They have lessened the value of the deer in favor of other species due THEIR biased interests. Another glaring question we should be asking, is what their base model for this biodiverse landscape? At what point in PA history did this forest of diversity exist, and what documentation do we have of it? We have little written natural history of PA from the period of early settlement, and it consists of a few sketchy journal entries. We know that the settlers, with unregulated hunting and wildlife marketing, hunted many species to the brink of extinction.
You made some great points and I agree that todays habitat is much more diverse than it was in the 1600s. I wonder how many bluebirds they had back then. When you really stop and think about it deer have very little impact on biodiversity compared to the activities of man. The deer do not determine how much timber is harvested or how many trees are cut for housing developments, roads , power lines gas wells or coal mines.