MN DNR deer advisory team press release

BuckSutherland

5 year old buck +
DNR News release below. Edited for space and PR slant.

News Release
DNR seeks applications for statewide deer advisory committee
. Because we have to. But we don't need to listen to anything anybody says.

September 19, 2016

People can apply to serve on a committee that will help the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources develop the state’s first-ever deer management plan. Persons who publicly show a distrust of the state agency tasked with managing the resource will be excluded.

The deer management plan advisory committee will meet throughout 2017 to review technical information slanted to match a DNR agenda. Public input will be dismissed as biased and will be largely ignored.

Overall goals of the deer plan include ignoring the economic benefit whitetail brings to rural economies, and keeping the herd small enough to stop any deer related dollars from benefitting outstate Minnesota.

“It is important for the DNR to cater to the interests of those who view deer as an economic liability, especially farmers, foresters and auto insurance companies, and develop a statewide deer management plan that benefits all except those who buy licenses to manage them,” said Adam Murkowski, DNR big game program leader. "We need to follow the money, and fewer deer is the way to satisfy groups that have showed us the money."

Participation in this committee is voluntary and temporary, unless you work for ag, auto or forestry. Those groups will be sending paid employees to lobby for low deer numbers, and those folks will be paid after they leave the meetings as well. Volunteer groups like MNBowhunters Inc will not be invited because they have no lobby presence and do not matter. They are not politically relevant. The committee will consist of 15 to 20 members representing the breadth of interests related to deer management. Anything they say will be met with a glazed stare and largely ignored. But we will collect the legally required input.

Groups that have been invited to participate in the advisory committee don't really matter so we wont even waste time telling you who they are. These decisions are all made behind the scenes through a politically appointed commissioner who answers to the Governor.

Information about the committee structure, functions, expectations of appointed members, and how to apply are available on the DNR website on the deer plan page or by calling 651-259-5198. Expect bogus rhetoric geared to appease.

The planning process will include opportunities for citizen participation beyond the advisory committee, including public meetings, online comments and small group discussions. DNR staff also will talk with participants about ways to stay involved and engaged in deer management even after the deer plan is developed and implemented. None of this is relevant as we do not care what anybody thinks but we are legally bound to ask the questions.

The DNR works to protect and maintain Minnesota’s white-tailed deer at levels ag, auto and forestry are happy with. The deer population is an issue we cant address from our desks in St Paul, but we have an ipod that tells us how may there are. Deer are ecologically, socially and economically important in a state where hunting and wildlife watching generate more than $1.3 billion in annual economic impacts. But we treat them as a liability. Get used to it.
 
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