Title
Resolution Directing the City Administrator to Develop Recommendations Regarding a Regional Deer Management Program
Staff
Reviewed by: Derek Delacourt, Community Services Area Administrator
Atleen Kaur, City Attorney
Marti Praschan, CFO
Missy Stultus, Sustainability & Innovations Director
Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City Council recognizes the importance of maintaining healthy, sustainable deer populations and protecting public safety, natural resources, vegetation, and ecological balance within the City;
Whereas, Deer populations that exceed the capacity of available habitat may contribute to ecological degradation, damage to public and private property, increased vehicle-deer collisions, negative impact on the health of deer and humans including through increased tick exposure, and other community impacts;
Whereas, Ann Arbor residents have requested the City’s assistance with deer management, something individual residents within city limits have limited ability to address effectively on their own;
Whereas, The City pursued a deer management program in the 2010s, generating results and data that can inform current and future deer management efforts in Ann Arbor;
Whereas, Effective deer management may require coordination among neighboring municipalities, regional agencies, landowners, conservation organizations, and appropriate state wildlife authorities;
Whereas, The City Council believes that any consideration of deer management strategies should be informed by data, applicable law and regulations, public-safety considerations, humane wildlife-management practices, cost information, and evaluation of non-lethal management alternatives;
Whereas, The City Administrator is authorized, under City Code Section 9:53, to approve and permit the control and management of wildlife that causes property damage or creates a nuisance or health hazard, and the permitting for such actions must be coordinated with and issued by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; and
Whereas, The Sustainability Commission provides expertise in reviewing potential approaches and making recommendations to the City Council;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is directed to investigate and develop recommendations on how the City could participate in pursuing a regional deer management program;
RESOLVED, The City Administrator shall identify relevant regional, county, state, and wildlife-management entities which coordination may be appropriate, and determine what cooperative mechanisms may be available;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator’s recommendations should address:
• Current and projected deer population levels based on available data;
• Ecological impacts and local habitat capacity of deer in Ann Arbor;
• Vehicle collisions, property damage, tick reports, and other documented public impacts;
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, permits, and wildlife-management requirements;
• Potential management methods, including their feasibility, effectiveness, limitations, costs, potential funding sources and impacts on existing City programs, staffing, operations, or future budgetary commitments;
• Standards for humane implementation and oversight;
• The results and data from the City’s deer management program in the 2010s that can inform current and future deer management efforts in Ann Arbor;
• Public notification, community engagement, and transparency considerations; and
• Potential criteria for measuring the effectiveness of any regional management program;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator and City staff shall present their findings and recommendations to the Sustainability Commission for consideration and input before any final recommendation on participation in a regional deer management program is presented to City Council;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator shall provide the Sustainability Commission with a written report and proposed next steps within 180 days of adoption of this resolution;
RESOLVED, That the 180-day report may include recommendations regarding the use of external technical assistance or consultant support, if determined necessary, including a proposed scope of work, estimated cost, potential funding sources, and anticipated timeline for completion; and
RESOLVED, That the City Council encourages an evidence-based, regionally coordinated, transparent, and humane approach to deer population management that considers ecological sustainability, the health of deer and humans, and community impacts.
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Cornell, Mallek, Akmon, Disch, and Watson
As Amended by Ann Arbor City Council on September 22, 2026