A petition to rescind the city of Ocean Shores’ recently approved new ban on the feeding of wildlife, including deer, was presented to the City Council on Monday.

The council last month voted 5-1 — with members Holly Plackett voting no and Susan Conniry abstaining — approved a new ordinance that 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 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.

Veryl Yarnes helped submit the petition, which she said had more than 300 signatures.”The penalty is excessive and without a doubt unfair,” she said. She said the ordinance was enacted without opponents having a chance to speak on the issue and was an “overreaction to a small problem.”

The petition states: “Our city has deprived these animals of the existence of their habitat and we are compassionate stewards of the environment.”

Fawn Mosier said a big part of the reason she picked Ocean Shores to move to three years ago was the wildlife and the deer. “It makes me sad to know that I wouldn’t be able to feed the deer,” she said. “… You’re changing what I moved here for without me having a say.”

While City Council member Jon Martin said the council thought it was important to hear from those who presented the petition, he made no commitment to bring the issue up further.