WEST AMWELL TWP.: Sourlands group to hold symposium on deer management

Deer called ‘greatest single threat to the health of the Sourland forest’

   The Sourland Conservancy will sponsor a free symposium to educate residents and landowners about responsible hunting in the Sourlands from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Otto Kaufman Community Center, 356 Skillman Road, Montgomery Township.
   The event features presentations on the impacts of deer overpopulation, basic hunting rules and regulations, and a review of local deer management efforts. The presentations will be followed by a question-and-answer period and panel discussion. Refreshments and time for socializing will follow at the end of the program.
   Symposium attendees will also get previews of two programs:
   — The Hunter Connection, a new web site that will help landowners find responsible hunters for their Sourland-area properties, and
   — The Venison Connection, a program that will help non-hunters get access to fresh venison.
   The Sourland Conservancy is a nonprofit organization working to protect the ecological integrity, historic resources and special character of the Sourland Mountain region.
   Overpopulation of white-tailed deer is currently the greatest single threat to the health of the Sourland forest. The Conservancy is working on a Sourland deer management plan through funding of the Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership and the state Department of Environmental Protection. The deer management symposium is one of the education and outreach components of the deer management plan.
   Learn about the Sourland Mountain region and the Sourland Conservancy at www.sourland.org.
   The deer management symposium is free, but advance registration is requested. Visit the events page at www.sourland.org to register. For information, email [email protected].