Helena and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials have worked out more of the details of the city’s plan to kill 50 mule deer in town, and FWP has completed an environmental assessment that is now available for public review and comment.

The analysis shows the project will have no or minimal impacts to land, air water and vegetation resources. The study also analyzed wildlife impacts and showed the project will have some effect on the city’s deer population, but it won’t impact other species.

“The removal of 50 animals will cause some localized changes to the distribution and abundance of mule deer and it will not adversely affect the overall abundance of the species within the city,” according to the study. “Mule deer will still be plentiful in many … parts of the city.”

Comments on the study will be accepted until June 9 at 5 p.m.

The city will use police officers armed with small-caliber firearms and bolt guns to kill deer captured in clover traps on public lands on the city’s southeast side. Landowners also can ask to have deer trapped and killed on their private property. Venison gathered through the project will be given to Helena Food Share for charitable distribution.

The traps will be baited and monitored whenever they’re in place, City Manager Tim Burton said. Police officers will kill bucks and does while releasing any fawns captured.

The work will get under way sometime between Aug. 15 and March 31.

Burton said FWP staffers suggested concentrating the work on the city’s upper east side. He said police officers will use city parkland, other city properties and perhaps lands owned by other government agencies. Public access to those lands may be prohibited during the project. Specific parcels haven’t yet been identified, Burton said.

“In the department’s opinion, that’s probably one of the more problem areas in town, and we are just going to go with what the biologists recommend,” he said. Burton added that public comment could influence that decision.

A study conducted in late 2006 estimated the city’s mule deer population to number about 700 by now. The herd is expected to grow to about 1,800 animals by 2010.

FWP’s study noted the likely increase of human-deer conflicts if the population isn’t reduced. Department and city officials, citing an extensive study developed by a citizen advisory group, initially asked FWP commissioners to approve the killing of up to 350 deer in the city limits.

Commissioners balked at the proposal, with some questioning the legitimacy of the problem and some hesitant to use any of the agency’s user-fee funding to assist the city in killing deer in a place where hunters cannot.

The commission eventually agreed to a pilot project of 50 deer.

Copies of the study are available at FWP’s Helena office at 930 Custer Ave., by calling at 495-3260, or by following the link at helenair.com.

Comments may be e-mailed to helenadeercontrol@mt.gov or sent to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, HARO n Helena Urban Deer EA, PO Box 200701 Helena MT 59620-0701.

Click here to download the Helena Urban Deer EA.

Reporter Larry Kline: 447-4075 or larry.kline@helenair.com