For the second year in a row, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities is planning to address the issue of urban wildlife management at its annual convention.

The topic has resurfaced, in part, due to complaints from Oak Bay residents, including Coun. John Herbert, about the encroachment of deer into the community, and frustration at the confusion over who bears responsibility for the management of nuisance wildlife.

In response, the UBCM has scheduled a workshop at the convention which will focus on the management challenges, policies, solutions and responsibilities of various parties with respect to urban wildlife.

B次元官网网址淭here are jurisdictional issues,B次元官网网址� said UBCM spokesperson Paul Taylor.

B次元官网网址淲hile the responsibility for managing wildlife lies with the province, the greatest impact is in the individual communities. YouB次元官网网址檝e got taxpayers that are saying B次元官网网址榳e need some actionB次元官网网址�, so where do they go? They donB次元官网网址檛 go to the province. They go to their local governments.B次元官网网址�

Oak Bay is the most recent municipality in Greater Victoria to request that the Capital Regional District create a regional management strategy to deal with deer. The CRD is in the midst of gathering data from conservation officers, law enforcement and ICBC to determine what, if any, steps to take.

TheyB次元官网网址檝e also solicited public feedback to get an anecdotal snapshot of the impact deer have on urban life. But theyB次元官网网址檝e stopped short of committing to creating a deer management strategy.

Among the panelists at the UBCM workshop will be representatives from the City of Cranbrook, which has made significant progress with its deer problem. The hope is that other municipalities will be able to learn from their experience and begin working collaboratively with the province, rather than engaging in a jurisdictional battle.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 still the mentality that itB次元官网网址檚 a provincial issue,B次元官网网址� said Cranbrook spokesperson Chris Zettel. B次元官网网址淏ut when we got to the point where we gave them the strategy and they said theyB次元官网网址檇 meet us halfway, that was a big step forward. Suddenly the roadblock fell.B次元官网网址�

CranbrookB次元官网网址檚 plan includes culling some of the problem deer, capturing and relocating others, and allowing a perimeter hunt during regular hunting season. The city has also launched a public education campaign and is forming a permanent committee to manage the plan.

Oak Bay Mayor Christopher Causton, who will chair the workshop, would ideally like to see the CRD follow CranbrookB次元官网网址檚 lead, but said his community can only wait so long for a solution.

B次元官网网址淭he CRD is being very slow on this, and in spite of pushing them, weB次元官网网址檙e not seeing the kind of action that residents in Oak Bay expect,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 leery of starting local, but unless we see some action from the CRD soon, weB次元官网网址檙e going to have to take some (steps) on our own.

B次元官网网址淭his is not about gardens, this is about safety,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about wildlife being at large in unexpected places and causing potential danger to humans, especially children.B次元官网网址�

editor@oakbaynews.com

Did you know?

B次元官网网址� Most deer in the Capital Region are Columbian black-tail, a close relative of the mule deer.

B次元官网网址� There are between 150,000 and 250,000 black-tailed deer living in B.C.

B次元官网网址� Black-tailed deer typically travel alone or in small groups.

B次元官网网址� Females generally give birth to two fawns each year.

Source: B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations