A public meeting is scheduled for mid-April as officials at Southwestern Pennsylvania’s three national parks finalize a plan to manage an overpopulation of white-tailed deer.
The plan has been in the works for more than a year as deer have had a detrimental effect on vegetation at Flight 93 National Park in Somerset County and Friendship Hill National Historic Site and Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Fayette County.
The effort is expected to wrap up this year, said Brenda Wasler, natural resource manager for the national parks of Western Pennsylvania.
“Implementation of the deer cull is anticipated to begin in winter 2026-2027,” she said.
The proposal involves the use of sharpshooters in specific areas of the parks when they’re closed, likely between November and March. There would be goals annually based on how native vegetation has rebounded.
The plan calls for maintaining the herd at 15 to 20 deer per square mile in each of the three parks.
Thermal infrared surveys in 2024 showed there were 123 deer per square mile at Flight 93, 74 at Fort Necessity and 83 at Friendship Hill, according to the plan. That overabundance makes it challenging for forests to stay healthy because the animals typically eat native plants and young trees, Wasler has said, which can lead to invasive plants taking over.
An initial round of public comment was accepted last spring after the draft plan was released.
Deer-related issues have been identified by officials at the three parks, including:
• Detrimental effects on efforts to establish and maintain the landscape at Flight 93 National Memorial and regenerate the Hemlock Grove. The site honors the 40 people who were aboard United Airlines Flight 93 when they wrested control from hijackers Sept. 11, 2001, and crashed the plane into a field.
• Damage to a historic tree line at the Great Meadows at Fort Necessity and an increase in nonnative and invasive species. The battlefield was host to the opening action in the French and Indian War in 1754 in Fayette County.
• Negative effects on the forest at Friendship Hill and an inability to successfully regrow a historic garden and orchard. The site is the restored country estate of Albert Gallatin in Fayette County. He played a large role in the country’s history.
The public meeting is set for 6:30-8 p.m. April 16 at the Fort Necessity visitor center. A virtual option will be available. Comments on the plan will be accepted until May 1. They can be submitted on the project website at parkplanning.nps.gov/wepa-deer or by mail to Superintendent, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, 1 Washington Parkway, Farmington, PA 15437.
