Ban on Feeding Deer, Raccoons and Other Wildlife Moves To Commission's Table

Ross Township Commissioner Chris Eyster on Monday said he planned to formally submit to his colleagues "within the next month" a proposal to ban the feeding of wildlife.   

Eyster represents the 2nd Ward, where that are destroying their property and creating an unsafe environment. 

Targeted primarily at deer feeding, the local measure would be the first of its kind in the state — and the second time Ross Township has debated passing it. A proposed feeding ban in 2008 failed in a 4-4 vote before the commission, with one member absent. 

Eyster had submitted the first proposed ban to the board. 

In an interview before the meeting, he said that although the Ross Township Deer Management Committee has been working for about a year on , he was hesitant to float it before the board. 

"I don't want to waste people's time," he said. He added that he thought he's lost support among the commissioners for the ban since 2008.  

"I wouldn't want to bring it forward just to create a news production for the media," he said. "I don't want to create a circus." 

Prompted Monday by questions from the other commissioners, however, Eyster said he'd bring the new draft before them in a committee meeting to see where everyone stood on the proposal.

The other commissioners . Dan DeMarco of the 1st Ward voted with Commissioners Gerald O’Brien of the 7th Ward, Grant Montgomery of the 9th Ward, and Eyster in favor of passing the ban in 2008. DeMarco said he is now leaning against it.

Commissioner Lana Mazur of the 4th Ward, who was absent during the vote in 2008, said she is not in favor of the idea. She echoed Dan Kinross of the 3rd Ward and David Mikec of the 6th Ward, who said they share concerns that a ban would pit neighbor against neighbor. 

But two who voted against the proposed ordinance in 2008, Commissioners Pete Ferraro, of the 8th Ward and Grace Stanko of the 5th Ward, said they could be persuaded in favor if enough of their constituents asked them to support it. 

O'Brien, who voted in favor in 2008, said Monday he's ambivalent on the issue.  

Few commissioners said they have seen the latest draft of the proposed law. 

The revised ordinance, which is still  and may continue to be revised, takes a broader approach than it did in 2008. Supporters say it reflects sensitivity to earlier criticisms, addressing not just deer feeding but also the feeding of other wildlife, such as fowl, raccoons, feral cats and skunks.  

Any mention of regulating bird feeding has also been removed, they said. 

The enforcement issue also has been tweaked. 

"We tailored the ordinance to make it less harsh in terms of enforcement," Eyster said. "It's geared toward an educational effort as much as an enforcement effort." 

The draft ordinance proposes a written warning first. If the warning goes unheeded, the person violating the ordinance may be cited and fined from $50 to $300 for each offense, plus court costs.