Sharpshooters proposed for Flight 93 National Memorial deer management

STOYSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — The National Park Service invited members of the public to the Flight 93 National memorial learning Center Tuesday evening, to discuss a deer management plan for the park.

“What harm are they causing here,” one neighbor said of the memorial during public comment. “Are they eating all of the plants? I mean there’s not that much to eat here.”

Because of its national memorial status, the 1,500 acres managed by the Flight 93 National memorial is a no hunting zone. Officials say the deer population is creating problems for fixtures throughout the park that they’ve spent thousands of dollars trying to maintain.

“The forest is not able to regenerate,” Chief of Resource management for the National Park Service of Western PA Colleen Curry said. “There’s definite browse lines where the deer are eating everything within their reach.”

During a presentation Curry and other officials discussed possible solutions and their drawbacks. They included fencing, and to continue with monitoring the current deer population, but Curry said that non-lethal options are often not successful.

“There are no effective non-lethal options such as like contraceptives for deer and that is very hard for a free ranging deer population,” Curry said.

For that reason, one proposed solution was to hire outside contractors of sharp shooters to come to the park at night and reduce the population. This drew pushback from hunters in attendance who have ground bordering the park.

“It would not be like a massive shooting of deer it would be based on our data and what we think would be needed for a healthy deer population,” Curry said.

The National Park Service hopes to have a plan to implement by 2027 and are accepting comments from the public to design that plan until March 28. Stephen Clark, the Superintendent of National Parks of Western PA, encouraged everyone at the meeting to give their input so that they can come up with a solution that is best for all parties.

“I work for all of you,” Clark said. “I just ask you to work with us through this process.”