Program to kill Canada geese in Michigan is paused, a letter to lawmakers shows
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is backtracking on its capture and euthanasia program for Canada geese, a Facebook post from Sen. Dayna Polehanki shows.
DNR Director M. Scott Bowen addressed the letter to Polehanki and other lawmakers on May 9, saying the DNR has been working with the public to resolve human-goose conflicts for over 40 years and implementing this pilot program was an effort to further that goal.
The response comes a week before the May 16 deadline to apply for permits for the program.
"After further consideration with our wildlife staff, we have decided to pause the program for this year and will not be issuing any permits or conducting this work on any sites," the letter said.
The change follows public outcry when DNR announced earlier this year that it would no longer round up large swaths of birds in urban areas and take them to a state natural area. They would kill them instead.
"They are going to be killing them all, and it's not fair," Karen Stamper said to the Free Press earlier this year.
Stamper, who lives in Oakland County's Commerce Township, an area filled with small inland lakes that attract the geese, volunteers with the nonprofit animal protection advocacy organization In Defense of Animals based in San Rafael, California.
The DNR said it will continue to research alternative options for managing human-goose conflicts and safety concerns regarding overabundant Canada goose populations.
"It is important for the health and safety of our citizens and the management of our natural resources that we continue to use the goose management tools at our disposal," the letter said.
Officials said they will continue to prioritize non-lethal techniques including habitat modification, elimination of feeding, scare tactics, repellents and nest/egg destruction.
Goose numbers have soared above 300,000 in recent years, reporting from the Free Press shows.
State wildlife managers seek to keep the bird's population in Michigan in the 175,000 to 225,000 range and regulate that number through annual hunts.
Detroit Free Press contributed reporting.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan DNR halts plan to lethally gas overpopulated Canada geese
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