As one part of the certification of 4.7 million acres of the state's forests, forest and deer managers have something to prove by this fall. They must show they have a plan to ensure deer populations won't hinder forest regeneration. One of the two audits - that of Forest Stewardship Council - said that's a problem in certain areas of the state.
The report says: 'Make sure your deer densities are in line with what the habitat can support long-term,' said Marrett Grund, DNR deer project leader at Madelia. 'That's ultimately what we want to do anyway.'
Grund has unique insight into the issue - he spent three years in Pennsylvania, where deer are blamed for an almost complete lack of forest understory.
The audit calls on the DNR to demonstrate how ongoing efforts to set deer population goals will ensure those targets jibe with a healthy forest ecosystem. It also asks the DNR to show how deer density information - as well as how that density relates to forest vegetation - and management tools like bonus tags are used to keep deer populations at certain levels.
'We believe we've got, and the auditors I think generally agreed, we had measures in place to address the issue, but they want to make sure the measures are working,' said Dave Schad, DNR Fish and Wildlife Division director.
DNR Assistant Commissioner Brad Moore said the actions the report called for are consistent with the DNR's plan to rethink deer population goals.
'We've already been on (this) course in terms of re-thinking and constantly evolving our deer management program,' he said.
Last year, the agency began a process to set deer population goals in three areas of the state. The people involved in the goal-setting included a variety of deer stakeholders such as hunters, farmers, and environmentalists. The DNR presents information to the group, but doesn't have a say in the population goal.
Most groups so far have called for deer numbers to be decreased by at least 25 percent. Ultimately, though, numbers of deer in an area are the DNR's call. Goal-setting is scheduled this year for additional areas of the state, including the remainder of the forested region.
Part of the auditor's motivation is making sure the outcomes of the goal-setting are reasonable, and that the DNR isn't stacking the deck with one interest or another, said Steve Merchant, DNR forest wildlife program leader.
'(Auditors want) assurance that we are up to snuff on the issue and that we are making a real and genuine effort to include all the stakeholders in this issue,' Merchant said.
The DNR is in the process of gathering information on deer density and how it relates to forest ecosystems as part of a study in Itasca State Park (The project began before the forest certification audit.) The goal of that study is to collect vegetation data and develop protocol to help determine when deer densities are out of line, Grund said.
'Deer and vegetation is an issue all across the country, but less so here,' Schad said. 'We have been fairly aggressive in managing deer populations and fairly successful at keeping a lid on deer populations.'
But if the agency were to back off on population management, there could be severe ecological harm, Schad said.
Mark Johnson, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association executive director, isn't concerned about what the forest certification documents are asking for.
While the documents don't request particular action - like killing a certain number of deer - they hold the DNR accountable for keeping ecosystem and the deer herd in balance.
'It doesn't mean we are going to have to necessarily knock down the deer population in all areas,' Johnson said. 'Most people would agree we have a fairly large if not overabundant deer population in some areas of the state.'
Grund said a policy of balance between deer populations and forest ecosystems is vital to the future of deer hunting in the state, since forests with little understory and lots of deer don't regenerate, and then carry fewer deer in the future.
'This is a policy that relates to the future of hunting in Minnesota,' Grund said. 'A healthy deer herd will have a healthy forest understory.'Outdoor News
