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Excessive wildlife, and the economic and natural resource losses to farmers, homeowners, businesses and public lands caused by such wildlife populations, continue at critical levels. Within the last several years, there have been studies by Cook College and others that have pointed out the magnitude of the problems caused especially by deer, but also other wildlife species such as geese, bear, turkeys, and woodchucks.

The 1999 Report to the Governor on Deer Management in New Jersey pointed out that hunting alone as a deer control methodology is not effectively resolving the problem in many areas and that new tools and approaches to deal with the over-abundance of deer are needed. The report proposed recommendations to control excessive deer populations through legislative action that provides new management initiatives, public funding for additional deer control, and for deer research and public education. The passage of legislation creating community-based deer management planning as a deer control strategy has been implemented, but needs permanent and sufficient funding and increased support from the Fish and Game Council and Division of Fish and Wildlife to be an effective means of control.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife (F&W) and the Fish and Game Council have responded to this significant issue with major changes in the game code to increase deer harvest. Nevertheless, deer harvest formulas must be further revised to account more effectively for all damage from deer. Management goals must include an aggressive reduction of deer herds in designated deer management zones and site-specific farming areas by hunting, depredation permits and other new tools to reduce and prevent the ongoing and unnecessary losses borne by agriculture and the public. The goals must also include an aggressive reduction of deer herds in appropriate regional areas to reduce overall losses from deer incurred by homeowners, businesses andmotorists, and to reduce or prevent the environmental degradation and loss of regeneration of forests and woodlands and negative impacts upon other wildlife species and the impact on public health by Lyme disease.

State and federal wildlife authorities are reporting that the resident goose population in New Jersey may double in the next five years. Airports are facing serious safety problems because of the number of excessive geese. Farmers and communities in many areas of New Jersey are suffering excessive crop, health and environmental damage from Canada geese, snow geese, swans and black vultures. Significant increased annual funding is needed for the USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services budget for staffing in New Jersey.

Escalating damage to crops, agricultural lands, riverbanks and dikes, as well as degradation to forests and other environmentally sensitive areas by excessive populations of woodchucks, raccoons, muskrats, beavers and other small animals, is a growing and priority concern to farmers, landowners and public land managers. Introduced turkey populations have boomed and cover most of New Jersey. At different times of the year the birds cause crop losses - corn sprouts pulled in spring, blueberries eaten in summer. Black bear and coyotes pose a threat to agriculture and public safety in rural and suburban areas, as well as to small livestock of all types. Black bears also cause significant damage to beehives and equipment and honey harvests, grain and other agricultural crops and livestock. Fish and Game Council approval of, and F&W implementation of a black bear hunt is essential.

The overall wildlife management programs for New Jersey must further emphasize control of the growing populations of certain wildlife and the decreasing habitats and increasing areas of development that offer excessive wildlife refuge because they are inaccessible to hunting. The Division of Fish and Wildlife should emphasize, as part of its overall wildlife management effort, programs to educate hunters and the public about the health and safety, economic and environment problems that wildlife pose to the natural resources and citizens of New Jersey.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates to the 88th State Agricultural Convention, assembled in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on January 29, 2003, emphatically urge the New Jersey Fish and Game Council and/or the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to:

  • Implement, as a priority, all planning, control and educational actions necessary to aggressively further reduce deer populations to minimize damage levels in all areas including agriculture, the natural environment, landscape vegetation and motor vehicle accidents attributed to deer. Such actions would include, as a top priority, the implementation of a trophy buck program and those recommendations set forth in the Report to the Governor on Deer Management in New Jersey.

  • Allow deer depredation permits to be valid for one year and streamline the process for renewal.

  • Expedite the approval and implementation of new community-based programs, as they become available, to provide the much needed additional tools for the control of deer and wildlife populations.

  • Permanently mark does at check stations for "doe first" seasons to prevent the same does from being rechecked by other hunters to qualify for buck hunting.

  • Approve and implement a black bear hunting season in 2003-2004 to prevent further serious bear damage to agriculture, to protect public safety and to prevent economic loss in the future; and, implement a black bear depredation permit.

  • Extend the statewide resident goose season year-round, and increase the daily bag limit except during times of migration, to begin to deal with the serious health, aesthetic and economic problems caused by excessive geese, and take a pro-active role in negotiations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency to approve issuance of a general depredation permit to Wildlife Services for goose control.

  • Increase the number of available turkey hunting permits in recognition of the growth of the turkey population throughout the state, and conduct research on turkey damage.
  • Include an Agricultural Impact Statement for any proposal to re-introduce any wildlife species into New Jersey.

  • Investigate the feasibility of a pilot program for using harvested geese in feeding programs for the hungry.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we respectfully request the New Jersey Legislature to:

  • Pass legislation to permanently and adequately fund the special community-based deer management program and related costs which are currently underfunded.

  • Pass legislation which requires all publicly owned lands purchased or operated with any public funds to develop site-specific deer and wildlife management plans, approved by F&W, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, where economic or environmental damage is occurring in the area.

  • Pass legislation to annually appropriate funds to continuing statewide deer control and venison donation program whereby hunters and farmers can donate deer harvested by hunting, depredation permits and other special programs to charitable public feeding organizations.

  • Evaluate and strengthen the Landowner Liability Law to provide additional protections for landowners, especially for those who allow essential hunting to control deer damage, thereby encouraging the opening of additional lands for that purpose.

  • Consider legislation authorizing and funding F&W to make restitution to farmers for deer, bear and other wildlife damage to crops, livestock and bee hives and for costs incurred for materials and labor used to prevent damage caused by deer and wildlife.

  • Enact legislation requiring insurance companies doing business in New Jersey to gather, maintain and submit annually to the Departments of Insurance and Banking, Agriculture and F&W data on motor vehicle accidents involving deer.

  • Enact legislation to annually appropriate funds for deer and wildlife research and education at the Rutgers/NJAES Center for Wildlife Damage Control.

  • Enact legislation to annually appropriate funds to the Division of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife control and educational programs.

  • Appropriate annually funds to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to make deer fencing, wire and posts available to farm operations with documented deer depredation of crops.

  • Enact legislation that would authorize implementation of the recommendations advanced in the Report to the Governor On Deer Management In New Jersey.

  • Oppose current or future legislation to regulate hunting for black bear or other wildlife species currently regulated by the Fish and Game Council.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that lands purchased under the Green Acres program have management plans developed and implemented that also manage and control wildlife and other resources.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we respectfully request New Jersey's Congressional Delegation to sponsor and support federal legislation to increase, by at least $250,000, to USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services budget for staffing and support for wildlife control in New Jersey.