Another resignation from Deer & Tick Committee: Marc Wein says, ‘Time is right’

Marc Wein has resigned from the Deer & Tick Committee, which will undergo restructuring since he is the fourth person to leave the committee in the last several weeks.

Hank Amann tendered his resignation in June and Chuck Tiernan also resigned. Mashomack Preserve’s representative on the committee, Alex Navarro, has been promoted by The Nature Conservancy to a position in Connecticut. His last meeting was on July 7 and the committee anticipates a replacement will be selected by Mashomack Director Jeremy Samuelson.

For the moment, that leaves Dr. James Bevilacqua as committee chairman, Scott Campbell, Ph.D.,  and Julia Weisenberg on the committee, with Animal Control Officer Beau Payne serving as the Police Department’s representative.

In his resignation announcement, Mr. Wein said he is not acting out of any animus toward the committee or Town Board, but after serving for so many years, believes the time is right for him to leave.

He praised Ms. Weisenberg’s contributions as head of the education subcommittee, saying her contributions have been significant. He said Mr. Payne and Police Chief Jim Read have the deer hunting efforts well in hand.

Mr. Wein, who initially helped to enlist support for the town’s 4-poster effort, in more recent years became a critic of the amount of funding going to that program. He said he thought the investment was far beyond what was practical. He also questioned the ongoing use of permethrin, the tickicide used on the units, questioning its safety and efficacy in significantly reducing the tick population.

He became a strong advocate for greater emphasis on culling the herd. That effort became a dominant part of the town’s effort to reduce tick-borne illnesses after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation banned the use of 4-poster units, forcing the town to concentrate its resources on hunting and education.