Wildlife Damage Review

Mr. Paul R. Schmidt, Chief
Office of Migratory Bird Management
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
MS 634--ARLSQ
1849 C. Street NW
Washington DC 20240

Dear Mr. Schmidt,

Please include my comments in the official record for the proposed rule to transfer authority to manage Canada Geese to the states. At this time, I am opposed to such a transfer. I believe that's exactly how we almost lost the geese in the first place. However, as the Fish & Wildlife Service has proved itself totally impotent (barring a few good field people) in carrying out its responsibilities to the American people to protect our native threatened, endangered, and sensitive wildlife species--which very much includes migratory bird life--I'm inclined to think that we have to come up with an alternate plan to do so.

The state's only interest in taking over management of geese populations will be to provide hunting opportunity and turn all complaints of "property damage" over to Animal Damage Control. That amounts to business as usual, as you all have set the current precedent by allowing ADC to make management decisions. You, however, are still responsible. There is nothing wrong with hunting for food, but when that food is fleeting and every state will want to get its share, that leaves no oversite of total migrating numbers and overall health of the various populations. That's why federal responsibility was instigated in the first place.

Since no agency wants the spotlight for "managing geese depredations", maybe it's time that the individual complainents get off the welfare system and solve their own damn problems? If they don't like geese hanging out at their house or business, they need to figure out how to discourage them, not us taxpayers! Let them pay a private business to teach them how, not have taxpayers foot their bills.

ADC has no business in this arena, and it's becoming more apparent that FWS isn't interested. I propose dumping the FWS. Since citizens have to do their jobs anyway, why do we need them? Why should citizens pay FWS employees to do nothing?

If our system of agriculture has stimulated the recovery of geese populations, then it should be agriculture who must take responsibility to change how it does business; ie. scaling down operations so that huge flocks are not fed, recovering natural wetland areas to attract wildlife back to native habitat, dumping the monoculture growing system and returning to mixed planting to discourage flocks of birds from hanging out at the huge baited fields we currently present them with, and the many other solutions that can and should be done for a healthier, happier rural existence for all.

Killing geese is a stupid, short-sighted "answer" that will never end, unless that goal is to wipe out geese. If FWS can't think big and present the logical solutions to Congress to solve problems, then I say dump the agency and create one that really has wildlife as their bottom line. FWS is full of politically motivated weenies. No wonder you all have the kind of reputation you do in the west....

Sincerely,

Nancy Zierenberg

Wildlife Damage Review
(520) 884-0883