Commissioners extend deer management

Mt. Lebanon will continue its deer management program for the 2019- 20 archery season as commissioners approved a contract with Suburban Wildlife Management Solutions at a cost of $ 8,000.

The vote was 4- 1 at a July 23 meeting, with John Bendel, Craig Grella, Stephen McLean and Steve Silverman voting in favor and Kelly Fraasch dissenting.

The cost of the archery program is the same as last year.

Prior to the vote, Ms. Fraash expressed concerns about the deer management program.

“I am the one that’s adamantly opposed to this program,” she said and asked the administration if there was any solid data showing that the program is working.

“I don’t see it in any of the paperwork I’ve been given in the last year, two years or three years,” Ms. Fraasch said. “I don’t see that it’s working.”

Assistant Manager Ian McMeans said the number of deer- vehicular collisions has decreased since the program started. He said in 2016, there were 122 deer- vehicular collisions and last year there were 61.

“The number has gone down,” he said, adding that so far this year there have been 22 deer- vehicular collisions.

Ms. Fraash added that she could not find any information on where the deer meat is being donated.

Mr. McMeans said the deer are being donated to Hunters Sharing the Harvest and that it is sent to a processor in Carnegie.

Ms. Fraasch said she called the processor several times and cannot get any information. “They can’t even tell me where they’re sending it,” she said.

At a June meeting, Mr. McMeans said that once processed, the venison has been donated to local food pantries including Bethany Presbyterian Church and the Greater Washington Food Bank.

Deer archery season runs from Sept. 21 to Nov. 29 and from Dec. 26 to Jan. 25, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

In other business, commissioners approved the purchase of public safety radios and associated equipment from Motorola Solutions at a cost of $ 425,477. The radios will replace equipment for the police and fire department that is more than 10 years old.