A Misleading Headline

To the Editor:

This is in response to an article in the June 29, 2012, edition of The Newtown Bee entitled “DEEP To Support Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Not Deer Cull.”

Having served for two years on the Newtown Tick-Borne Disease Action Committee, I can say that this headline is very misleading for two reasons, the first being that it gives the reader the idea that DEEP is somehow involved in the prevention of tick-borne diseases. This is not the case. DEEP is the recent merger of two state agencies, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Energy. According to DEEP’s own website, their mission is “conserving, improving and protecting our natural resources and environment; ensuring a clean, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy supply.” Disease prevention is the purview of the State Department of Health perhaps, but is not under DEEP jurisdiction.

The second reason that the headline is misleading is that it leads one to believe that DEEP is not supportive of a deer cull in Newtown. First of all, DEEP has not made any studies of Newtown yet so how can we know whether or not they would support a deer cull in Newtown? Secondly, DEEP has had a history of supporting deer culls in other towns, the most recent example being in Redding where DEEP did come in and completed a study and a survey and presented recommendations to reduce Redding’s deer population substantially through a culling process. Therefore, to hint that DEEP is not in support of deer culls is inaccurate.

The subject of tick-borne diseases is such an important one that by its own complex nature can lead to much misunderstanding and confusion.  Misleading headlines only serve to add to that confusion.

Yours truly,

Mary Gaudet-Wilson

12 Whippoorwill Hill Road, Newtown                              July 3, 2012