New Shoreham Town Council Meeting

Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road

Wednesday, February 25, 2025

12:00 p.m.

 

Present: First Warden Keith Stover, Second Warden Nancy Dodge, Town Council members William McCombe, and Tristan Payne.  Also present were Interim Town Manager Amy Land, and via Zoom, Town Solicitor James Callaghan.  Town Clerk Millicent Highet was present for the recording of minutes.  Town Council member Margaret O’Neill was absent.

 

First Warden Stover called the meeting to order at 12:02 p.m.

 

1.      Meet with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to discuss deer hunting, deer management and deer mitigation strategies on Block Island

Mr. Stover introduced DEM Director Terrence Gray and thanked him and his team for their responsiveness and helpfulness.  The following representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management were present: Dylan Ferreira, Terrence Gray, Dean Hoxie, Jay Osenkiwski and Kevin Snow.  Dylan Ferreira gave a presentation highlighting the following:

·         A deer population count has not been completed since 2017.  A statistical count should be completed this winter.

·         The deer harvest spiked with the implementation of the bounty.

·         Harvesting females drives the population down.

·         Late year harvesting adds to the kill of shed-bucks (bucks who have lost their antlers for the season), as they are thought to be females.

·         Regulation complexity acts as a deterrent to bringing hunters to the Island.

·         84 hunting days are lost each season on Block Island due to the late season start and prohibiting weekend and holiday hunting.

·         Increased hunting on more properties (public land, quasi-public land [conservancy land], private property) would increase the harvest.

·         Three hunters took 63% of total harvest in 2023.  The same three hunters have taken 67% of the harvest in 2024.  There is a need to diversify the hunting population.

·         Block Island can improve the harvest by:

o   Expanding the length of season (weekend, holidays, early season start).

o   Increasing hunting areas: co-op with landowners.

o   Increasing hunters by:

§  Simplifying regulations.

§  Removing Police sign-off.

§  Offering bounty opportunity to all hunters.

o   Increase the harvest of females:

§  Increase bounty on females and reduce male bounty.

§  Educate hunters on sex-specific harvest importance.

 

The following issues from the DEM, the Town Council and the public regarding deer management and mitigation were raised:

·         A deer count and data collection is imperative to planning.

·         A private-pay deer count would cost about $40,000.

·         The NS Fire Department has a thermal detecting drone that could be used for deer counting.

·         Providing a refrigeration truck for hunters to temporarily store and process deer carcasses would increase harvest.

·         Local hunters can hunt safely on Block Island.

·         Weekend hunting by non-island hunters raises fear.

·         Birth control is not promoted, as it is very expensive.  Hunters will pay for the privilege of hunting.  For sterilization to be effective, every deer must be sterilized. 

·         A check station on Block Island would improve data collection.

·         Having DEM presence on Block Island would be beneficial.  Dean Hoxie is working with the Police Chief to keep an enforcement vehicle on the Island.

·         Baiting for hunting or tick treatment is prohibited by the DEM, as it can spread disease.

·         Hunting is safe, legal and effective and can be done safely by residents and non-residents.

 

Amy Land, Dylan Ferreira and Tristan Payne will work together to investigate running a drone-driven deer count.

 

2.      Discuss and act on hunting the calendar:

a.      Potential weekend hunting

Discussion ensued regarding potential weekend hunting.  Chris Blane spoke from the audience in opposition to weekend hunting.  It was noted that a letter in opposition of weekend hunting was received from Jane Muskey.

 

b.      Set the 2025 – 2026 hunting season

Mr. Payne moved to set the 2025/2026 pheasant hunting dates and the deer hunting season for archery, shotgun and muzzleloader as follows:

Deer Dates October 2025 - February 2026

 

Archery Only

October  16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 2025.

 

Archery, Muzzleloader, Shotgun

November 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 2025.  (Represents no concurrent             deer/pheasant days)

December 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 2025. (Represents no concurrent         deer/pheasant days)

January 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 2026.              (Represents concurrent pheasant and deer hunting on 1/7)

February 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 2026.

 

Pheasant Hunting Dates:

November 19, 26, 2025.

December 3, 17, 2025.

January 7, 2026.

 

And:

to note a local regulation exists to prohibit the use of lead in ammunition for all hunting on Block Island, because it has been proven that lead leaches into ponds and the Island’s single source aquifer and has a detrimental effect on wildlife and the ecosystem, and nontoxic ammunition is readily available.

And:

to request that the DEM’s hunting abstracts continue to include (1) the information that landowner permission countersigned by the Chief of Police is required for all hunting on Block Island (2) notation of the Town of New Shoreham local ordinance requiring landowner permission for all hunting and (3) during shotgun season in the Town of New Shoreham all hunters regardless of weapon type must wear 500 square inches of orange.

The motion does not allow hunting during school vacation, assumed to be the 3^rd week in February and allows concurrent pheasant and deer hunting on January 7, 2026. 

The motion was seconded by Mr. McCombe and carried.

            Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, Payne, McCombe)               Nays: 0            Absent: 1 (O’Neill)

 

c.       Review of the hunting calendar for 2026 -2027 season

The hunting calendar for the 2026 - 2027 season will be reviewed at a later date.

 

3.      Discuss and Act on Firearm Deer Hunting on the Block Island Wildlife Refuge

From the audience, Kim Gaffett of the Nature Conservancy stated that the Sachem Pond Wildlife Refuge has been opened for deer hunting since 2012.  She states that she personally believes the benefit of hunting does not outweigh the benefit of providing a refuge for wildlife and of public use of the Wildlife Refuge.  She noted that access to the Wildlife Refuge should not be across the Breed land.  It was noted that annual reporting is required by US Fish and Wildlife.  Chris Blane stated that firearm hunting should be prohibited, as there is too much walking and visitor traffic, no adequate warning signage, no enforcement, and the boundaries are not delineated. 

 

Mr. Payne moved to prohibit hunting on the Sachem Pond Wildlife Refuge.  Mr. McCombe seconded the motion it carried. 

Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, Payne, McCombe)               Nays: 0            Absent: 1 (O’Neill)

 

Mr. Payne moved to adjourn at 1:43 p.m.  The motion was seconded by Mr. McCombe and it carried.

            Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, Payne, McCombe)               Nays: 0            Absent: 1 (O’Neill)

 

 

Millicent Highet, MMC

Town Clerk    

 

Date Approved: 3/3/2025