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UM Prof. Cooper Believes Twin Cities Geese Exposed to Lead
7/10/98
Contact: In a letter to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, the Coalition to Protect Canada Geese asked the Regents to intervene to halt the delivery of the UM slaughtered Canada geese to food banks. The Coalition offered documentation that Professor Cooper appears to believe the geese to be subject to lead contamination during their winter migration. In a request to the Fish and Wildlife Service for a scientific collecting permit, University of Minnesota Professor Jim Cooper admits "The rationale for this work is based on the fact if (sic)Twin Cities Canada geese are being exposed to lead shot, it is mostly likely occurring on the wintering grounds in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. Once they return to the Twin Cities to breed, the birds feed in lead shot-free urban areas and are not picking up additional lead shot." The document was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Last year Emergency Food Shelter Network and Second Harvest distributed the goose carcasses knowing that they might contain high levels of toxic chemicals. Tim Barnes and Jaci Stipe, directors of the respective food banks were both served with a Notice of Dangerous Condition of Action by the Coalition, holding them responsible for any adverse effects of consuming the wild geese. The Coalition is forwarding them copies of the letter to the Regents. The letter to the Regents will also serve as notice that the University could be involved in potential harm to poor people, particularly women and children. Senior citizens are also vulnerable because their level of tolerance to further insults of toxic chemicals would be limited. According to the Coalition, the taxpayer funded proposal by Cooper to dose geese with lead shot was unscientific and useless, possibly the reasons why the Fish and Wildlife Service rejected the request. Professor Cooper's study, regardless of outcome, would not prevent unsuspecting poor from receiving a bird contaminated by lead shot in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. Furthermore, the admission raises serious ethical issues that would have been discussed by the University of Minnesota Animal Care and Use Committee. Moira Keane, Director, Research Subjects Protection Program, had assured the Coalition of the IACUC approval, but refused to send copies of the documents. Why would Professor Cooper's proposal be approved by the ethics committee? Why did the ethics committee not challenge Professor Cooper's distribution of the wild geese to the poor, knowing that they may be contaminated by lead? Professor Cooper attached to his proposal a copy of the report of the 1996 inspection of slaughtered geese in New York. The geese were found to have high levels of lead and buried them, neither the zoo nor the community would accept the carcasses. In 1997, high levels of lead were again found in slaughtered geese. The State fed the geese to seniors, but prohibited donation of the geese to children due to potential for adverse effects. Some New York food banks and senior centers rejected the geese. According to Dr. Ann Frisch, National Coordinator for the Coalition, Professor Cooper is putting the public relations gimmick of food bank donations over the welfare of low income families and children. The Coalition to Protect Canada Geese also stated that federal Pittman Robertson funds should be used to clean up the toxic shot if it is contaminating the environment. Pittman Robertson is a federal fund on firearms, including "Saturday night specials". The funds come back to states to fund the restoration of Canada Geese and other animals to become the living target for hunters. Federal and state game officials no longer deny that the restoration projects continue in spite of the inconvenience to home owners of goose poop. Text of letter to the Regents follows:
July 10, 1998 Top | Back to Press Release Index | Main Page
Goose Poop Alert! UM Prof. Cooper Increasing Goose Population, Records Show 7/02/98
Contact: While Canada goose mamas and papas were trucked to the slaughterhouse, their babies were shipped to other parts of Minnesota to assure the continuing increase of the Canada goose population. The Coalition to Protect Canada Geese has obtained copies of the permits from the University of Minnesota under public records laws. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) permit specifies that of every seven geese rounded up, five will be relocated to other parts of the state. Some may be relocated to other states (Iowa and South Dakota are likely candidates since they received geese last year.) Typically these Canada goose restoration projects include huge fields of grain left standing to fatten the goslings to be living targets for hunters and fodder for DNR license revenues. Steve Wilds, FWS Migratory Bird Coordinator, in a March 4 press release, admitted as much. "It's not necessarily a problem of too many geese, but a problem of geese in the wrong locations," Wilds said. He was referring to the four decades of propagation of Canada geese, including incubating the first clutch of eggs from the captive mother, forcing her to lay more eggs. Bureaucrats are no longer denying that the entire operation is a goose saturation scheme designed to bolster sagging hunting revenues and subsidize the University of Minnesota. Little Canada MN is a case in point. Citizens have a two year $4,000 contract to pay Professor Cooper to get rid of the geese (Cooper calls it "management" to avoid any promise of goose reduction). What did Little Canada get for its $2,000 last year? All fifty geese were captured and removed. But Cooper claimed this year that there were 60 geese! Citizens who hate goose poop will want to grab their calculators and their pocketbooks. A net increase of ten geese is more goose poop. Why are game agencies responding to hunters and not broader interests? Under an old federal law, wildlife biologists' paychecks must come from license revenues. Based on these revenues, states qualify for Pittman Robertson (PR) funds, a federal tax on firearms including "Saturday night specials". Unlike taxes on alcohol and tobacco which go into general tax funds, PR funds are used to subsidize playgrounds for hunters. If PR funds are to be diverted from general revenues, the Coalition argues, they should go to fighting human crime.
FWS, Univ. of Minnesota and DNR Conspiring to Deceive Taxpayers 6/22/98
Contact: For the sixth time in one week, independent investigators have called for revocation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) permits to kill Canada geese. Today, the Coalition called for the revocation of Region 3 FWS permit to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Field reports to the Coalition reveal that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is telling citizens that the University of Minnesota is conducting the round up of the Canada Geese. The permits to round up the geese have been issued to the University of Minnesota for the past three years. This year, following the protest of University of Minnesota involvement in the slaughter, UM Professor Cooper was listed as subpermittee in the MN DNR permit. However, in a recent unsolicited statement to the Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese, Professor Cooper claimed that he was only doing research, and that the MN DNR alone was doing the slaughter. Steve Wilds, Region 3 Migratory Bird Coordinator confirmed to the Coalition that Cooper does not hold a scientific collection permit nor would the MN DNR permit include scientific collecting. (Cooper's last application for a permit to give doses of lead to Canada Geese was denied by FWS.) Issues: --If Cooper is conducting research under the guise of the depredation permits to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the permits should be revoked. --If Cooper is conducting the round up of Canada Geese for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, what is the status of taxpayer funds to the University of Minnesota from municipalities and corporations in the Minneapolis area? (Copies of print-out documenting grants are available from the Coalition). --If Cooper is moonlighting for the Minnesota DNR, what are the legal and financial arrangements with the University of Minnesota? (Copy of Data Practices request is available from the Coalition.) The Coalition has filed requests for revocation of five permits by Region 5 FWS (Hadley, MA) after independent verification showed that the permittees (including Girl Scouts, PepsiCo, Watchtower Farms, Queens' Wildlife Center, MD State Parks) could not show that the geese were causing "serious injury" to crops or other interests as required under federal law. (Copies of letters available on request.)
cc: Minnesota and National Press, Hon. Members of Congress from Minnesota *****************
From: "Jim Cooper" [email protected]
Folks: Just read your Web page on the my role in the Twin Cities goose
program.
Why can't you get it right? The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is
the authority processing Canada geese, not the University of Minnesota.
We do research MNDNR does management.
Dr. Jim Cooper, Associate Professor
Phone: 612-624-1223
Facsimile transmittal
TO: Steve Wilds, Region 3 US Fish and Wildlife Service June 20, 1998 We request your attention to the permit you issued to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to round up and slaughter Canada Geese. University of Minnesota Professor James Cooper has made a statement to the Coalition to prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese (attached) that the University of Minnesota only does research and that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is doing the round up and killing. You confirmed to me that University of Minnesota Professor Cooper is listed as subpermittee on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources permit and that permit is not a scientific collecting permit. The Coalition to Protect Canada Geese has received a report from one of the communities scheduled to have geese killed under your permit to the DNR. The Minnesota DNR is telling communities that the University of Minnesota is rounding up the geese. We ask you to halt the implementation of this permit until independent verification can be made of its validity. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Ann Frisch, Ph.D., National Coordinator
enc: e-mail to Dr. Gregg Feigelson from Professor Cooper Attachment: Letter to Dr. Feigelson from Professor Cooper
Veterinarian Challenges Frederick County (MD) Health Report 6/22/98
Contact: Veterinarian Gary L. Pearson, microbiologist and waterfowl expert, Jamestown, North Dakota, today disputed Frederick County (MD) Health Department and the Maryland State DNR's claims that Canada Geese were a threat to public health at Cunningham Falls State Park. Pearson evaluated the water sample surveys and other documents that the Maryland State Park used to support an application for a Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) permit to kill Canada Geese at the park. Pearson concluded: "The July 8, 1996, letter from Frederick County Health Officer Dr. James. E. Bowes to Cunningham Falls State Park Manager Cynthia Ecker and the reports of bacteriologic testing of water samples collected at Cunningham Falls Lake on July 3, 1996, contain no evidence that Canada geese using Cunningham Falls Lake were the source of the elevated levels of fecal coliforms found at three of the six sites sampled. "The statements in the April 17, 1997, letter from Roxanne Beal of the Frederick County Health Department's Water Quality Office to Cunningham Falls State Park Manager Cynthia Ecker that duck and goose feces are a potential source of cryptosporidium oocysts and/or giardia cysts and pose a potential health risk for those visiting the swimming areas at Cunningham Falls Lake are without scientific foundation. "Even if Canada geese were responsible for fecal contamination and increased fecal coliform levels at Cunningham Falls Lake, they would not pose a significant public health risk for humans using the lake." The Coalition to Protect Canada Geese forwarded the Pearson evaluation by fax to George Haas, Migratory Bird Coordinator Region 5 FWS and reasserted its demand that FWS revoke all the permits for killing Canada geese in Region 5 until independent verification can be made of the authenticity of the claims for other permits. A copy was also sent to James E. Bowes, Frederick Co. Health Officer requesting that he ask the FWS to revoke the permit in light of this new information. According to Dr. Ann Frisch, National Coordinator for the Coalition to Protect Canada Geese, FWS failed to do an independent evaluation before issuing a permit as required by law. (Copies of letters to the Frederick County Health Department and to George Haas are available from the Coalition). *****************
Dr. James E. Bowes, M.D., M.P.H.
Ms. Roxanne Beal, R.S. June 22, 1998 Re: Cunningham Falls State Park permit to kill Canada Geese Your recommendations about water quality and other assertions led to the granting of a Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) permit to kill Canada Geese at Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland. Although FWS has a legal obligation to do independent verification of the conditions concerning Canada Geese before issuing a permit, you are also responsible for providing accurate information. Dr. Gary Pearson, microbiologist and waterfowl veterinarian, has concluded that your assertions that Canada Geese pose a health risk to people at Cunningham Falls State Park are erroneous. Dr. Pearson concluded: "The July 8, 1996, letter from Frederick County Health Officer Dr. James. E. Bowes to Cunningham Falls State Park Manager Cynthia Ecker and the reports of bacteriologic testing of water samples collected at Cunningham Falls Lake on July 3, 1996, contain no evidence that Canada geese using Cunningham Falls Lake were the source of the elevated levels of fecal coliforms found at three of the six sites sampled. "The statements in the April 17, 1997, letter from Roxanne Beal of the Frederick County Health Department's Water Quality Office to Cunningham Falls State Park Manager Cynthia Ecker that duck and goose feces are a potential source of cryptosporidium oocysts and/or giardia cysts and pose a potential health risk for those visiting the swimming areas at Cunningham Falls Lake are without scientific foundation. "Even if Canada geese were responsible for fecal contamination and increased fecal coliform levels at Cunningham Falls Lake, they would not pose a significant public health risk for humans using the lake." In light of this new information, we ask that you request, without delay, that FWS revoke this permit. Sincerely, Ann Frisch, Ph.D., National Coordinator
Enc. Pearson evaluation ***************** Facsimile transmittal
TO: George Haas, Region 5 US Fish and Wildlife Service
FROM: Dr. Ann Frisch June 20, 1998 We request your attention to permits you issued to Mohawk Pathways Girl Scout Council, Schenectady, NY; Watchtower Farms, Wallkill, NY and Queens Wildlife Center, Flushing, NY, to kill Canada Geese on their property. By law, the permit must be revoked when there is no longer a "serious injury". We have verified that there is no longer a emergency to form the basis of any of these permits. In fact there never was a basis for these permits to kill Canada Geese. According to our investigators: Mohawk Council Girls Scouts of America assert that the Health Department is requiring them to get a permit to kill the geese because the geese pose a health hazard.. There are no known human health hazards from goose feces, according to Steve Wilds, Region 3 USFWS, and none found in the scientific literature. Watchtower Farms says that they are relocating the geese from one pond to another (was that authorized?) and they only requested the permit in case one of the geese died in the process. Incidental take is usually covered under translocation permits. Queens Wildlife Center was concerned about the health of sea lions at their facility, but there is no data supporting the assertion that the geese pose any risk to these animals. We request that you immediately revoke these permits. We further request that you revoke all Region 5 permits to kill Canada Geese until verification of "serious injury" can be documented. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely,
Ann Frisch, Ph.D.
cc:
Fish and Wildlife Permit to Girl Scouts is Fraudulent 6/22/98
Contact: For the fifth time in one week, independent investigators have called for revocation of US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) permits to kill Canada Geese. Today, the Coalition to Protect Canada Geese called for the revocation of Region 5 FWS permits to the Mohawk Council Girls Scouts of America, Schnectady, NY; the Watchtower Farms, Wallkill, NY; and the Queens Wildlife Center, Flushing, NY.For the fifth time in one week, independent investigators have called for revocation of US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) permits to kill Canada Geese. Today, the Coalition to Protect Canada Geese called for the revocation of Region 5 FWS permits to the Mohawk Council Girls Scouts of America, Schnectady, NY; the Watchtower Farms, Wallkill, NY; and the Queens Wildlife Center, Flushing, NY. A spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts, told investigators that the health department is pressuring them to kill the geese. US Fish and Wildlife Migratory Bird coordinator Steve Wilds, Region 3 (Fort Snelling, MN) has admitted that the scientific literature shows there are no health hazards from Canada Geese. Queens Wildlife Center, Flushing, NY, whose purpose is to save wildlife, was under the incorrect assumption that the goose feces would harm the sea lions at their facility. Watchtower Farms, Wallkill, NY, was relocating geese and wanted a permit to kill in case one of the geese was killed in the transport. Transporting geese requires a permit and would cover incidental (but not purposeful) killing. Fish and Wildlife Service is required by law to revoke any permit when the emergency no longer exists. The Coalition to Protect Canada Geese spokesperson Dr. Ann Frisch said the "serious injury" does not and never did exist. The Coalition to Protect Canada geese has already requested revocation of a permit to kill geese issued to PepsiCo, Purchase, NY. Spokeperson for PepsiCo said they did not intend to kill geese, but rather successfully use border collies to move geese around when needed. It is not clear why PepsiCo applied for the permit if such was the case. Last week, Citizens for the Preservation of Wildlife, a Virginia based group which investigated the permit to kill geese at Maryland State Parks asked Region 5 FWS for a revocation of the permit to Cunningham Falls State Park. The group found that the permit was issued by FWS on the fraudulent claims of human health hazard. Frederick County MD Health Department water quality officer Paul Offutt said that the water was clean and there had been no high coliform counts in two years. According to Dr. Gary Pearson, microbiologist and waterfowl veterinarian of Jamestown, North Dakota, there is no evidence that Canada geese were the source of the high coliform counts at the Maryland State Park in 1996. Both groups also requested that Region 5 FWS revoke all permits to kill Canada Geese in the region until independent verification of an emergency could be documented. Copies of letter to George Haas, Migratory Bird Coordinator Region 5 are available from the Coalition.
cc: ***************** Facsimile transmittal
TO: George Haas, Region 5 US Fish and Wildlife Service
FROM: Dr. Ann Frisch June 20, 1998 We request your attention to permits you issued to Mohawk Pathways Girl Scout Council, Schenectady, NY; Watchtower Farms, Wallkill, NY and Queens Wildlife Center, Flushing, NY, to kill Canada Geese on their property. By law, the permit must be revoked when there is no longer a "serious injury". We have verified that there is no longer a emergency to form the basis of any of these permits. In fact there never was a basis for these permits to kill Canada Geese. According to our investigators: Mohawk Council Girls Scouts of America assert that the Health Department is requiring them to get a permit to kill the geese because the geese pose a health hazard.. There are no known human health hazards from goose feces, according to Steve Wilds, Region 3 USFWS, and none found in the scientific literature. Watchtower Farms says that they are relocating the geese from one pond to another (was that authorized?) and they only requested the permit in case one of the geese died in the process. Incidental take is usually covered under translocation permits. Queens Wildlife Center was concerned about the health of sea lions at their facility, but there is no data supporting the assertion that the geese pose any risk to these animals. We request that you immediately revoke these permits. We further request that you revoke all Region 5 permits to kill Canada Geese until verification of "serious injury" can be documented. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely,
Ann Frisch, Ph.D.
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