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Ecosystem Restoration and Management

Prescribed Burns

A prescribed fire, or burn, is a controlled fire on a specific piece of land. It is designed to accomplish specific resource management goals.
Fire used to be a natural part of life for native woodlands, wetlands and meadows. Many ecosystems depend upon periodic fires to rejuvenate native plants.

Prescribed Burns

Deer Management

In 1998, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors mandated development of the Fairfax County Deer Management Program. The board’s action was a response to county resident concerns about the growing number of deer and the conflicts posed by their overabundance.

The program is operated primarily on county-owned properties. It is conducted by the Fairfax County Police Department in collaboration with the Fairfax County Park Authority and NOVA Parks.

Park Deer Management Locations

Deer Management Program

More About Deer Management

The goal of the Deer Management Program is to reduce the deer population to more sustainable levels in order to minimize adverse impacts for both residents and wildlife. The county’s deer population has grown to levels that pose safety and health hazards.

There are a large number of deer-vehicle collisions annually in Fairfax County.

Deer also are causing lasting damage to forested ecosystems. Overbrowsing by white-tailed deer can alter forest composition and structure. In many county areas, park ecologists have measured little to no tree regeneration because deer have eaten seedlings and saplings. This affects insects, birds and other wildlife species.

The Fairfax County Deer Management Program uses three methods approved by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources for deer population reduction: archery, managed hunting, and sharpshooting. These methods follow national best practices established for deer management. They were developed based on wildlife management program models in other jurisdictions, deer census data, environmental impact studies, and scientific literature.

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Ecosystem Restoration and Management

Helping Our Land Heal

Invasive Management Area Program

Prescribed Burns

Deer Management

More About Deer Management

Geese Management Program

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