FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE06-07
to Conduct Aerial Survey of Deer in Kensico Basin
Commissioner Emily Lloyd of the New York City Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that within the
next two weeks the DEP is going to conduct an aerial survey of
the deer population in the area surrounding the Kensico Reservoir
The survey will use an infrared camera mounted on
a single engine Cessna airplane, and will be conducted at night
from an altitude of approximately 1000 feet. The study will
map the deer population within a 4-mile by 6-mile area of Westchester
covering the Kensico drainage basin.
“Deer can have a detrimental effect on watershed
areas by reducing or eliminating forest regeneration,” said
Commissioner Lloyd. “Damage to the forests can lead
to loose or unstable soil, which then increases the amount of soil
that runs off into the water system during and after a rainfall
or snow melt. More data are needed if officials are to develop
an effective strategy for managing the deer herd in the county.”
A healthy, vigorously growing forest consumes more
nutrients, reducing the amount of nutrients in watercourses and
reservoirs and thereby aiding in water quality protection. A
resilient forest with various sizes of trees is also able to recover
faster from various events, such as damage from weather.
DEP has worked extensively with Westchester County
and Pace University on the effects of whitetail deer. A conference
on deer management was held at Pace in November 2005, which led
to the decision by DEP to conduct the deer survey.
Survey work will be done by Vision Air Research
of Boise, Idaho, using a red and white Cessna. The flight
will be coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration so
as to not interfere with operations at Westchester County Airport.