Supplementalreportwithaddons 2

conflicts with holidays. The 2023-24 overwintering population at Eagle Rock will be 44 deer, which is 37 more than the recommended population of 7 deer for this 0.68 square mile park. However, the spotlight counts since 2018 saw such small numbers of deer that the validity of these numbers is questionable. I am hesitant to recommend a commitment of money and manpower to securing the park and hunting until we have better population data. Though an infrared drone survey scheduled in 2023 had to be cancelled due to an early leaf-out, it is hoped that one can be accomplished in 2024. Infrared drone surveys should be conducted as soon as possible after the 2024 deer removal concludes. They are more reliable than spotlight counts, and important to determining the success of each harvest and in guiding continued deer removal efforts. Acknowledgments Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo is to be commended for continuing the Essex County Deer Management Program in two of Essex County's most significant park properties. He recognizes the perilous future of the ecology of these irreplaceable park resources and is fighting to correct it in the most efficient and effective method possible, despite the objections of some County residents. The Essex County Board of County Commissioners showed that they share the County Executive's concern by voting to allow this program to continue. The success of the Essex County Deer Management Program is due to the hard work, commitment and cooperation of hundreds of people. Thanks are extended to the staff of the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, and in particular its Director, Daniel Salvante, and Tara Casella, Environmental Center Director; the Essex County Sheriffs Department, and in particular Sheriff Armando Fontoura and Sergeant Matthew Krug; and the numerous other Essex County and municipal agencies and offices that contributed to this effort. The County of Essex extends its thanks to Jodi Powers, Senior Biologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, for her assistance in the conduct of this program. The residents of Essex County again owe a great deal of thanks to the hunters who took time away from their families, jobs, and their own personal pursuits to serve voluntarily in a program that is saving the ecology of parks in the Essex County Park System for the enjoyment

rs who took time away from their families, jobs, and their own personal pursuits to serve voluntarily in a program that is saving the ecology of parks in the Essex County Park System for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations of County residents and visitors. 23