Mitigating Deer Impacts on Pennsylvania Forests

Throughout the eastern U.S., overabundant deer populations have seriously degraded the health of forests: threatening the ability of forests to regenerate; decreasing the diversity of tree species; eliminating many species of shrubs and ferns; and reducing populations of songbirds and other wildlife that depend on forest vegetation. Forest managers, landowners and the public are increasingly concerned that a practical, science-based ecosystem management approach be devised to manage deer populations while protecting the broader array of conservation values in eastern forests.

This is a particularly important issue in Pennsylvania, where deer have browsed virtually all the tree seedlings on the 2.1 million-acre state forest system, threatening its regeneration and long-term health. We are working on private and public lands with the Pinchot family, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, and the US Forest Service to evaluate a range of possible deer management strategies and develop recommendations for their application in the state.

Project Leader: Will Price, Director of Northeast Regional Programs