Nat'l Park Service Developing A Plan To Address Sandy Hook's Deer Population

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The National Park Service announced this week it wants to come up with a "management plan" for the white-tailed deer population at Sandy Hook.

The National Park Service will hold a public open house this Thursday evening, April 23, so the public can learn about their proposed management plan.

The meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 23 at the Sandy Hook Chapel, 35 Hartshorne Drive inside the park. There is no fee to enter the park to attend this public open house at the Sandy Hook Chapel.

The open house will provide an opportunity to learn about deer-related impacts on the park, to discuss information with a team from the National Park Service and to provide written comments. To learn more about the proposed plan, visit the project website:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=135811.

The National Park Service says:

"Gateway National Recreation Area is in the early stages of developing a White-tailed Deer Management Plan for the Sandy Hook Unit. As part of the planning process, the NPS is currently gathering information regarding impacts on park resources and visitor experiences in the Sandy Hook Unit related to white-tailed deer.

Written comments will be accepted beginning April 23, 2026 on the project website above, via email (Gateway_feedback@nps.gov) or via mail at: Superintendent, Gateway National Recreation Area, 210 New York Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305.

All comments must be received or post marked by 11:59 p.m. on May 23, 2026.

Commenters should be aware that their entire comment, including personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While commentors may ask that their personal identifying information be withheld from public view, NPS cannot guarantee this."