Deer and Ticks: a Southold Public Health Crisis
There is a problem, and it is solvable: healthy deer, healthy people, healthy nature.

Dear Community,

Our town has been hard hit by increasing levels of tick-borne diseases and a worsening overpopulation of the tick’s host, deer, all negatively impacting our health, our communities, our farms, waterways, woodlands, plus the mounting number of damaging vehicle collisions that hurt us and mangle deer.  Renowned specialist Dr. Samuel Telford III, Professor of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Tufts University recently said: “The North Fork is the most tick-infested place I know.”

We, the North Fork Civics, have asked the members of the North Fork Deer Alliance and the North Fork Environmental Council to work with us to present a sustainable plan to the Town of Southold to respond to our escalating deer and tick health crisis.

The situation has reached a crisis level. Together, our group of conservationists, medical professionals, ecologists and farmers is developing a plan to fully manage this crisis -- sustainably, in line with 2021 DEC recommendations -- and to begin immediately.

We’d like to hear from you!  Please consider taking this 15-question survey.  Its primary purpose is to determine which health, economic, environmental and quality of life factors are most important to our communities. A secondary purpose is to determine community knowledge about how our escalating deer and tick crisis is unique to our island region in NYS.
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Please tell where you live? *
Your Age (optional)
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Gender (optional)
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Do you have family living nearby? (optional)
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Do you have children or grandchildren of school age? (optional)
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Please help us learn your most pressing concerns on deer and ticks.
RANK YOUR CONCERNS, ON A SCALE OF 1-4. ONE IS HIGH (VERY CONCERNED - MY #1 ISSUE), 4 IS LOW (LEAST CONCERNED):  
How grave do you think the deer and tick problem is in Southold? *
Very concerned
Least concerned
How concerned are you about the increase in tick-borne diseases (Lyme, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, etc) on human health? https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/index.html *
Very concerned
Least concerned
Do you know anyone who has had a tick bite resulting in a tick-borne disease? *
Add your comment on knowing anyone who has had a tick bite resulting in a tick-borne disease. (optional)
Have you found ticks on your property and/or contracted a tick-borne disease despite having your property treated with an acaricide meant to control ticks? *
How concerned are you after reading this recent statement from the N̲Y̲S̲ ̲D̲E̲C̲ ̲2̲0̲2̲1̲ ̲D̲e̲e̲r̲ M̲a̲n̲a̲g̲e̲m̲e̲n̲t̲ P̲l̲a̲n̲: “Suffolk Co has some of the most severe, widespread deer-related problems in the state ….. overabundant deer populations in Suffolk may cause serious impacts on forest regeneration, biodiversity protection and public health.“ https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/123167.html *
Very concerned
Least concerned
The increasing, overabundant deer population in our town negatively affects both people and nature. Please select in ranked order of concern.  (1 is high (most concerned), 7 is low (least concerned): *
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
biodiversity decline of life
collateral damage (vehicular collisions)
farming
forest regeneration
property damage
public health
shellfish closures
How concerned are you about this statement from the Suffolk Times 2014 editorial, H̲o̲w̲ ̲D̲e̲e̲r̲ ̲H̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲D̲e̲c̲i̲m̲a̲t̲e̲d̲ ̲o̲u̲r̲ ̲W̲o̲o̲d̲l̲a̲n̲d̲s̲:  “Suffolk County and the five East End towns have invested a good deal of money, our money, toward land preservation…. if we let deer continue to destroy our woodlands and hinder our efforts to protect drinking water supplies, are we really doing right by us and the environment?” https://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com/2014/11/60177/guest-spot-how-deer-have-decimated-our-woodlands/ *
Very concerned
Least concerned
How concerned are you about this statement from the Suffolk Times 2015 editorial C̲a̲r̲s̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲D̲e̲e̲r̲ ̲m̲a̲k̲e̲ ̲a̲ ̲C̲o̲s̲t̲l̲y̲ ̲M̲i̲x̲:  "In 2014, Southold had 229 deer/auto collisions, 2.5 times the national average. This is too many! Our failure to bring down the number of accidents indicates that our deer management efforts have not been sufficient to get ahead of this problem. When will we agree that something more must be done?" https://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/tag/john-severini/ *
Very concerned
Least concerned
How concerned are you about this statement from the Suffolk Times 2015 editorial T̲i̲c̲k̲-̲b̲o̲r̲n̲e̲ ̲D̲i̲s̲e̲a̲s̲e̲s̲ ̲M̲e̲n̲a̲c̲e̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲o̲u̲r̲ ̲M̲i̲d̲s̲t̲: Human tick-borne infections have now reached intolerable levels on the East End.  To a substantial extent, such diseases in humans are also preventable. These were much less of a problem before the deer and tick populations exploded. Furthermore, careful studies conducted elsewhere have established that a reduction in deer populations lessened or eliminated the occurrence of at least the most common disease (Lyme) in humans. All safe and humane methods for reducing our deer population are still not being used. https://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2015/04/guest-column-tick-borne-diseases-menace-in-our-midst/ *
Very concerned
Least concerned
How concerned are you about this statement from the Suffolk Times 2015 editorial D̲e̲e̲r̲ ̲C̲a̲n̲ ̲I̲m̲p̲a̲c̲t̲ ̲F̲a̲r̲m̲s̲,̲ ̲F̲o̲o̲d̲ ̲S̲a̲f̲e̲t̲y̲: For us farmers, deer damage isn’t just a nuisance; it is having a serious impact on our livelihoods. https://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/author/twickham/ *
Very concerned
Least concerned
How concerned are you about this statement from the Suffolk Times 2015 editorial T̲h̲e̲ ̲E̲f̲f̲e̲c̲t̲s̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲D̲e̲e̲r̲ ̲O̲v̲e̲r̲p̲o̲p̲u̲l̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲: The overpopulation of deer is increasingly affecting the human and natural landscape in Southold Town. It is directly and indirectly impacting our water quality, our shoreline bluffs, headlands and wetlands. And so it affects each one of us who live on and love the East End. https://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/author/jbredemeyer/ *
Very concerned
Least concerned
How concerned are you about this 2021 statement from a shellfish specialist about deer overpopulation contaminating our coastal waters with E. coli bacteria risking shellfish closures and beach closures. “Northwest Harbor in East Hampton is a good example.  A very undeveloped area but water quality is poor and much of the waterway uncertified…. derived from upland runoff and mostly animal sourced, including deer.” *
Very concerned
Least concerned
We see our woodlands being decimated by deer understory grazing of tree seedlings, bushes, wildflowers and ground cover plants causing unhealthy forests. Please select in ranked order of concern  (1 is high (most concerned), 5 is low (least concerned), that our overgrazed forests currently: *
1
2
3
4
5
cannot regenerate and protect native plants from invasive species (mile-a-minute, wild mustard garlic, etc)
cannot provide nesting habitat or food for birds, pollinators, other animals including tick predators (opossum, guinea jeans, quail, pheasant, frogs, toads
cannot absorb rainwater or retard storm water runoff pollution of our coastal waters or protect our coastlines from storm surges
cannot promote the recharging of our aquifer
are hindered in their forest ability to draw down and sequester carbon, making it impossible to reverse global warming and rising warming water
How likely are you to want the Town of Southold to take action after reading our statement: The NYS DEC is sounding the alarm that Suffolk Co has severe, widespread deer-related problems. The science is clear. There is a problem -- and it is solvable. We’ve created a plan to manage this crisis, sustainably, in line with 2021 DEC recommendations -- and to begin immediately. Together we can build on years of work to implement a good stewardship plan where people and nature flourish. *
Want Action
Action not necessary
For private landowners: Would you ever consider calling the Town for hunting help?  As much of the land in Southold Town is privately owned, deer management by private landowners is extremely important in reducing the local deer population. If you have a parcel that routinely hosts a number of deer and you are interested in having a hunter hunt your property, please call Southold Town at 631-765-1283 and they can assist you with contact information. (optional)
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Thank you! WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS (optional)
If you would like to be quoted, please leave your name. (optional)
If you would like to join our effort, please leave your email. (optional)
If you have questions or would like to leave further comments, please email us at deermanagementcoalition@gmail.com
Sincerely,


𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘀
Drianne Benner, President, pro tem
Barbara Best, Acting President, Cutchogue Civic
John Carter, Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association Vice-President
Anne Murray, Director, East Marion Community Association.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹
Mimi Ellis, North Fork Deer Alliance
John Rasweiler, PhD, North Fork Deer Alliance
John Severini, North Fork Deer Alliance, Al Krupski's Suffolk County Deer Task Force
Don Stewart, North Fork Deer Alliance
John Wittenberg, North Fork Deer Alliance
Ellen Wexler, North Fork Deer Alliance
Mark Haubner, North Fork Environmental Council
Jim McMahon, Southold Town Deer Management TaskForce
Mary Morgan, Drawdown East End
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