Batavia, IL, 60510.
The U.S. Department of Energy and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory invite the community to a meeting on October 16, 1997, to share information about a proposed deer management plan for the Fermilab site.
The proposed plan includes reduction of the herd by sharpshooting.
According to wildlife management specialists at Fermilab, the growing deer population is damaging the laboratory’s ecological environment and is causing an increase in car accidents. Also, officials are concerned about the health of the herd.
The damage will worsen as the herd continues to grow at a rate estimated at 13 percent a year, according to Rod Walton, associate head of Fermilab’s Environmental, Safety and Health Section. He estimates that there are 35-50 deer per square mile. Many wildlife managers say optimum density for this area is 5-20 deer per square mile for a balanced environmental system.
The meeting will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Fermilab in the 1 West conference room in Wilson Hall. Scheduled speakers include Marty Jones, director of the Urban Deer Project for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; Victoria Nuzzo, a consultant with Native Landscapes; and Walton. Maxine Hansen, from the League of Women Voters, will facilitate. Following the presentations, the speakers will answer questions from the audience and explain how to submit formal comments on the proposed plan.
Interested members of the public may call the Office of Public Affairs at Fermilab, (630) 840-3351.
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