Politics & Government

Sharpshooter Deer Culling Opponents File Suit Against East Hampton Municipalities

Meanwhile, East Hampton Village elects to move forward, despite stack of petitions.

As the Village of East Hampton adopted a sharpshooter program aimed at culling the deer herd this week, opponents filed suits in Suffolk County Supreme Court.

The Article 78 and declaratory judgement, which seek to stop the town and village from going forward with the program, was filed Thursday against the town board, town trustees, and the Village of East Hampton. It was brought by 15 residents and two organizations, including Montauk residents William (Bill) Crain and Ellen Crain and their organization, the East Hampton Group for Wildlife, as well as the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, which serves the entire East End though it is located in Hampton Bays.

The Long Island Farm Bureau secured $200,000 in grant funding to embark upon the United State Department of Agriculture's sharpshooter program to reduce the number of deer in the five eastern towns of Long Island and in the Town of Brookhaven, which could commence as soon as January. The program was estimated to cost about $500,000.

The goal is to eliminate 2,000 to 3,000 deer in one of the largest government deer removals ever undertaken, according to The New York Times.

The village unanimously adopted a resolution Friday for the inter-municipal agreement, putting $15,000 to the Long Island Farm Bureau, which will coordinate the U.S.D.A. and participating municipalities.

The deer population, East Hampton Village Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. said, has "created a public health crisis, a public nuisance, quality of life, and economic deficiency issues." He said, "We all love Bambi . . . but this is a necessary first step."
Online and handwritten petitions started several weeks ago garnered over 10,000 signatures, according to Wendy Chamberlain, a Bridgehampton resident, who presented them — wrapped with pink ribbon and a bell — to the village board on Friday. About 60 percent of the signatures were from people who live in Suffolk County, she said. Some hunters have even joined the opposition

Larry Penny, a Noyac resident and the Town of East Hampton's former Natural Resources director for 28 years, said he couldn't understand why the village wasn't opting to try contraceptive methods to cut down the deer population first. "Humans have been using birth control for 40 years. Yet, we don't do for deer what we do for humans?," he said.

The speakers accomplished little — though attorney Edward Lebeaux informed the board during the public session that he had just come from Village Hall, where he served the law suits.

Rick Lawler, a village board member, said, "I heard nothing today that could change my mind."

The village board received support from the Village Preservation Society. Chairwoman Joan Osborne said the group prefers the method of sterilization, and encouraged village officials to consider that in the future. The mayor said the board had already committed to looking at other alternatives down the road.
The Town of East Hampton, along with the Town of Southold, have agreed to put in $25,000 for the program.

Southampton Town, Brookhaven Town, and Shelter Island Town are reportedly still deciding. The Village of Sagaponack has agreed as long as its neighbor, East Hampton Town, and its township of Southampton take part. The Town of Riverhead Town officials declined to participate.

Other petitioners in the suits filed against East Hampton Town are Betsy Petroski Smith, Robert Silversten, Gale Friedman, Ron Brach, A.W. Noonan, Nancy Cardoso, Lori Schiaffino, Zelda Penzel, Carol Buda, Sari Thompson, Monica Navia, Amelina Siekluska, and Mary Stone.


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