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Highland
Park Wrestles with Need for Deer Control
This
past winter, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
granted a permit to the city of Highland Park to cull 20
white-tailed deer. The city acted in response to two major
concerns on the part of area residents. One involved deer
eating private landscaping, causing automobile accidents,
and potentially spreading Lyme disease. Equally great concerns
were expressed about the ecological impact of extremely
high deer populations. Opponents of the control plan initiated
an ardent debate that led the City Council to restrict sharpshooters
to 100-acre sites, a minimum of 300 feet from any residence.
Only one site met these criteria, and eight deer were culled.
"We
recognize the need to reduce the herd," says Highland Park
Councilman Pete Koukos. "We feel it is necessary to restore
a balance that will enable songbirds and other creatures
of nature ... to enjoy a healthy ecosystem."
Highland
Park’s ravine and forest habitats have been damaged
by the over-population of deer. They have devoured trillium,
meadow rue, Solomon’s seal, bellwort, marsh marigold,
and trout lily, to name a few of their wildflower favorites.
Some of these plant species will not recover in the seasons
that follow, creating the opportunity for undesirable, aggressive
species, such as garlic mustard, to invade and gain a permanent
foothold.
The
permit to cull deer expired on March 31 and the city council
plans to review the program before next winter. Most nearby
towns have effective control programs that keep deer numbers
within reasonable limits. In each case these programs were
accompanied by some level of controversy in their early
years.
Donald
Dann, a Highland Park resident and conservationist, was
invited to participate in the council’s deer task force
discussions. "I hope we will find a practical solution to
this issue in a way that eases citizen concerns and protects
the environment," he said. "Residents need to be aware that
our ravine ecosystems are a very unique habitat. An overpopulation
of deer affects the understory birds, invertebrates, and
wildflowers that live in the ravines and woods — the
entire food chain breaks down and fewer plants and animals
can survive. We lose the natural beauty that makes Highland
Park so special to us." — Michael Graff
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