Ann Arbor Faces Second Lawsuit Over Deer Cull In City Parks
ANN ARBOR (WWJ/AP) - The city of Ann Arbor is facing a second lawsuit over its decision to hire sharpshooters with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to kill deer in city parks.
Ann Arbor resident Sally Daniels filed a lawsuit against the city Monday in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The lawsuit challenges the validity of the cull permit issued to the city by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, according to The Ann Arbor News.
A judge this week denied Daniels' initial request for a temporary restraining order seeking to halt the cull. A hearing is scheduled Thursday morning on her motion seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the cull.
The cull started earlier this month and will involve the killing of up to 100 deer.
In November, the Ann Arbor City Council voted 8-1 in favor of spending up to $35,000 to hire sharpshooters to lure and kill 100 deer at night in city-owned parks and natural areas. In order for the cull to take place, the council also voted to change a city law to allow the discharge of weapons in public places.
The vote followed more than a year of city discussions and study. Complaints from some residents about damage to landscaping and concerns about deer-vehicle crashes prompted study of the issue. An aerial survey on February 10, 2015 counted 116 deer and the second survey on March 6, 2015 counted 168 deer. The animals are concentrated in the north and east sides of the city, as well as areas along the Huron River.
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