Action Alert

Canada geese are facing a life or death situation. Without your help, massive exterminations will become a reality.

Over the past few years, state wildlife agencies, the USDA's Wildlife Services, and a handful of chronic complainers have been escalating their propaganda war against Canada geese with the intent of justifying large-scale goose extermination programs. They have used every means at their disposal to slander geese using exaggerations and misinformation about population growth, property damage, public health and safety -- all while failing to take into account government-sponsored wildlife management programs that increase goose populations for the benefit of hunters.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the agency responsible for making policy regarding migratory birds such as Canada geese. Rather than creating policy that would help communities resolve conflicts with geese using humane, non-lethal control methods, the Service has been submissively catering to every whim of those who would like federal policies created that would make it easier to kill Canada geese on a massive scale with virtually no accountability -- and that's exactly what they are preparing to do. But before they do so, they are obligated to accept input from the public. Here is where your help is critical.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently in the process of considering what type of management plan it should create. They have published 6 "Alternatives," A-F, that they would like the public to consider. Three of these would lead to massive killings, two of them would do nothing to stop the current killings and one has to do with destroying eggs.

PLEASE WRITE to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and tell them that you want them to adopt "Alternative G."

All you need to do is print and attach a copy with your letter. Comments must be received by March 30, 2000.

Dear Chief: I am writing in response to your call for public comments on the scope of an Environmental Impact Statement regarding the management of Canada geese. I oppose any efforts to expand or continue the use of deadly force to address problems that some people might be having with geese. Therefore, I would like you to pursue Alternative G (please see copy attached). I support Alternative G because . . .

Some points you might like to include in your letter:

• It's disgraceful that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is promoting the destruction of wildlife.

• Killing Canada geese to resolve site-specific conflicts makes no biological sense - other geese just move in to fill the vacancy.

• Reducing the total population of geese is illogical. People who don't want any geese in certain areas will not be satisfied with fewer.

• Claims that Canada geese are a significant health risk are just plain wrong and not based on sound scientific information.

• Claims that Canada geese are compromising water quality prove to be ecologically absurd when all factors are considered.

• Reducing the population may be impossible because some state agencies are managing for "goose production" and the captive rearing of Canada geese for hunting is permitted.

• Even if the population is lowered, geese will continue to move into certain areas until the attractant is removed or the area is made inhospitable.

Send to:

Chief
Office of Migratory Bird Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
MS 634 ARLSQ
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240

For best printing results PDF versions of Alternative G (36K) and this Action Alert (128K) are available.  (Requires Acrobat Reader: Download FREE from Adobe Systems, Inc.)