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Arlington officials are denouncing what they're calling a misleading letter issued by the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, urging residents to speak out against deer culling.
The county's Forestry and Natural Resources Commission (FNRC) for years has been analyzing the area's deer population. Reducing the size of the local deer population is "critical for preserving and enhancing the County’s natural resources on public and private land," FNRC says.
In response to a survey released in June, AWLA issued a letter pushing for non-violent solutions, alleging that deer-culling is ineffective and expensive. The letter concludes by saying culling the deer will not solve larger problems within the ecosystem.
Noting that deer management can be an "emotional issue," FNRC said it was "especially unfortunate" that AWLA's letter contained misleading and false information about deer management.
The FNRC points out the inaccuracies in AWLA's statement (beginning at the bottom of Page 2), and concluded by objecting AWLA's characterization of the FNRC as being anti-deer.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," the FNRC says. "The FNRC believes deer are beautiful examples of the magnificent nature that surrounds us. Deer are native to our area and they belong in our forests.
"However, our precious natural environment is now significantly out of balance. If the County fails to manage the deer population, the deer will continue to destroy the habitat that sustains all local wildlife— including that of the deer themselves."
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