Ocean Shores has amended its nuisances ordinance with new language intended to “eliminate the feeding of deer and other wild animals within the city limits.”

By a 5-1 City Council vote — with members Holly Plackett voting no and Susan Conniry abstaining — the city now declares it a public nuisance to “feed wild deer, elk, coyotes, cougars, bears, opossums, raccoons, river otters, rats or bats.”

The decision came after several years of debate and city discussion over the issue of feeding the multiplying number of deer on the peninsula, with previous testimony about the damage it causes to the animals from a state Fish and Wildlife expert, and recent facts presented to the council, such as that there were 132 dead deer handled by city Public Works last year.

The vote also followed a public comment period in which about a dozen people spoke in favor of the new measure, and others who wanted to revise it or questioned if it was going too far. Another issue was how it would be enforced.

Council member Lisa Griebel introduced the new ordinance language, which she said stems from a petition signed by about 200 people urging the city to try to prevent people from feeding the deer.

Griebel referenced the testimony in 2017 from Scott Harris, the Fish and Wildlife biologist, whose thesis was “that wildlife feeding threatens humans, pets and our wildlife.”

“He did talk about two problems that occur when feeding wildlife within city limits — habituation and concentration,” Griebel said.

“Habituation is when wild animals become used to humans. And concentration means that when you feed them, you get more of that type of wildlife in one area. Complicating that in Ocean Shores is our lack of hunting and the lack of many predators,” Griebel said.

The concentration of deer also can result in the number of vehicle/deer accidents, and there is the potential of the spread of disease, as well as the impact it has on neighbors, she added.

Resident Alex Suarez was the first member of the public to speak before the vote, and she said her goal was to protect the deer: “And the best way to protect them is to not feed them.” However, she questioned whether such a policy would also apply to bird feeders.

Mayor Crystal Dingler noted that birds were not included in the language that listed the specific animals off-limits to human feeding.

Several questions also were raised about how residents and tourists alike would be informed, whether there would be signage, and what the penalties might be.