PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal officials plan to downgrade the Columbian white-tailed deer’s status from endangered to threatened, maintaining the species’ protection but under more flexible regulations.
The Oregonian reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that they plan to downgrade the deer’s status but keep it protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The move will give state officials more leeway in managing deer populations.
Fish and Wildlife deputy regional director Richard Hannan says the deer’s recovery is a result of efforts by state, federal and tribal wildlife managers. The deer’s numbers have doubled since it was listed in 1967, from 450 to about 900.
Oregon hunters are free to shoot black-tailed, mule and Eastern Oregon white-tailed deer. The Columbian white-tailed deer, however, has struggled to recover from hunting losses.
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