health.
The speaker outlined several options discussed with state officials and local partners, noting archery harvests of roughly 60–70 deer annually and a higher number of deer killed in vehicle collisions. The committee member described an “enhanced management” approach that would begin with baiting at multiple locations and a concentrated harvest using certified night‑vision teams; the speaker said a first‑year target of about 150 deer could be feasible and that a longer program might aim for roughly 300 in later years. “You need to knock the deer population back down to 50 for 5 to 7 years for things to regenerate,” the committee member said.
Members discussed implementation constraints, including safety zones, state permitting through the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and neighborhood differences in tolerance for hunting. The chair noted the committee had previously expressed unanimous support for expanding management and said the EAC and town council regard the issue as a priority: “This committee was unanimous in their support of the expanded, enhanced [program],” the chair said.
Several members emphasized the need for multi‑municipal coordination so efforts at the township boundary do not simply shift deer to neighboring areas. One member urged contacting nearby municipalities and coordinating applications and timing so that population reductions are regional rather than isolated to a single township.
The committee heard that prior public outreach — including a talk by a Pennsylvania Game Commission biologist, Janine Plagel — drew strong public interest and limited opposition. Members said they would seek additional police reports and data to inform timing and scale, and they planned to place deer management back on the August agenda for follow up and possible coordination steps.
The meeting record shows discussion focused on options, data needs and coordination; no formal new regulatory action or adoption of a specific suppression contract occurred at the meeting.
