Kimberley City Council is following recommendations from the Urban Deer Advisory Committee and raising fines for feeding deer within the City. It can now cost you up to $500 to feed deer.
Council gave the first three readings to the amendment to the Deer Feeding bylaw on Monday evening. It will be adopted at a special Council meeting on December 17, 2012.
“I’m very happy to see this move forward,” said
Coun. Darryl Oakley, Council representative on the Deer Committee. “All the recommendations from the Committee Report are in movement now. The recommendations are very important pieces of a comprehensive ungulate management program, which I believe will become a model for all BC communities.”
The bylaw is meant as a compliance tool, Oakley said. The fines can be hefty, but the maximum fine is meant for those who simply refuse to stop feeding deer, after several warnings.
“It is discretionary, up to the bylaw enforcement officer,” he said.
Coun. Albert Hoglund questioned the section of the bylaw where it stated it was contrary to the bylaw to “cause deer to be fed”.
“Does that mean if I have a bird feeder, I am causing deer to be fed?”
Oakley said that was the case. “Fruit trees too. If you are not picking your fruit, you are causing deer to be fed.”
He did stress that all these instances were up to the discretion of the bylaw officer.