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KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADA

Kelowna B.C. wins culling permit as it endures growing goose population

September 14, 2007

KELOWNA, B.C. (CP) — Geese are not good guests and Kelowna B.C. should know.

The parks division in the Okanagan city has been granted a Canadian Wildlife Service permit to cull up to 50 Canada geese, if necessary, by the end of the year.

But officials say the focus will remain on other measures including egg addling, habitat modification and scare techniques.

Two recent aerial studies put the number of resident Canada geese in the Okanagan Valley at between 1,500 and 3,100.

Population projections indicate that could swell to 15,000 by 2030 despite control measures.

__________________________________________________________________________________
March 23, 2007

Please help the geese:

To write a letter to the editor: edit@kelownacapnews.com
To write to Mayor Sharon Shepherd and Council members: mayorandcouncil@kelowna.ca

THESE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WERE PUBLISHED IN THE KELOWNA CAPITAL NEWS:

Mar 11 2007

To the editor:

I am concerned about the proposed hunting of wild Canada geese in your city parks, simply to try and control the population (Geese Presenting a Health Hazard, March 4 Capital News).

Have you looked into the non-lethal methods that the humane societies and Geese Peace promote? They will be happy to educate the key officials making these decisions.

I totally understand that large populations are a detriment to the city, but I feel that there are other safer methods that are equally, if not more, effective.

Border collies are extremely effective, and run the geese off without injuring them. Birth control in the feed that is placed out for the geese also has proved effective in preventing baby goslings and an increase in the population that is already there. Chasing off the non-breeding adults would also reduce the population to a more manageable size.

Hunting within city limits simply is not a safe method for both the citizens of your city, and cannot insure a painless reduction in goose numbers. The negative publicity a hunt will generate will have a serious drawback for your city and tourism there. The emotional impact on children witnessing the deaths of the geese, and the mourning that the surviving geese will do, is extremely psychologically damaging.

I hope you reconsider, and explore the more humane methods available that have proven sucessful in other areas.

Toni O'Neil, director, Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary Hubert, NC ___________________________________________
Mar 11 2007

To the editor:

I would like to respond to Judie Steeves' article in the Capital News on Sunday, March 4: Geese Presenting a Health Hazard.

Do I sense some "overkill" in this piece of writing? As with many of Steeves' previous articles over time, this one appears to be another misguided attempt at justifying the act of hunting. Whether the issue is bears, geese, or deer eating her garden delectables, Steeves will not miss an opportunity to brandish her literary shotgun and threaten target practise on these animals. Her allies in Conservation are supportive of her views because, as many of us have come to realize, the word "conservation" has nothing to do with sparing nonhuman lives. Instead, conserving habitat and species guarantees a healthy supply of animals to kill. This is evident in Steeves' article, where references to hunting occur no less than 10 times, and are interlaced with other invasive "killing" terminology.

The only sensible statement in the entire piece is one made by Ron Mattiussi: "we should be looking at modifying our expectation of parks as areas of green grass, because that attracts geese and is not natural in this dry climate."

It had always been my understanding that Kelowna is an environmentally-friendly and humane city, with an abiding interest in upholding the highest standards in this regard, so I welcome Mattiussi's insight. Research and case studies indicate that habitat modification, when used in conjunction with other non-lethal methods of goose control, is an effective tool that can be used to reduce populations of geese in urban areas.

I am concerned that the City of Kelowna's short term solution, i.e. pursuing a lethal approach in addition to noisemakers and other goose control methods, is not only inefficient, but shows a troubling disregard for the humane treatment of animals and even public safety.

I also believe that one does not teach compassion and tolerance in a community by promoting violence, in this case the gunning and subsequent suffering of wild birds.

I would like to add that both Animal Alliance of Canada/Environment Voters and TRACS have offered to bring in a team of goose management experts (at our own expense), and that these people have a proven track record of successfully and humanely addressing Canada goose issues in other North American communities. Our repeated offers have been turned down by the city.

It further concerns me that $15,000 to $20,000 per year is being mobilized by the City's Environment and Waste Water Management Department to determine the source of excrement in shallow beach water. Would these funds not be better spent on modifying the waterfront so that geese would find suitable habitat elsewhere?

I also understand that manual removal of feces and garbage from beach areas is proceeding well with the use of a machine for that purpose. Why not expand this successful area of beach maintenance?

As a nurse, I share the concern that beaches, parks, and other public use areas need to be as safe as possible. This includes reducing the amount of human litter to be found in such areas-discarded needles and syringes, broken glass, beer/pop cans, condoms and cigarette butts.

Finally, records indicate that Kelowna's parks manager has presented an application to the city for beach, median and park maintenance funding, which amounts to $4,825,523 plus GST over three years (possibly to be awarded on a contract basis to two separate companies).* One would hope that at least a part of this rather large sum of money might be spent on addressing the root of the goose issue, i.e. modifying the habitat in order to create an environment less amenable to both resident and migratory geese.

The Kelowna area, with its vast shoreline and beautiful parks, is strategically a perfect candidate for such a plan, and indeed could enjoy the same success as Mississauga, High Park, Greater Chicago and numerous other communities that have actively participated in habitat modification initiatives.

Sinikka Crosland, Westbank

**********
Geese presenting a health hazard
Judie Steeves, Staff Reporter Capital News, Kelowna Local News
Sunday, March 4, 2007

So far, no local hunters have been invited to shoot the Canada geese grazing in city parks, but there is a special open season on the big birds designed to reduce the local population.

Conservation officer Greg Hoyer says the spring hunting season was initiated to alleviate the health problems created by an expanding population of over-wintering geese who leave their droppings where they graze. The are attracted to close-cropped grass such as lawns in parks and the fairways on golf courses. Instead of migrating south every fall, in recent years increasing numbers of Canada geese have chosen to spend the winter in the Okanagan, where less snow than has accumulated historically, has made it quite comfortable for them, said Hoyer. With access to feed and water throughout the year, they've increased in numbers to the point where they now present a health hazard.

According to city manager Ron Mattiussi, places like the grounds of Kelowna secondary school are so covered in goose droppings even the geese won't go there anymore. Hoyer says a population of 100 geese in spring can turn into a population of 600 to 700 at the end of the season, so eliminating some in the spring can have quite an impact. As well, he says shooting a few of them makes the remainder more leery of the cracker shells fired over their heads later in the year to scare them away from public areas.

With the Valley's human population increasing, there are fewer open lands where the geese would be found naturally by hunters in the fall. So the spring season is an opportunity for anyone wanting to see fewer geese to invite a hunter to come onto their private property.

Within the city, hunting with a shotgun is legal on a parcel that's larger than five acres.

Hoyer feels the city should be promoting the bird hunting season and perhaps permitting a qualified hunter to take care of some of the geese in local parks. "These geese have no fear of people. Hunting would help reinstate the natural fear of man as well as act as a maintenance cull," Hoyer said. A few geese are fine, but when there are flocks of hundreds of them, they lose their appeal, he said.

Mattiussi said the city has used designated hunters in the past but is now looking at an integrated approach that involves using many different control methods. Because of pressure from animal rights groups, he said there is no longer support from the federal Canadian Wildlife Service for special permits to cull the geese outside hunting season. He suggests as well that we should be looking at modifying our expectation of parks as areas of green grass, because that attracts geese and is not natural in this dry climate.

Ian Wilson, with the parks department, said the city is looking into its bylaws to see if it would be legal to permit goose hunting in city parks. As well, he said the city is asking the Canadian Wildlife Service for clarification of why it won't issue permits to destroy some of the geese in city parks for health reasons.

**********

Mar 04 2007
http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Grant to help city hall start offensive against goose poop

City of Kelowna staff will ask council to pursue a $30,000 grant to combat goose poop deposited on the Okanagan waterfront. The city hopes to use the grant as part of a joint initiative between Penticton, Osoyoos and Summerland called the Okanagan Regional Goose Management Strategy and Action Plan. The plan includes a public awareness campaign, population control by shaking goose eggs, scare tactics, relocation of geese and ongoing monitoring of the goose population. The program is an attempt to curb the effects of E. coli bacteria on local beaches and general pollution from goose poop.

**********

Canada geese targeted in Okanagan

Tue Sep 12, 2:50 PM

The City of Kelowna wants to more than triple the number of Canada geese it's allowed to kill every year, as part of its efforts to deal with droppings on the beach.

This year, 60 birds were shot. The city has applied for a permit from the Canada Wildlife Service to shoot 200 next year.

Officials estimate there are as many as 5,000 Canada geese on Okanagan Lake, and complain the birds pollute the beaches and parks with feces.

The city has tried scaring them away with everything from noisemakers to laser beams. There are still tourists sunbathing on the beach in Kelowna City Park.

Dennis Ingram, the city's goose-control manager, says it's only possible because he uses his dog and a hawk to scare away hundreds of geese every morning.

"When people want to come and sit on the beaches, they want to sit on the clean sand, not roll around in a litter box."

Ingram says scaring them away only moves the problem south to other Okanagan communities.

He notes that city workers have also been shaking goose eggs to prevent more birds from hatching.

The Interior Health Authority has thrown its support behind the plan to kill more birds. It says droppings from waterfowl can contribute to fecal coliform and E. coli in the water.

Kelowna to triple size of goose kill

Canadian Press

KELOWNA, B.C. — Kelowna's city council has approved a policy that could triple the number of geese killed in the city each year.

Councillors agreed it was important to reduce the number of Canada geese to protect water quality at Kelowna beaches.

Counsellor Robert Hobson said people need to understand the city now has a permanent resident goose population it didn't have in the past.

He says it's a matter of getting balance back in nature.

The city currently has permission from the Canada Wildlife Service to kill 60 of the birds each year.

Parks manager Joe Creron says an application will be made to kill up to 200 geese next year.

“It's just one of the tools that we use,” Mr. Creron said, adding other methods include scaring the geese with hawks, dogs and noisemakers, placing decoys that frighten the birds and even flashing laser pointers at them.

Feces left by Canada geese can contribute to fecal coliform and E. coli in water, the Interior Health Authority says, supporting efforts to reduce the birds numbers at local beaches.

Nesting geese were rarely found north of Okanagan Falls before 1967, council heard.

However, they were introduced into the Valley in the 70s, and the year-round population is now estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000.

The city has increased its goose-control budget from about $50,000 in 2005 to $90,000 this year, and its forecast to rise to about $170,000 in 2007.

Much of the new money will go toward an ambitious program, undertaken with other Okanagan towns and cities, to hire a company to locate Canada goose nests throughout the Valley next spring.

Tracking devices will be affixed to some of the birds to help find the nests. The plan calls for the eggs to be addled, or shaken, so they don't hatch.

A new zero-tolerance approach for the feeding of Canada geese will also be enforced next year, and education campaigns are planned to inform people about the health risks posed by the birds.

Three members of The Responsible Animal Care Society, a group which has opposed the killing of Canada geese in the past, were in council chambers.

President Sinikka Crosland had her hand up, apparently indicating a desire to say something, but she was not recognized by Mayor Sharon Shepherd.

*****

Target practise plan unacceptable to animal care group TRACS (Kelowna Capital News)

By Shelley Nicholl Staff Reporter Sep 13 2006

The idea of shooting hundreds of geese in the early morning hours on the beaches is unacceptable to Sinikka Crosland.

The president of TRACS (The Responsible Animal Care Society) said that method to combat the growing geese population is inhumane and unnecessary. "We don't have to be using violence against animals in this day and age," she said. "There are other ways that are more sensible and more tolerant that we can come up with."

At city council Monday, councillors were presented with a report on the Okanagan regional goose management strategy that suggested as a last resort, geese will have to be killed to help keep the numbers down.

Parks manager Joe Creron said this year about 60 geese have been destroyed. Last year it was about 25 and next year the city is looking for a permit to kill up to 200.

"We may not kill that many," said Creron. "It's just one of our tools in our toolbox."

Other tools include enforcing bylaws to stop people from feeding geese, because it lures the geese to the public places. Birds of prey, such as falcons, have been used to kill the younger geese. Another method is to scare the geese away with horns and lasers, and possibly dogs.

Creron said it might be that certain beaches where people are not swimming, could be turned into dog parks, which would help keep the geese away. Another approach, seen as the best long-term plan, is egg addling. That means literally shaking the goose eggs to destroy the unhatched bird. It's more effective than taking the eggs away because the geese will just lay again to replace the missing eggs.

Crosland said there are better ways. Part of the problem is that our beaches are very inviting to geese because the grass is so short.

"They're like five-star hotels," she said. "They're alluring places for geese to go to."

She suggested that letting the grass grow longer, say six to eight inches, would deter the geese. Geese are family-oriented, she said, and as such look for safe places to raise their kin. If there were safe places, other than the beaches, for geese to go, they would go there. Planting shrubs would block the birds' views, thereby creating an unsafe image for them and keep them away.

Creron didn't rule out adopting some of the habitat modifications, which could be used in some areas where it makes sense. The concern is in the short-term the goose feces on the beaches and in the swimming areas could pose a water-quality hazard. Coun. Robert Hobson noted that it's become more of an issue in the last few years because the goose population has swelled beyond a natural, environmental balance.

"People have to realize that this is not the historical population of geese," he said.

Creron also pointed out that geese can live 10 to 15 years, so the long-term must be addressed along with the short-term.

"We've been chasing the same geese for 10 years," he said. "And, they're getting smarter."

The $150,000 cost for the goose management program would be shared between the various Okanagan com-munities affect-ed. Kelowna's share would be about $75,000. The city already spends about $100,000 annually on goose control.

*****

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