06/11/01

Coalition Asks Missouri Governor to Halt Goose Kill

Governor Bob Holden
Missouri Capitol Building, Room 216
PO Box 720
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0720

Dear Governor Holden:

The Coalition to Protect Canada Geese asks that the Missouri Department of Conservation withdraw both from the killing of Canada geese and the feeding of the potentially contaminated geese to the poor via the Central Missouri Food Bank. The Coalition has determined that both programs fail to meet legal considerations, not to mention moral considerations.

The MDC does not meet permit requirements to kill Canada geese:
An examination of the permit to kill Canada geese indicates that Missouri Department of Conservation has failed to show that it meets the US Fish and Wildlife Service permit conditions allowing the MDC to kill up to 2,500 Canada geese to "protect human health and safety and to prevent damage to personal property, including agricultural crops." The Coalition argued that none of these conditions has been documented; therefore the permit does not allow MDC to kill any geese.

The MDC admitted in its application to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for a permit that there was no human health hazard . . . only the "perception" of human health hazards by the public. Their application for a permit to kill Canada geese states: "While we continue to stress that no human health risk has been tied to the goose feces, it has been difficult to change the public perception that there is risk from Enteritis coli bacteria because of the obvious, poor water quality and periodic closure of beaches, swimming pools, parks and lawns because of high E. Coli concentrations. (page 4)" Further, a major new study from the National Wildlife Health Center showed no human health hazard from Canada geese.

Airports already have permits and procedures to handle animals that are in or around airports. There is no scientific evidence that killing Canada geese in the general area would have an impact on airport safety. Furthermore, if the airports were to have zero tolerance for Canada geese, the government would have to completely wipe out the Arctic migratory goose population.

David Bowen, Manager of Airport Operations, KC International Airport, told the Coalition that he was unaware that the Kansas City airport is being held out as reason for roundups. He didn't even know about them. He stated that they did have a big problem there but have brought it under control through non-lethal techniques using USDA Wildlife Services as consultants. They kill geese only as a last resort. He likes non-lethal control and says they are held out as model around country. They only have periodic problems with migrants in air space during migration season.

The documentation of damage to personal property is conducted by the US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services (Animal Damage Control). Wildlife Services does not investigate these claims, only reports them. Hence many of the agricultural damage reports may be false or exaggerated or for purposes of government wildlife damage reimbursement.

MDC has no legal authority to feed geese to the poor:
The Missouri Department of Conservation appears to have no legal authority to deliver the Canada geese to the poor. The Department of Social Services has the authority to regulate food commodities supplied by the United States Department of Agriculture. But other donations of food are not regulated by the DSS. The US Fish and Wildlife Services have agreed to let the MDC feed the geese to the poor, but that only would only relate to the Migratory Bird Act. The US Fish and Wildlife Services has no authority to deliver (potentially contaminated) wild geese to the poor of Missouri or any other state.

The Coalition requested on May 30, 2001, that the MDC provide its statutory authority to delivery the (potentially contaminated) geese to the poor. The MDC has refused to comply with the Sunshine Law of the State of Missouri requiring that requested documents be supplied to the requester within three days after the request is filed.

Further, the Coalition requested documentation (June 4, 2001) that would name and provide a location of the Minnesota slaughterhouse to determine if the slaughterhouse meets USDA meat inspection requirements. The Missouri Department of Conservation has failed to provide notice to the public that all the wild geese delivered to the Central Missouri Food Bank will be tested for toxic chemicals such as lawn chemicals, organochlorines, lead, mercury and other contaminants that could cause fetal deformities and other adverse health effects to the poor and elderly.

The Coalition asks that the State of Missouri withdraw immediately from the slaughter of Canada geese and the feeding of their carcasses to the poor. The Coalition asks that the MDC provide the requested documents as required by law.

Please let me know your decision at the above fax number.

Sincerely,

S/Ann Frisch

Ann Frisch, Ph.D., National Coordinator

cc:
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3
Office of Migratory Bird Management
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