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Fearrington
Homeowners Association
FHA Deer
Project, 2003-04
Final Report
CONTENTS
Introduction
Section I: Deer Project Members
Section II
Fencing
Gardening
General Deer Management
Good Neighbor Policy
Safety
Appendix I--Fencing the Broad Picture
Appendix II--Gardening and the Deer
In Fearrington Village [Not available on the
website.]
Appendix III--Living With Deer
Tick-Borne Diseases
Driving Where
the Deer Roam
Appendix IV--Educational Information on Deer Management and Safety.
[Not available on the website.]
INTRODUCTION
Dear Members of the Board of Directors, Fearrington Homeowners Association:
Attached to this introductory letter you will find the final report of the
Deer Project Committee. Stated in its most general form, our mission has
been to study those issues, concerns and interests associated with the
interaction of deer and the inhabitants of Fearrington Village. Based on
this study process, our ultimate goal has been to develop a set of
recommendations for the Board of Directors whereby steps taken by the Board
might reasonably reflect and be a positive response to those issues,
concerns and interests that prompted the creation of our committee.
To carry out our mission we have organized our tasks such that individual
Workings Groups were assigned specific areas of study, to wit, Fencing
(Options and Policies), Gardening and Landscape Management, Good Neighbor
Policy, Deer Management and Safety (Diseases and Accidents). The research
and deliberations of each of these Working Groups serve as the bases for
this report.
In the main, the recommendations that make up the body of this report
reflect general agreement among the members of the Deer Project Committee
that our task is largely one of education. It should come as no surprise
that learning to live with deer is very much a matter of learning to live
with one another. At the same time it must be noted that as the number of
housing units increases in Fearrington Village and as vehicular traffic
increases the human-deer dynamic will also modify. It is quite likely that
future developments in Fearrington Village affecting the human deer dynamic
will follow very much the same course that has been followed in older
homeowner developments along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Deer
Herd Management is a complex matter in that there are biological as well as
cultural factors to consider and reconcile. For example, if we assume that
it is desirable to maintain a healthy deer herd in Fearrington Village while
also implementing measures to minimize herd impact on gardens and
landscaping, roadway safety and deer-related illnesses, human behavior
patterns and habits become very important. Basic mother's wit recommends,
for example, that plant choices for gardens be made in our real world
context: there are plant-loving deer in Fearrington Village. Included among
our recommendations are several suggestions for making sensible plant
choices. Of course, it is possible to broaden the range of plant choices and
landscaping designs by surrounding gardens and houses with fences sturdy
enough to give a reasonable prospect of success in thwarting deer on the
prowl for browse. Robert Frost's wisdom aside, in the context of Fearrington
Village fences strong enough to frustrate deer may well have the same effect
on neighbors. Our recommendations are mindful of this possibility. Were we
successful in hitting upon plant choices and landscape designs that result
in minimal deer damage and were the matter of "to fence or not to fence"
amiably worked out to everyone's satisfaction, there still remains the very
important matter of safety. Deer related illnesses and deer related
vehicular accidents are part of life in our area of Chatham County. In this
context current and reliable information having to do with herd size,
general herd health and the health of natural browse resources as well as
data relevant to deer-related illnesses and vehicular accidents are vital
components of the base upon which sensible deer management policies rest.
Then, too, there is the matter of how individual community members choose to
relate to one another as those relationships are affected by our
relationships to the deer in our neighborhoods. Feeding stations are
powerful deer attraction devices which, given a setting in which
neighborhood gardens and landscaping are not likely to be affected, appear
to be a relatively innocuous choice. In reality, however, housing units in
Fearrington, with some exceptions, are not sufficiently removed from one
another to meet this condition. In short, to invite deer into one backyard
is to invite them into the yards of our neighbors as well. What is to be
done? Our Good Neighbor Policy section below attempts to provide the Board
with answers to this question.
The efforts that have culminated in this report were greatly aided by staff
from the Cooperative Extension Service of North Carolina State University.
We are especially mindful of the excellent advice given us by Al Cooke,
Agricultural Extension Agent for Chatham County.
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SECTION I
Deer Project Members
Outside members: Al Cooke, Agricultural Extension Agent, North
Carolina State University, serving Chatham County; Andrew Upshaw, President,
(2003) Chatham County Growers Association; A.C. "Cliff" Braam, Traffic
Safety Engineer, North Carolina Department of Transportation (served as a
consultant to our Safety (Health and Accidents) working group
Fearrington Village members: James Abrahamson, James Granger, Richard
Kenney, Nancy Kern, Frances LeRoy (Head Gardener, Fitch Creations), Stan
Pomeranz, Jack Traywick and Dik Van Iten. Note: Guy Baird, Mary Clare
Edwards and Caroline Novello also participated as outside members on the
Working Group on Gardening and Landscaping.
Seminar presenters: from North Carolina State University, Cooperative
Extension Service: Charles S. Apperson, Extension Entomologist (Human
Pests); Christopher E. Moorman, Extension Specialist (Wildlife Natural
Resources); D. Wesley Watson Assistant Professor of Entomology (Medical and
Veterinary Entomology). From North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission: George W. Strader, District Biologist
Working Group Tasks and Members
Fencing: the primary task of this working group was to research and
make recommendations regarding fencing options (materials and designs),
strategies and policies. Stan Pomeranz headed up this working group and
served as its sole member.
Gardening and Landscaping: the primary task of this working group was
to research deer impact on gardens and landscapes and to develop a Gardening
and Landscaping Manual for Fearrington Village community members.Jack
Traywick headed up this group and was ably assisted by Guy Baird, Mary Clare
Edwards, Beverly Hanly, , Frances LeRoy, Caroline Novello and Andy Upshaw.
General Deer Management: the primary task of this working group was
to research and make recommendations regarding deer herd size, health,
natural browse and impact on the general community of Fearrington Village.
Closely associated with the Safety working group, this group was headed up
by James Abrahamson who was assisted by Dik Van Iten.
Good Neighbor Policy: the primary task of this working group was to
study and make recommendations relevant to those deer-related issues and
concerns that bear upon and affect neighbor to neighbor relationships. Jim
Granger headed up this group and served as its sole member.
Safety: the primary task of this working group was to research and
gather data relevant to deer-related illnesses and vehicular accidents and
make recommendations regarding the use of those data as a basis for a
Fearrington Village data base. James Abrahamson headed up this working
group. He was assisted by Cliff Braam.
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SECTION II
Fencing: Recommendations
In researching this area it soon became apparent that before recommending
specific policies regarding fencing types, etc., the Board of Directors
should first decide what level of control over fencing is appropriate for
Fearrington Village. Opinions vary widely regarding fencing in general and
fence design in particular.
We recommend the following options for the Board's consideration: it may
decide that fencing is not a significant issue and that current policies are
adequate. It might then allow Covenant Committees in each neighborhood to
interpret fencing policy as is deemed appropriate for the neighborhood in
question. Neighborhood conflicts not resolvable within that context could be
referred to the Board (or to its designated mediation committee). A second
option would call for careful control of fencing, specifying, for example,
designs and materials and requiring Covenant Committees to interpret fencing
criteria in a consistent manner. Existing fences would be modified as per a
set of guidelines set up for that purpose. A third option would have the
Board decide that fences as deer control mechanisms are inappropriate for
the Village, declare a moratorium on further fencing and establish a grace
period during which all existing fences are to be removed. (At the time this
report was out into final draft form there existed some 27 observable (!)
fences of various and sundry types in Fearrington (excluding those
constructed by Fitch Creations).
(For a brief background sketch of this topic in the context of Fearrington
Village please refer to Appendix I at the end of this report)
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Gardening: Recommendations
In the course of carrying out their charge, the members of this working
group soon came to discover that doing deer-related surveys of damage to
gardens and landscapes on a retrospective basis was quite unwieldy. For one
thing memories are quite variable in their reliability. For another,
identifying damage as deer related and not some other creature is often
difficult. What we do know is that from time to time deer roam through
gardens and yards in quest of something good to eat. How do we best manage
this fact of life in Fearrington?
We recommend that the Board of Directors endorse and fund the creation of
a Gardening and Landscaping manual for the Fearrington community. (For
an example of such a manual, please refer to Appendix II at the end of this
report. [Not available on website] )
It is also recommended that the Board of Directors establish a library on
gardening and landscaping management for community use and that the Board
take steps to arrange for periodic up-dating seminars on techniques and
strategies for gardeners seeking to succeed as gardeners while also managing
to live with their deer neighbors.
Finally, we recommend the Board of Directors give serious consideration
to supporting the efforts of the National Wildlife Federation to improve and
develop wildlife habitat areas in Fearrington Village.
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General Deer
Management: Recommendations
There was a time in the course of urban/rural development when it was a
widely shared belief that, as the pressure brought to bear on their habitat
by humans increased, deer would move elsewhere. Research and real world
experience clearly demonstrate that this simply is not the case. Deer adjust
remarkably well to human intrusion. Such is the case in Fearrington Village.
For some in our Village this is not a happy circumstance. For others the
contrary holds true. Our review of homeowner associations' experiences in
coming to manage the complexity of the human-deer dynamic and the associated
concern to develop sensible deer management policies suggests two important
steps. First, in the context of individual homeowners, and assuming a "live
and let live," disposition, we must make thoughtful gardening and
landscaping decisions. Above all, be realistic, for, given the right
environmental conditions, deer will eat anything vegetative. They will
survive. Second, be aware that fencing that successfully serves its purpose
is costly and requires regular maintenance. Repellants work on a limited
basis, for weather conditions, aside, given the right hunger circumstances,
deer will eat whatever is at hand. Even the most repulsive smells and tastes
lose their effectiveness. Again, realism is the basic theme here. These are
important educational matters.
We recommend that the Board of Directors take steps to educate its
constituents regarding realistic deer management options available to
individual property owners. The emphases here should be on steps that
property owners themselves may take. (Cross reference with Gardening
above.)
While the full membership of the Deer Project Committee did not give
sustained attention to herd culling options as elements of a herd management
program, the members of this working group did take pains to attempt to
understand what is was by way of local histories and conditions that led
other homeowners associations to consider sterilization, exportation and
controlled hunting as herd management options. Two factors are especially
important here: first, there is the matter of environmental damage,
including both cultured vegetation and natural browse; second, there is the
matter of deer related vehicular accidents and diseases. Both factors are
also closely associated with human behavior. For example, Fearrington
Village is an area in which both deer and ticks are present. Hiking and
driving without regard for these facts may have unhappy consequences. Then,
too, gardeners can and often do make planting choices which are often more
nutritious and therefore more attractive to deer than natural browse. In the
case of both sets of factors the first line of defense must be education
that has its desired effect.
We recommend that the Board of Directors take steps implement a
reoccurring education program whereby community members learn the latest
techniques and strategies for living defensively regarding the vagaries of
life with deer and related creatures ever present.
It will surely not go unnoticed that we make no specific recommendation
regarding any form of culling. By most standards of humane conduct regarding
animals, culling is commonly seen as a severe measure, a measure of last
resort. Exportation has a high mortality rate. Sterilization is quite costly
and has yet to clear thorough and validating experimental testing.
Controlled hunting is costly (it must be continued to be truly effective)
and for many simply incompatible with a healthy and robust respect for other
sentient creatures. Thus, the main thrust of this report is in the direction
of policies and programs meant to stave off the development of those
conditions that might otherwise cast culling in an attractive and compelling
light.
We recommend the Board of Directors establish a comprehensive monitoring
system whereby data relevant to accurately assessing environmental and
living conditions (for humans and deer) relevant to sensible herd management
might be gathered and appropriately acted upon. (Examples of such data
include herd size and health as well as natural and cultured browse
conditions. Cross reference to Safety.)
On May 28, 2003 the Deer Project committee met in a seminar session with
scientists from North Carolina State University and the Wildlife Commission
of Chatham County for the purpose of learning about deer-tick related
diseases, deer herd size and health as well as deer herd impact on natural
browse areas in Fearrington Village. During the course of our two-hour
session we were carefully briefed on the deer-tick relationship and its
significance for humans. We were also informed that a visual survey (by a
member of the seminar team) of Fearrington Village's browse areas indicated
that natural browse was in excellent condition (accounted for by timely
periods of ample rainfall) and that no signs were detected of excessive deer
population pressure. We were also given advice regarding how best to conduct
deer population surveys. Two basic lessons were derived from this seminar.
The relationship between browse conditions and herd size is very dynamic and
subject to rapid changes over short periods of time. Second, any reliable
understanding of the deer-tick-human interaction must be based on a
carefully designed monitoring system whereby proper diagnosis and reporting
data are gathered and regularly interpreted for they import regarding
human-herd health conditions.
We recommend that the Board of Directors take steps to establish a
monitoring system by means of which information bearing upon herd-human
health conditions might be gathered and appropriately acted upon. (Chatham
Crossing and Pittsboro UNC medical officials and the staff of Fearrington
Cares would seem to be resources for the establishment of such a system.)
(For further relevant information see Appendix III at the end of this
report. Cross reference to Safety below.)
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Good Neighbor Policy
Fences and feeding stations to ward off and to attract deer quite naturally
conflict. Here in Fearrington Village our history in this area of concern is
much like that of other homeowners associations. What is to be done about
such conflicts before and after the fact. Regarding fences it seems
reasonable for neighbors to consult with one another before rather than
after constructing anti-deer fencing. Feeding stations can be appropriate
given certain environmental conditions and distances from neighboring homes.
Stations located in densely populated areas and which therefore have the
effect of attracting deer to neighboring properties where they may browse on
vegetation as well should be discouraged.
We recommend, therefore, that the Board of Directors officially
discourage deer feeding in densely populated areas (in which there is
vegetation neighbors seek to protect). We further recommend that the Board
of Directors establish a mediation service whereby neighbor to neighbor
conflicts involving fencing and feeding station issues might be amicably
resolved.
Following the advice of North Carolina State University Extension Service
specialists regarding the design of a deer population census, we undertook
two separate census efforts, one during the Summer and the other during the
late Fall of 2003.Population counts of deer using human spotters are at best
approximate for their reliability. It is probably the case that the
Fearrington Village herd includes between 130 and 180 deer, males , females
and fawns. For our purposes, however, what is of special interest is the
discovery that different areas of the Village have very different local herd
sizes. This variation may be a function of variations in natural browse
quality. It is also the case that local herd units do from time to time move
to other areas. Working with Dr. Melinda Meade, a UNC faculty member who
resides in Fearrington Village and who gave us very useful guidance in
developing a much improved census strategy for the Fall effort, we propose
to continue monitoring overall and local herd size as well as migration
patterns in the Village.
We recommend that the Board of Directors approve this strategy as part of
the more general monitoring program already recommended regarding herd
health, deer related illnesses, etc. Data gathered by way of census
taking are relevant to anticipating population shifts (e.g., as the buck to
doe ratio changes annual birth rates change) and browse impact. Such data
are also relevant to decisions that bear upon warning sign locations and
deer crossing alerts.
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Safety
As has been noted in other sections of this report, the vagaries of life in
Fearrington Village are such that common sense recommends residents of the
Village be mindful of the natural health hazards that prevail here and that
they take reasonable steps to avoid those habits.
We recommend the Board of Directors, working in cooperation with
Fearrington Cares, take steps to create a continuing education service
whereby the regular gathering and distribution of current information
regarding life style and deer-tick related illnesses-their characteristics,
effects and remedies-may be made available to community members.
Chatham County is an especially dangerous place during the deer rutting
season, enjoying an unenviable reputation as one of NC counties having a
well above average number of deer related auto accidents each year.
Fortunately, within Fearrington Village we have not yet experienced a
similar pattern.
We recommend that the Board of Directors take steps to create an annual
driving alert program whereby community members are reminded of safe driving
measures for our area. We also recommend that as part of a general data
gathering program the Board of Directors seek the assistance of the NC
Department of Transportation for the purpose of gathering highway
safety/accident information relevant to the deer-vehicular accident pattern
for our area.
(For further information regarding this area of concern see Appendix III at
the end of this report. Appendix IV [Not available
on website], which will include educational information regarding
deer management and safety as well as census data and analysis will be
completed for the Board of Directors by the end of the current month.)
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APPENDIX I
Fencing: the Broad Picture
There are approximately 1140 residential units in
Fearrington village. Of these, 537 are single homes on lots and 603 are town
homes and attached units. The latter are organized in service group
clusters.
Covenants in communities with service groups restrict construction of walls
and fences to the Declarent (Fitch Creations) or the service group. The
communities of single homes on lots may construct walls, fences or other
improvements on their property with the approval from a committee appointed
by the FHA Board of Directors. Each community has a three-member covenants
committee charged with review and approving such improvements.
Our survey and research indicate that there have been three types of fencing
that have been requested by homeowners to be constructed: decorative walls
and fences, dog enclosures and deer protective fencing.
At the time this information was gathered, in the FHA Covenants Committee
Improvement application file there were 12 requests for approval to
construct fences. Of this number, 6 were for deer fencing. We noted at the
time that there are considerably more fences in existence in the Village. We
were not able to determine whether this difference was simply a function of
incomplete files or an indication that fences have come into existence
without prior review and approval. It is our estimate that ca. 1/3 of the
deer fences in the Village have approval documentation on file in the FHA
office. We estimate that there are a total of ca. 20 deer fences in the
Village.
During 2002 a moratorium on setting up deer fences was declared in the
Village. When that moratorium expired, an outline of fence criteria was
created-though no specific design and materials criteria were required of
approval. The Area Covenants Committees apparently worked on a case-by-case
basis. All deer fence applications were approved. Among the issues related
to fencing policy remaining to be resolved are size of area to be fenced,
property line and street setback specifications and visual impact
limitations.
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APPENDIX III
An example of the kind of educational information regarding living with deer
relevant to the residents of Fearrington Village
TICK-BORNE DISEASES
The principle tick-borne diseases of interest to Fearrington Village
residents are Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and Lyme Disease.
According to the Center for Disease Control(CDC) between 1994 and 1998 North
Carolina led the entire United States in the incidences of RMSF. With
over 633 reported cases--an annual average of just over 125 per year--North
Carolina had more than three times as many cases as the state in second
place, Oklahoma. In our state the Lyme threat, though probably better
publicized, is much less than RMSF. (One is well advised, however, to
bear in mind that as travelers move in a northeasterly direction across the
Mid-Atlantic region and beyond, LYME DISEASE incidences increase
rapidly.)
The CDC cautions that disease incidences are considerably underreported.
Often times diagnoses are simply not reported. Then, some of those persons
infected do not seek appropriate medical assistance. It is best to be
cautious, for while infection frequencies are relatively low, avoiding
contact with disease carrying critters is always the best policy.
When moving about the environs of Fearrington Village following this advice:
Wear light, long-sleeved clothing to make it easier to
spot and remove ticks; wear high boots or tuck trousers into socks to keep
ticks from reaching your skin; apply insect repellents containing high
concentrations of DEET to your skin or an insecticide such as
PERMETHRIN to outer clothing.
Check yourself carefully for ticks sometime each day
and/or when you return home from an area ticks are likely to inhabit. If you
have a dog or cat, provide them with a tick collar and be mindful of the
fact that pets make very handy transportation for ticks!
It takes an estimated six to thirty-six hours for a
virus-carrying tick to transmit the virus that causes RMSF or Lyme
Disease. Act promptly, using a tweezers to remove the tick. DO NOT
use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or similar products for
extraction. As you grasp the tick with a tweezers, pull steadily until it is
free from your skin. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic solution or cream.
Save the dead tick and make a calendar note of the contact date. Play it
safe: at your earliest opportunity, consult with your physician.
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DRIVING WHERE THE DEER ROAM
Fearrington Village is located in the midst of a rural area within which
deer abound. Whatever the time of year, these creatures are quite mobile,
and, should food sources be scarce in one area, they will soon move to
another. Moreover, roaming habits quickly intensify as the rut season
approaches. Bucks, normally quite reclusive when does are not in a mating
mood, lose all sense of caution. The result is a great increase in deer
movement-especially along and across roadways. To be on the side, especially
at night, follow the instructions listed here:
Because the highest number of deer related crashes
occurs between 6 and 9 pm and just as the dawn is breaking, give yourself
more reaction time by driving more slowly than usual during these periods.
Be alert for deer crossing signs and govern your
driving style accordingly.
When driving at night and whenever safe to do so, drive
with high beams and watch for reflection from deer eyes along the roadside.
Keep in mind that deer regularly travel in groups.
Should you chance to see one deer, there is a very good probability that
there are others close at hand.
Always drive with your seat belt properly secured.
Should you hit a deer and your vehicle is operable,
drive off to the side of the road. Do not attempt to remove the deer from
the roadway. Call the Sheriff as soon as possible.
Should a deer appear in the path of your vehicle, brake
but do not swerve to avoid a collision with hit. (Many very serious
accidents occur as a result of unintentional swerving into the paths of
other vehicles and/or loss of control of the swerving vehicle.)
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