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The National Park Service announced that it has donated 500 pounds of venison to the Island Harvest food bank following a controversial cull of 25 deer at the William Floyd Estate in Mastic Beach.
“This partnership ensures this local protein source can go to those in need,” said Alex Romero, superintendent of Fire Island National Seashore, of which the William Floyd Estate is a unit.
Island Harvest is the largest hunger relief organization on Long Island. It delievers food to a network of 570 food pantries, soup kitchens and nonprofits across Long Island.
The venison was harvested during the first year of deer removal operations conducted from Feb. 26 to March 31.
The operation was temporarily stopped in court through a restraining order as a federal judge considered the arguments of environmental groups who sought alternative means to handle the deer population. Officials say there are too many and are endangering the rest of the local natural habitat.
The cull is was part of an integrated deer management strategy approved in 2016.
