Petition: Stop the deer culling! UPDATED

I just signed the petition "Mt. Lebanon Deer Culling: Stop the deer culling!" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.

Our goal is to reach 500 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

Stop the deer culling!

Thanks!

Elaine

Update February 3, 2015 6:42 AM As of 6:42 AM, there are 973 signatures. Thank you!

Update February 3, 2015 11:56 AM As of 11:55 AM, there are 1061 signatures. I am posting Kristen's response to an email that was sent by a resident. Didn't someone say that the deer running into Create-A-Frame never occur? The wildlife expert that Kristen is quoting wants nothing to do with Mt. Lebanon. I am asking for the letter which states that the sterilization permit was denied. The Lyme Disease figure is another big, fat lie. How many lies can you spot in Kristen's email?

Dear xxxxxxxxx,

Thanks for taking the time to contact the commission with your concerns. The fact is that the commission is implementing a cull because of the large number of car accidents that have been reported, and the fact that the number is on the rise. We are dealing with a major safety issue, unfortunately. A wildlife expert has estimated that we have nearly 100 deer per square mile in Mt. Lebanon. They have no known predators other than cars, and the population has remained unchecked. Numerous experts have told us that there is no non-lethal method that would solve our problem because the numbers are currently so high. The commission did support a two-pronged approach of an initial cull to quickly reduce the numbers, and then a sterilization program to keep the numbers in check. However, sterilization is not approved in the state of PA, and our application to the game commission for sterilization was denied. We hope that once our numbers are lower, the game commission will reconsider. 

This is not about gardeners. This is about safety. It is not just about speeding cars either. One resident was severely injured in my ward when stopped at a light. A deer crashed through her driver's side window. The deer's antlers mutilated the woman, severely injuring her as the deer thrashed about. She was not speeding. She was not even moving. This is not the first incident of a non-moving car being struck by deer. Another deer recently crashed into the window of Create-a-Frame on Washington Rd, and last year a deer crashed through the window at Stout Flooring on Castle Shannon Blvd and caused significant damage. Deer have also jumped through large windows and sliding doors in residents' home causing major damage. Unfortunately, the number of deer/vehicular accidents is too high. The risks are too great. We must do something as it is a public safety issue. Lyme Disease - which is up almost 300% is, of course, also an issue. 

We have spent years investigating this issue, and have come up with a plan that we hope will reduce car accidents. This is our goal - to reduce car accidents with deer by 50% in the next 3-5 years. If there are less deer on our roads, the risks will be reduced. Again, they have no known predators. This is not a natural environment for them either. Because those predators don't exist here, we must find a way to keep ecology in balance.

Answers to your specific questions: Yes, the police will continue to track deer incidents as they have done for the past several years. All of those stats are available to the public.
Yes, the municipality will inform the public of the locations of the corrals.
The corrals will be monitored for deer, and also for human tampering. Yes, the company awarded the contract will clean the area of any blood, etc. 

I disagree with your assessment that this is a "mockery of leadership". Public Safety must be the #1 concern of every municipality. Deer management falls into this category. I recognize that this is an emotion issue for some, but safety must remain a top priority, and the extreme overpopulation of deer is putting our residents at significant risk as shown in the data we have collected over the past several years. 

Thanks again for taking the time to write.
Yours truly,

Kristen Linfante

Commissioner, Ward 3

Update February 4, 2015 5:44 AM As of 5:42 AM, there are 1,248 signatures. Thank you!

Update February 4, 2015 9:49 AM I wanted to share an email from our police chief, Coleman McDonough, with Lebo Citizens readers. Inaccuracies I reread the email string and can see how it can be interpreted either way. Thank you for the clarification. I do apologize.

Chief, I do hope that you release the specific deer culling locations before any corralling begins.