BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — An overabundance of deer is leading to a proposal to allow sharpshooters to hunt in a Bloomington nature preserve.

City Councilman Dave Rollo says the large number of deer at Griffy Lake preserve has led to much of its vegetation being stripped away. He tells The Herald-Times he's worried that the 1,200-acre preserve's biodiversity is imperiled.

Rollo says he's working on a proposed city ordinance that would have sharpshooters hired to thin the deer herd during winter months.

Similar concerns about large deer populations led to hunters being allowed in state parks over the past 20 years.

A task force has been looking at ways to reduce the number of deer around Bloomington, but opponents have called its proposals to allow hunting of the animals as inhumane and dangerous.

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Information from: The Herald Times, www.heraldtimesonline.com