National Park Ranger Bill Delivers a 700 Pound Venison Donation to DC Central Kitchen/NPS

The National Park Service has donated about 700 pounds of venison to District of Columbia Central Kitchen. The meat will be used in the thousands of healthy meals that DC Central Kitchen prepares daily for multiple nonprofit partners, including homeless shelters, rehabilitation clinics, and after-school programs. The venison donation is a result of the deer reduction operation in Rock Creek Park in early December.

“We’re grateful for our partnership with DC Central Kitchen and the opportunity to donate venison,” Rock Creek Park Superintendent Tara Morrison said. “We hope this will make the holidays a little brighter for those served by DC Central Kitchen.”

"DC Central Kitchen is grateful to receive this donation of nutritious, lean protein from the National Park Service," said DC Central Kitchen CEO, Mike Curtin, Jr. "We rely on our many partners to donate most of the necessary components to create 5,000 well-balanced, healthy meals each day for our neighbors in need. Today’s donation of venison offers some new variety to our meals, and we’re thankful to our friends at NPS for making that possible.”

Since 2013, the National Park Service has successfully and safely reduced the park's deer population from nearly 80 per-square-mile to an estimated 19 per square mile. A consistent deer population density of 15-20 per square mile is needed for a healthy, diverse forest that supports native vegetation and other wildlife.

While the estimated deer population appears to be approaching a sustainable level, it will take several years of consistent deer management before Rock Creek Park’s vegetation and tree seedlings reach desired growth. Scientists will continue to monitor vegetation growth and the number of tree seedlings to determine future deer management practices.