CFK Trustees Face Renewed Call to Approve Key Deer Freedom Gate

Save Our Key Deer urges the College of the Florida Keys board to approve a temporary wildlife passage at its Big Pine Key property, saying months of efforts to free endangered Key deer have failed.

Big Pine Key resident and wildlife enthusiast Jim Hale lets his feelings show during Sunday’s protest of the College of the Florida Keys imprisoning a small herd of Key deer on the site of a former state road prison on Key Deer Blvd. / SOKD.ORG

BIG PINE KEY, Fla. — The College of the Florida Keys Board of Trustees is expected to revisit the fate of endangered Key deer trapped at the college’s Big Pine Key property Tuesday as wildlife advocates renew calls for immediate action.

Save Our Key Deer, a nonprofit advocacy group, issued a statement Monday urging trustees to approve a temporary “Wildlife Passage Freedom Gate” at the property, 450 Key Deer Blvd., arguing it is now the only practical way to allow the remaining deer to leave the fenced area on their own.

The request comes after months of unsuccessful efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and volunteers to safely release the animals. Advocates say the deer consistently retreat whenever people are present, making traditional release efforts ineffective.

“The only humane and permanent solution at this point is the Wildlife Passage Freedom Gate,” Save Our Key Deer President Valerie Preziosi said in a statement. “The deer are too shy and skittish to be released at the gate while humans are present, as demonstrated through multiple unsuccessful efforts. We have exhausted all other options.”

Neighbors and conservation groups have been monitoring the well being of the jailed deer at the site of a proposed commercial truck driving school on Big Pine Key. / SOKD.ORG

The organization is offering to pay for the installation of the temporary gate, which it said would remain within the property’s existing security camera coverage. If the trial proves unsuccessful, the group said it would restore the fence at no cost to the college.

The proposal was discussed during a special Board of Trustees meeting July 20, when trustees considered options for resolving the issue but deferred a decision. Save Our Key Deer said several trustees appeared supportive of testing the wildlife passage but ultimately postponed action.

The organization is now asking trustees to consider a motion during Tuesday’s meeting and allow members of the public to comment before a vote.

The dispute centers on the college’s former correctional facility property on Big Pine Key, where several federally protected Key deer have remained inside fenced portions of the site despite repeated attempts to remove them. Wildlife advocates have argued the animals should be allowed to move freely through their natural habitat, while college officials have previously expressed concerns about maintaining site security as they coordinate with state and federal wildlife agencies.

Save Our Key Deer said delays in approving the temporary passage have fueled community frustration, prompting demonstrations in Key West and Key Largo, with additional protests planned if no action is taken.

College officials had not publicly responded to the organization’s latest proposal as of Monday. During previous meetings, trustees said they wanted to review additional information before deciding whether to modify the property’s fencing.

The Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon, when members are expected to again discuss the future of the trapped deer and possible next steps.