LETTER: Open letter to Grand Forks city council - let the deer be

By Contributor

Dear Mayor and council:

I was born and raised in the valley and over the years have grown to appreciate it more and more. Grand Forks has an ambiance of a “Norman Rockwell” setting. To me it is very calming to my spirit to know that I can live in harmony with the wildlife.

We have not been touched by war or any natural disasters as many parts of the world are experiencing today. It is a time of great unrest both economically and politically world wide. Here we sit in this peaceful valley and we are focusing on doing harm to the animal kingdom instead of having respect for all life forms.

Instead of protecting them we are planning on exploiting them or eradicating them. We are in the process of shamelessly destroying them for our own comfort. Think about it!

We have a fence around our vegetable garden. I plant flowers and shrubs that are deer resistant. I hang my hanging baskets high enough so they cannot reach them. If they munch on some, I do not fall apart, it is nothing in the big scheme of things. Our garden was featured in the Garden's West Magazine. All
this while living in harmony with the deer.

We have encroached on their habitat and we must come to terms with them and find a humane solution to co-exist together, We should protect them and not exploit and eradicate them. Let us think compassionately before we shamelessly destroy them for our own comfort . Norm Walker's idea of
signs around town, saying “watch out for deer” would be a great start and let's learn to live and let live!

Long time resident,
Liz Faminoff