Six national parks in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia have concluded annual operations to reduce overabundant white-tailed deer. The parks, ranging from Civil War battlefields to urban parks, donated more than 19,000 pounds of venison, equalling over 75,000 meals to local nonprofits. These nonprofits serve meals locally and across the region to families in need.
National park
Venison donated
Local nonprofit
Antietam National Battlefield
3,870 lbs
Maryland Food Bank
Catoctin Mountain Park
2,070 lbs
Thurmont Food Bank, HELP Hotline
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
660 lbs
Maryland Food Bank
Manassas National Battlefield Park
7,230 lbs
Tree of Life Food Pantry
Monocacy National Battlefield
2,370 lbs
Maryland Food Bank
Rock Creek Park
3,000 lbs
DC Central Kitchen
Total
19,200 lbs
Deer are professionally processed and tested for chronic wasting disease as required before the venison is donated.
While these six parks preserve different aspects of America’s history and natural treasures, all have suffered the effects of high deer populations. Overabundant deer populations do immense damage to plants and eat nearly all tree seedlings so forests cannot sustain themselves. Deer also damage agricultural crops, which are a key component of the historic setting at many Civil War battlefields. These six parks manage deer to support long-term protection and restoration of native plants and to promote healthy and diverse ecosystems.
Deer management has produced positive results at several area national parks. Catoctin Mountain Park (Md.) has actively worked to reduce deer populations in the park since 2010 and has seen more than an 11-fold increase in native tree and shrub seedling density over the past 10 years. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park conducted their first deer management operations in 2019. Antietam National Battlefield and Monocacy National Battlefield conducted their third seasons of deer reduction activities. Rock Creek Park completed its sixth season of deer management. Each park follows a deer management plan, developed according to the National Environmental Policy Act.
Tags: mammals ecology deer and habitat deer wildlife managment deer management deer management plan
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
