The government is looking at a new approach to managing deer populations in an effort to reduce the animal's negative impacts on the environment and crops.
As part of the England Trees Action Plan, the deer management strategy has launched to manage impact on woodland and crops, as well as to safeguard the animal's potential benefits.
The strategy will set out key actions to reduce impacts of deer on the natural environment, and bring the population into sustainable numbers that the ecosystem can support without negative effects.
The new strategy also aims to improve on the current understanding of deer populations and their overall impact.
Defra and the Forestry Commission have published a one-month consultation to seek views on the key proposals and actions to include in the final strategy.
The proposals include incentives to increase farmer and landowner willingness to reduce deer impacts through active and effective management.
They also include improving the provisions within the 1991 Deer Act to enable more effective and accessible deer management, and developing landscape scale solutions where deer move across ownership boundaries.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents thousands of farmers and landowners, welcomed the consultation.
Mark Tufnell, CLA president said: "We must manage deer populations and their impact if tree planting initiatives are to succeed.
“Excessive deer browsing can prevent new woodlands becoming established, and limit sustainable management and regeneration in existing woodland areas.
"With burgeoning populations and no natural predators, we must tackle deer numbers where they are out of balance with their environment if tree planting is to be effective in tackling climate change.”
The consultation, which closes on 2 September, can be completed on Defra's website.
