To protect and restore native plants and promote healthy and diverse forests, the National Park Service will reduce overabundant deer populations in several national parks in DC and Maryland that fall under the management of National Capital Parks - East. Managing white-tailed deer populations supports long-term protection, preservation, and restoration of native plants and landscapes in these parks. Within forests, deer significantly reduce forest regeneration by eating tree seedlings and preventing them from growing taller and becoming saplings. Over time, this can degrade forests and the habitat they provide for other animals and plants. The management of deer populations will allow for the restoration of native vegetation and landscapes. Several national parks in the Washington, DC area have approved and implemented deer management plans. Rock Creek Park has seen their tree seedling density more than double since begining deer management in 2013. Maryland: Fort Washington Park, Fort Foote, Piscataway Park, Oxon Cove Park, Harmony Hall, Greenbelt Park, Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Suitland Parkway. More InformationNPS to conduct deer population reduction operations at Fort Dupont, Fort Washington and Greenbelt parks
Deer Management Frequently Asked QuestionsAn overabundant white-tailed deer population is damaging the forests of National Capital Parks - East. To address this situation, the National Park Service (NPS) developed a deer management plan that supports long-term protection, preservation, and restoration of native vegetation and cultural landscapes. Deer have flourished in National Capital Parks – East with low levels of disease, gentle winters, favorable habitats and vegetation in and around the parks, and no natural predators. As the area around National Capital Parks – East continues to be developed, the parks are increasingly important refuges for all native plants and animals. Overabundant deer are severely compromising the forest habitat leaving vegetation and other wildlife vulnerable. Natural communities provide valuable habitats for birds, amphibians, small mammals, and carnivores as well as special and rare plant communities. Additionally, native plants provide important character-defining elements of the cultural landscapes of parks. The Superintendent of the National Capital Parks - East and the National Capital Area Regional Director made the final determination on adoption of deer management measures.
Public input played a vital role in every step of the process. National Capital Parks – East held public meetings in spring, summer and fall of 2021 and solicited input for the scoping of the project and the draft Environmental Assessment. Yes. However, there are currently no reproductive controls that are effective in an open population. The National Park Service would consider non-lethal management options should effective methods for an open population be developed in the future. Other non-lethal means have not been shown to be effective. For instance, it is not feasible to fence deer out to protect forested areas as that shifts deer populations to other areas and doesn’t provide long-term controls. NPS will continue to review literature and other deer management programs to identify non-lethal controls that may be effective and feasible in the future that could be implemented in additional to the proposed lethal management actions. The deer density in the parks is well over 20 deer per square mile which research has shown to be the density where vegetation damage occurs. Deer populations can be affected by many things including weather, food supplies, migration, and disease. However, without natural predators or culling efforts, deer populations have not decreased to sustainable levels. In 2019 there were:
Deer populations in other years have been as high as 150 to 250 deer per square mile. Whenever possible, the NPS will donate all suitable meat from reduction activities to local food banks, consistent with NPS public health guidelines.
Hunting is not allowed on a national park unless it was specifically authorized in the legislation that established the park or by any subsequent law. Near Piscataway Park, private landowners of the Moyoane Reserve community, culled 50 to 90 deer a year in the early 2000s to help decrease the deer density around the park. Extensive safety measures will be in place to protect park visitors and neighbors during operations. Under the direction of park managers and in coordination with law enforcement park rangers, management implementation will be conducted by highly trained firearms experts experienced in conducting wildlife reduction operations. Volunteers may be able to assist with other planning activities but not with deer reductions. Volunteer opportunities would be identified on a year-to-year basis dependent on where culling activities are planned. Yes – this management plan does not remove all deer from National Capital Parks – East. This plan is designed to bring the deer population to a level that allows the parks’ forests to regenerate. White-tailed deer are part of the ecosystem, and future generations of park visitors will continue to have the opportunity to see deer.
National Park Service management policies require us to protect natural resources within our parks. Deer management promotes natural regeneration of forest vegetation and the restoration of cultural landscapes that have been detrimentally affected by deer over-browsing. Research has shown that vegetation damage occurs when deer populations exceed 20 per square mile. Long-term monitoring of park forests shows that high deer density is limiting the growth and maturation of the park’s forest vegetation. This has been mirrored in extensive research conducted on the effects of overabundant deer populations. Young trees and shrubs grow to only a few inches tall before being eaten by deer and other herbivores. Restoration of the forests will take place when the browsing pressure is reduced to point at which forests can regenerate. The park participates in a chronic wasting disease (CWD) monitoring program. To date all results have been negative. This provides a high level of confidence that CWD does not currently exist in the deer populations residing inside the park.
Extensive safety measures will be in place to protect park visitors, neighbors, and staff during operations. Activities will be coordinated with local law enforcement and noise suppression will be used to minimize the sound of gunfire. We ensure safety by:
In 2022, during routine white-tailed deer management operations and subsequent disease sampling at nearby Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield and Rock Creek Park, researchers found positive results for SARS-CoV2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in park deer populations. These positive results are similar to white-tailed deer populations from many regions of the U.S. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this poses minimal risk to humans.
During deer management operations, Greenbelt Park camping areas will be closed and reservations will be suspended. NPS staff and law enforcement will enforce closures of all necessary areas during operations.
Yes. Several parks in the National Capital Area are implementing white-tailed deer management plans including:
Catoctin Mountain Park has actively worked to reduce deer populations since 2010 and has seen a 21-fold increase in tree seedling density. National Park Service areas in other regions of the country are actively performing deer management including Fire Island National Seashore, Gettysburg National Military Park, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Valley Forge National Historical Park, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The park will post press releases and announce management actions at: go.nps.gov/NACEdeermgmt You can obtain information by contacting the park's deer management information line at 771-208-1455. The National Park Service’s top priority is safety. To make this action as safe as possible for park visitors, neighbors, staff, and motorists, the National Park Service will share specific information on these actions with local law enforcement and other state and local officials to ensure coordination.
National Park Service staff will work closely with local and state officials to implement a comprehensive communications strategy that ensures public safety. Operations time periods for deer population management will be announced annually in a park news releases available at go.nps.gov/NACEdeermgmt. The details of implementation – including what and where actions on the ground will take place – will not be provided to the public. Public input has had a vital role in every step of this process. National Capital Parks – East held public meetings in spring, summer and fall of 2021 and solicited input for the scoping of the project and the draft Environmental Assessment. Future announcements from the National Park Service will notify the public of any additional management actions and implementation of our deer management operations.
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Last updated: March 5, 2024