A city ordinance in a Western Pennsylvania township was approved to prohibit residents from feeding deer.
McCandless Township Council voted to enact the ordinance, which states residents could face as much as 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500 if convicted, WPXI reports.
Residents will receive a $50 fine for a first offense and a $100 fine for a second offense. An additional $100 will be added for each incident, with a cap at $500 for the sixth and following offenses.
Residents will be prohibited from leaving fruit, grain, vegetables, bird and wildlife feed, salt licks or any other edible items on the ground, in a container or at a feeding station with the intention of feeding and attracting more deer to the location.
McCandless residents are still allowed to place food outside their homes for birds, domestic livestock in pets, as long as they are acting "in good faith," the ordinance states.
Last summer, a questionnaire was sent to local residents, which resulted in 81% saying they were in favor of the township implementing a "comprehensive deer management program" or no feed ordinance. The new ordinance aims to lower the deer population in the township in an effort to slow the spread of Lyme disease, as well as damage to property or vegetation, and limit vehicle crashes involving deer.
The McCandless township's code enforcement officer will be responsible for enforcing the new ordinance, WPXI reports.
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