Lots O Canadas

Doug:

The following is from USFWS on the proposed changes to the Canada goose season:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing the creation of a new
regulation to allow State wildlife management agencies to actively
manage populations of resident Canada geese that cause personal and
public property damage and, in some cases, pose a threat to public
health and safety.

Under the proposed alternative identified in the draft Environmental
Impact Statement released today, the Service would grant the States the
authority to undertake approved population control strategies, such as
nest and egg destruction, trapping and culling programs, and expanded
hunting opportunities.

"The Service believes that the problems caused by resident Canada geese
can be best addressed at the State level," said Service Director Steve
Williams. "To that end, we are committed to providing State wildlife
management agencies with as much flexibility as possible to address the
issue."

The draft EIS evaluates a range of alternatives in relation to their
ability to reduce and stabilize resident Canada goose populations,
reduce conflicts with humans and minimize impacts to property and human
health and safety. Aside from the proposed alternative, the EIS analyzes
other alternatives, including continuing current management practices
unchanged; implementing non-lethal methods such as harassment and
habitat management designed to make areas less attractive to geese;
expanded hunting opportunities; and creating various depredation orders
allowing expanded lethal take of resident geese. A 90-day public comment
period on the draft EIS will remain open until May 30, 2002.

Most Canada goose populations are migratory, wintering in the United
States and migrating north to summer breeding grounds in the Canadian
arctic. But a large availability of habitat, especially in urban and
suburban areas where there are park-like open spaces with short grass
adjacent to small bodies of water, has resulted in growing numbers of
locally-breeding geese that live year round in the lower 48 states.

In temperate climates across the United States, these places provide
geese with relatively stable breeding habitat and low numbers of
predators. In addition, hunting is usually not allowed in urban and
suburban areas, restricting the ability of state and local authorities
to control populations using traditional methods. Those resident
populations that do migrate often fly only short distances compared to
their migratory relatives that breed in Canada. For these reasons,
resident Canada goose populations enjoy consistently high reproduction
and survival rates.

The Service estimates that there are 3.5 million resident Canada geese
in the United States. Resident Canada goose populations in both the
Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways now exceed 1 million birds each and
have increased an average of 14 and 6 percent per year, respectively,
over the last 10 years. Indices of resident Canada geese in the Central
Flyway are now approaching 1 million birds and populations in the
western portions of the country have shown similar growth rates over the
past 10 years.

Resident Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
and can only be legally taken during a hunting season, unless a special
federal permit is obtained from the Service. The Service is in the
process of drafting proposed regulations that would authorize the States
to implement the proposed alternative and undertake a number of
population control and management actions without having to go through
the permit process.

Large flocks of resident Canada geese can denude grassy areas, including
parks, pastures, golf courses, lawns, and other landscaped areas where
there are ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water nearby. At airports,
resident Canada geese have become a significant safety threat, resulting
in dangerous takeoff and landing conditions and costly repairs to
aircraft. Excessive goose droppings are also a health concern, and have
contributed to the temporary closure of public beaches by local health
departments in several States. In addition, agricultural and natural
resource damage, including depredation of grain crops, overgrazed
pastures, and degraded water quality have increased as resident Canada
goose populations have grown.

The release of the draft environmental impact statement was announced in
the March 1, 2002, Federal Register. The document is the result of a
process that began in August 1999. Public input on the alternatives to
be considered by the draft environmental impact statement was solicited
through Federal Register notices on August 19 and December 30, 1999 and
at a series of public meetings held in February and March 2000 across
the country.

Written comments concerning the draft EIS should be addressed to the
Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Department of the Interior, ms 634 ARLSQ, 1849 C St., NW,
Washington, D.C., 20240. Copies of the draft EIS are available at the
same address or by calling the Service at 703-358-1714. The Service will
schedule public meetings later this year, and the dates and locations
will be announced in the Federal Register in March.