Michigan DNR pauses pilot program to lethally gas nuisance Canada geese

CBS News

13-05-2025

Michigan DNR rolls out new guidelines to kill nuisance Canada geese instead of moving them
Michigan DNR rolls out new guidelines to kill nuisance Canada geese instead of moving them
Michigan DNR rolls out new guidelines to kill nuisance Canada geese instead of moving them
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is pausing its pilot program to lethally gas nuisance Canada geese after receiving pushback from state lawmakers and animal rights groups.
M. Scott Bowen, director of Michigan's DNR, confirmed his department's plans to pause the program in a letter sent to state Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) on May 9.
"After further consideration and consultation 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, including Belle Isle Park," wrote Bowen. "We will continue to research alternative options for managing human-goose conflicts and health and human safety concerns for areas with overabundant Canada Goose populations."
Polehanki and other lawmakers penned a letter to the state's Natural Resources Commission and the DNR on April 22, urging the groups to pause lethal gas control in 2025.
"Canada geese serve an important ecological role in our state; they disperse seeds, fertilize soil, and act as prey for a wide range of native predators. Reducing their populations through mass culling not only disrupts that balance but sets a dangerous precedent," wrote Polehanki in the letter.
State lawmakers have said as many as 10,000 Canada geese and goslings could be rounded up from their natural habitat "during the summer molt (June and July) when they are flightless."
The pilot program was initially approved by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission on Oct. 10, 2024, and allows for landowners to apply for a permit to have geese on their property rounded up and humanely euthanized, but only after applicants have exhausted a variety of control methods, like nest and egg destruction, according to the DNR.
Animal welfare groups have welcomed the DNR's decision to pause its program for 2025.
"This is a hard-won victory for both geese and the compassionate Michiganders who spoke out for them," said Katie Nolan, Wild Animals Campaigner for In Defense of Animals, in a statement. "Pausing this program sets an important precedent by showing that there's a better way to handle conflicts with wild animals. Michigan's decision has the chance to inspire more humane, thoughtful approaches across the country, not just for geese but for all wild animals."
While the program is on hold for now, Bowen said the DNR will encourage and prioritize non-lethal ways for homeowners to handle nuisance Canada geese.
"We will continue to encourage and prioritize non-lethal techniques for landowners, including habitat modification, elimination of feeding, scare tactics, repellents, and nest/egg destruction," he said. "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."