Orono officials move to reduce Marsh Island deer population

ORONO – Town officials have decided to echo Old Town’s decision to move ahead with plans to decrease the white-tailed deer population on Marsh Island, but there still is a long way to go before any final action is taken.

Old Town officials decided last month to go ahead and request that the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife begin the rulemaking process to restore some form of hunting to Marsh Island, which is classified as a wildlife management area where hunting is prohibited.

Deer overpopulation on the island has been a hot topic recently in both Orono and Old Town.

At a joint public hearing of the two towns in August, residents voiced concerns about health and safety, but their primary issue is the damage deer are doing to property.

Once DIF&W requests that the commissioner begin the rulemaking process, a committee will be formed to explore the issue. Town officials will be part of that committee, Orono Town Manager Cathy Conlow said Thursday.

Both Orono and Old Town municipalities have said that the DIF&W commissioner likely won’t agree to open the island for hunting unless the University of Maine, which is the largest landowner in the area, will agree to be part of the process.

The university hasn’t taken a formal position on the issue, but has formed a committee to explore the idea.

The committee, headed by UM Public Safety Chief Noel March, is scheduled to meet Nov. 3 to assess what Orono and Old Town have decided, as well as consider the university’s concerns.