“I’ll erase it. I’m the chair.” Chair of the Deer Task Force, Susan Hagedorn, made no bones about her displeasure at one of the ideas thrown out by some of the DTF members during the marathon work session held on October 5. Member Terry Delaney was writing brainstorming ideas up on a big dry erase board as the other members called them out.Town Clerk Fiona Fitzpatrick had been in contact with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management regarding the deer herd on Block Island, and correspondence had been received from Dr. David Kalb, Supervising Biologist for the DEM. The DEM oversees hunting in the state of Rhode Island, setting the season dates, numbers of tags, and other regulations.
In his email, Kalb gave several suggestions for reducing the deer herd on Block Island. Many of the DEM suggestions made it onto the white board, along with several ideas from members that elicited scornful commentary from Hagedorn.
Kalb stated in his letter: “The most ethical, cheapest, and most effective way to reduce or eliminate deer from any area is through legal, regulated, hunter harvest. Other options exist, but will cost more, take more time, or be completely ineffective
