ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources proposed a new 10-year plan Monday to manage the state’s deer population and allow for more citizen input.

The plan sets a statewide harvest goal of 200,000 deer. That’s about 25,000 below what the state’s largest deer group wants, the Star Tribune reported.

Leaders of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association have said a harvest closer to 225,000 would provide enough opportunities for hunters while balancing landowners’ interests. Landowners sometimes have complained that Minnesota has too many deer.

DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr said the agency is “setting a course for deer management that encourages more dialogue among stakeholders, the public, and DNR staff.”

“Our ultimate goal is to support our hunting traditions, better engage the public, and to maintain sustainable, healthy deer populations throughout Minnesota,” Landwehr said in a news release.

The DNR will take online public comments on the plan through May 9. The agency also will hold 35 public meetings in April around Minnesota.

The plan sets eight key goals ranging from keeping the deer population healthy to making sure biological and societal factors are part of management decisions, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.