New York Wants Landowners To Monitor Deer Impacts On Forest

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The state Department of Environmental Conservation wants landowners to help monitor the impact of deer on forest health.

A citizen science tool for tracking local forest health has been developed by DEC in partnership with Cornell University and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. It's called "AVID," for Assessing Vegetation Impacts from Deer.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos says information generated from the AVID tool will provide a good indicator of whether the number of deer is in balance with the habitat.

It involves laying out monitoring plots in forested areas and counting wildflower and tree species there. Data is entered on the AVID website .

Cornell Cooperative Extension is offering training classes across the state.