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Contact: Tim Schaeffer tschaffer@pecpa.org 717-230-8044 ext. 11

PENNSYLVANIA TAKES UP THE CHALLENGE OF DEER OVERABUNDANCE

Coalition of Seventy Stakeholders Hosts Conference January 6; Seeks Solutions & Partnerships

Harrisburg, PA, Tuesday, December 23, 2003 – More than seventy Pennsylvania conservation groups, forestry groups, wildlife agencies, businesses, land trusts, farming associations, water management agencies, hunting groups and others, will join together to conduct a conference seeking possible solutions to the problem of deer overpopulation. “The Challenge of Overabundant Deer in Pennsylvania: A Call for Partnerships” will be held Tuesday, January 6, in Harrisburg, PA, was announced by Audubon Pennsylvania, a co-sponsor of the event. Organizers hope to bring all interested stakeholders to the open forum. Threats posed by overabundant deer to Pennsylvania’s forests, wildlife, economy, safety, health, and quality of life, are by now well documented. The situation will only worsen: Pennsylvania’s deer population has skyrocketed 20 percent in only the last five years, yet, the Commonwealth continues to have no significant urban or suburban deer management program. The conference features presenters and experts from a wide range of disciplines. Confirmed speakers and breakout session leaders are: Larry Schweiger, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; Pennsylvania Game Commissioner Roxane Palone; DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis; Agriculture Secretary Dennis C. Wolff; Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration Gary Hoffman; Pennsylvania Game Commission Deer Management Section Supervisors Gary Alt and Marrett Grund; Bryon Shissler of Natural Resource Consultants, Inc.; Tim Schaeffer of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council; Jerry Cecil of Fox Chapel; Quality Deer Management Association’s Kip Adams; Robert Miller, Jr., Advisor to Governor Edward G. Rendell for Hunting, Fishing, and Conservation; Outdoor Journalist Ben Moyer; Audubon Pennsylvania’s Paul Zeph; Kevin Drewencki, PPL; Mark Henry of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. Representative Scott Hutchinson has also been invited to attend. This diverse and wide-ranging group is looking for more involvement in its discussion, and invites all those interested to attend and be part of the solution. The conference will take place at the Harrisburg/Hershey Marriott on January 6, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Conference sponsors encourage journalists to attend and invite them to call the contact listed above. The conference’s co-sponsors represent a broad cross section of the state’s stakeholders, and as of the date of this release include the following: Allegheny College Center for Economic and Environmental Development Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay American Chestnut Foundation, Pennsylvania Chapter Aqua Terra Environmental Ltd. Association of Consulting Foresters – Pennsylvania Chapter Audubon Pennsylvania Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania Botanical Society of Westmoreland County Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve Cabela's Central Susquehanna Woodland Owners Association Deer Park Lumber Doeblers's, Inc. Environmental Advisory Council Network Forecon, Inc. Forest Investment Associates Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company Heritage Conservancy Kane Hardwood Hobbes Forestry Service Keith Horn Forestry, Inc. Lower Merion Conservancy Natural Lands Trust Natural Resource Consultants, Inc. Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center Peace Valley Nature Center Penn State Cooperative Extension Penn State School of Forest Resources Penn State Forest Resources Extension Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. Pennsylvania Association of Regional Food Banks Pennsylvania biodiversity Partnership Pennsylvania Council of Professional Foresters Pennsylvania Deer Association Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Pennsylvania Environmental Council Pennsylvania Forest Products Association Pennsylvania Forestry Association Pennsylvania Land Trust Association Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation Penn State Forest Resources Extension Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association Pennsylvania Wildlands Recovery Project Pennypack Ecological Trust PPL Corporation Quality Deer Management Association Quality Deer Management Association, Southeast PA Branch Sand County Foundation Society of American Foresters: Deer/Farm/Forest Committee Society of American Foresters, Pennsylvania Division The Friends of the Wissahickon The Manada Conservancy The Nature Conservancy Tinicum Conservancy Trupes Quality Hunting and Wildlife Management Tyler Arboretum Ruffed Grouse Society Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania Wayne Lackawanna forest Landowners’ Association Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program Westmoreland Conservation District Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association Wildlands Conservancy Wildlife Society, Pennsylvania Chapter Woodland Owners of Centre County Woodland Owners of Southern Alleghenies Woodlands and Wildlife

Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.

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