Friends of Blackwater is proud of the citizens of Logan County, West Virginia, who united to stop a proposed deer hunt in Chief Logan State Park.
The WV Department of Natural Resources had announced earlier in 2018 that a hunt was needed due to overpopulation of deer in the Park, which can lead to illness among the herd and destruction of native species.
But when local resident Susan Perry filed a Freedom of Information request, she learned that there are no studies which show that any ecological damage had occurred at Chief Logan due to over-grazing by the deer herd.
In fact, a memo from the head of the Wildlife Resources Section says “The current deer population on Chief Logan State Park is not having significant negative impact on the park’s habitat or ecosystem function.” The memo concludes with a recommendation that they postpone the proposed hunt for this year, and that studies be conducted to determine if a hunt is appropriate in other years.
After this memo was revealed, the DNR Director announced on June 26 that the proposed hunt was cancelled.
Friends of Blackwater is proud to have helped the Logan citizens with their campaign. Thanks to all of our supporters who voiced their opinions and who contribute to help us do this important work.
Now we hope the DNR will put up some scientific evidence for its other “hunting in the Parks” plans – or drop them, if the evidence doesn’t demonstrate an ecological need for hunting.
