Seek Deer Fence Comment

A proposed Sagaponack Village law that would impose a 90-day moratorium on the installation of deer fencing will be the subject of a public hearing on Monday at 3 p.m. at Village Hall. 

The village code allows deer fencing only on agricultural property, but the definition of agricultural production has been questioned. 

The issue came to a head at a board meeting on July 9, at which two property owners, one on Parsonage Lane, the other on Bridge Lane, sought permission to build deer fences around land where they intend to grow produce. Parsonage Lane neighbors vehemently opposed the fences and questioned whether the property owners could legitimately claim to be farmers.

The village board had invited the farming community to discuss deer fencing at a meeting on July 16, and in particular, how the village could effectively distinguish between a farmer and a homeowner who decides to grow fruits or vegetables in a backyard. The board hoped the discussion would provide an answer.

During the moratorium, if enacted, there would be “neither processing nor approvals of applications for agricultural fencing” while the board defines agricultural production consistent with the standards recognized in the New York Agriculture and Markets Law.