Public hearing scheduled for July 30, 2002
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today published a new proposal to remove the Douglas County population of the Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) from the list of federally threatened and endangered species. The Service also announced that it will hold a public hearing in July to discuss the proposal and gather public comments.
A proposal to delist the deer originally was published in 1999, but action was delayed while substantial new information was incorporated. This latest analysis of the factors which led to the listing indicates that the threats to the deer have been removed. This population is now estimated at more than 5,000 animals distributed on 7,000 acres of habitat managed for the deer. Douglas County, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Bureau of Land Management worked to secure and protect habitat for the deer by negotiating land-use restrictions, and acquiring land through donations and exchanges. The Endangered Species Act provided incentives for local communities to adopt zoning regulations protecting streamside areas that provide important habitat for the deer, and benefits to fish and other wildlife species. Considerations for the deer also prompted the county and local communities to protect valuable farmlands
"Our decision to propose de-listing the Douglas County population of the deer is the result of two decades of partnership, serving as an excellent example of how we can work together to conserve threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants," said Anne Badgley. Regional Director of the Service
