http://friendsofanimals.org/news/2014/june/foa-protests-stop-slaughter-canada-geese In 2009, Bloomberg - in partnership with the Port Authority - signed an auto-renewing contract with one of the most heinous, merciless and corrupt federal agencies in existence today -- the USDA’s “Wildlife Services.” This fed agency is the same entity responsible for mass-exterminating millions of our country's precious wildlife -- from starlings to black crows to coyotes to wolves -- without restraint, democratic process and/or environmental impact studies to justify such massive killing sweeps. See: http://humanenyc2014.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/millions-of-animals-killed/ Meanwhile, the alarmed public who cherish and value our wildlife, are left powerless to witness brutal attacks. Our public parks are turned into "killing fields" where our water birds - our resident geese (as well as ducks and swans who get caught up in the bedlam) are rounded up, gassed and brutally slaughtered. Since Canada Geese are molting in June, they cannot fly to safety. It is a particularly vicious act -- at the time when they are the most vulnerable. The mothers are rounded up and killed with their goslings. The USDA has a profit motive -- not a safety motive -- in destroying our resident geese. They are paid by developers, Real Estate owners and our City/Port Authority because geese are “inconvenient.” There is no consensus, there is no transparency, there is no democratic process. It is an outrage to millions of New Yorkers who view our wildlife with awe and respect. While the city often sites "air traffic safety" to justify the killing of our water birds, it has been proven repeatedly that airplanes are pre-tested to withstand "air strikes" and it is only a compromised plane and/or pilot error (failure to monitor the proper detection screens) which result in interference. To date, the most common "air strikes" are not from Canada Geese, ironically, they are often smaller birds. Only recently have we declared a war on all of our air-born wildlife -- never before have we justified massive killing of birds whose only crime is that of flight. Add that there is no consensus, in fact, there is an objection -- to the annihilation of an entire species of bird (Canada Geese) based the failure of our airlines to properly utilize current technology which prevents crashes due to bird strikes. In an era where massive extinction due to pollution, war, climate change and rampant development is already threatening to destroy all of our precious natural wildlife, how can we support this senseless and unjustified killing? Has anyone at Wildlife Services taken time to even view the recent award-winning documentary, Winged Migration? http://www.sonyclassics.com/wingedmigration/index_flash.html Please join us in petitioning Mayor DeBlasio to cancel this contract and to begin an initiative/s to protect and nurture the diverse and amazing array of wildlife currently inhabiting NYC and all of the boroughs. Instead of attacking our rich natural resources, let's begin programs to manage and protect them. Let's include schools and create jobs which include our parks as part of natural education projects and more. Let's move in a truly progressive direction -- from Pre K to Parks. For more information Please contact Edita Birnkrant – Director of Friends of Animals, NYC - edita@friendsofanimals.org 212 247 8120 Or myself Fieldjo@aol.com @johannaclear