It’s no question that deer are a hot topic in Medical Lake.
Since I started working at the Free Press, I’ve heard Medical Lake residents complain about the deer that roam through the city. Folks get in an uproar about the damage these animals do to their property, as well as the potential danger they pose to the community — specifically children and dogs. The deer that roam the city tend to be docile, and are used to the presence of humans. However, I imagine that they would bite and kick anyone they see as a threat to themselves or their young, like other animals.
I’m not saying that there isn’t a deer issue in the city. When I came to Medical Lake to interview a local author, I watched a deer run through several yards. Deer aren’t always around every time I visit the city, but every once in a while I’d see 1-3 deer walk through a yard.
One time I was driving on State Route 902 on my way to Fairchild Air Force Base when I saw eight deer between three blocks.
A couple of weeks ago, I actually hit a deer with my car, though that was just outside of the city and it was really bad judgment on my part to think I could outrun the beast instead of slowing down and letting it cross the road. The deer is fine in case you were wondering.
Although residents demand a solution to the deer issue, there isn’t much the city can do about it. They tried to introduce an ordinance that prohibits feeding the deer but the City Council voted that down back in February.
They have also been working with the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), who recommended that the city go to the citizens for help.
Thus the Citizens Deer Advisory Committee was born.
This committee is a chance for residents to come up with ways on how to deal with the deer issue and forward their recommendations to the City Council. It can work if Medical Lake residents approach it correctly.
Both the city and DFW hope that the committee is not only made up of citizens who are against the deer, but also folks who like the deer.
Medical Lake prides itself on its sense of closeness and community, yet folks are divided on the deer issue. Residents who are anti-deer have the loudest voices, while citizens who like the deer are quieter. We may not see them at City Council meetings, but according to City Administrator Doug Ross, there are people who are pro-deer and they call City Hall.
These folks need to come to the meeting and bring their ideas. This means that the anti-deer crowd should give these folks a chance to speak. It’s easy to look at people who like the deer as contributors to the problem. I had a Medical Lake resident, who is pro-deer, call me and say she didn’t want to attend the meeting because she didn’t want to be yelled at by the people who hate the deer.
This also means that pro-deer citizens should let the anti-deer residents voice their concerns and bring ideas to the meeting. In addition to Medical Lake residents, DFW will have someone facilitate the meeting and bring their own ideas.
Residents should realize that it might take a while before the committee comes up with a solution to forward to the City Council. The first meeting, which is Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., at the City Hall auditorium, will establish the parameters and have testimonies from residents. Depending on how many people appear at these meetings and how often they’re held, it might be the sixth or seventh meeting before the committee comes up with a solution.
Although the committee is probably not the quick remedy to the deer problem that residents were hoping for, it is a starting point. How far the committee goes and how effective it is in solving this issue will be up to the citizens.
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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