Harrisburg - PA State Grange
President Betsy Huber spoke this morning at a Pennsylvania Landscape and
Nursery Association Press Conference this morning regarding Economic
Damage Caused by Deer Overpopulation and the Game Commission's Response.
Also presenting remarks were Gregg
Robertson, Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association; Debbie
Pltonick, Bryn Gweled Homesteads; Tim Schaeffer, Pennsylvania Audobon,
and; Brian Shissler, The Ecosystem Management Project.
[Below is her actual statement in
its entirety]
"I am Betsy Huber, President of
the PA State Grange. The Grange is a family fraternal organization
dedicated to the betterment of the American quality of life through
community service, education, legislation and fellowship. We represent
about 20,000 members across PA and are the oldest agricultural rural
organization of its kind in the U.S.
I am
speaking today on behalf of our crop and livestock farmers, who
have
suffered losses for many years from crop damage by deer. Over
the years
our farmers in almost every portion of the state have
experienced
their crops being eaten by deer as they move from the
forests onto
the farmland. One of our Grange members described how he was not able
to pick one ear of corn from his 40-acres for two years in a row because
the deer decimated his crop.
We do want to
commend the Game Commission for their continued
commitment to
manage the deer herd with the goal of healthy deer,
healthy
habitat, and reducing human-deer conflicts. These are laudable
goals --using
sound science for the deer management plan, determining
the optimum
deer population based on available habitat, and
minimizing
conflict with other land uses such as agriculture, forestry,
nursery
products, highway travel, and human health issues such as
Lyme disease.
We look forward to working with the Game
Commission in
carrying out this habitat-driven program and the
urban-suburban deer management plan. We feel that broader
stakeholder
representation is needed on the Game Commission to
take into
consideration all the conflicts of deer with other land
uses.
Therefore we recommend an agricultural representative
serve on the
8-member board.
We thank the
Game Commission and the other groups here for
their concern
and pledge whatever support the PA State Grange
can provide
in helping to secure solutions for these problems."
The
Grange is a family fraternal organization dedicated to the betterment of
rural America through community service, education, legislation and
fellowship. The Grange includes members of all ages from their Junior
Grangers (ages 5-14), Youth Members (ages 14-24), Young Adults (ages
21-35) and Regular Community (Local) members (age 14 and up). The
Grange represents approximately 16,000 Pennsylvanians across the
Commonwealth. It is the oldest agricultural organization of its kind in
the United States. The National Grange (Patrons of Husbandry),
representing about 300,000 members, began in 1867 and the PA State
Grange was chartered in 1873.