Lacey Township should reject USDA's lethal methods for managing geese. Killing geese is cruel and ineffective. The cost to Lacey Township to employ the USDA to kill geese is $6,000. This is an expensive propsition for a plan that is unlikely to effectively remove the geese over the long term. In other locations where geese have been lethally removed by the USDA, other geese moved into the vacant habitat within a short period of time - months, even weeks.

Several non-lethal and more effective means exist to reduce the impact of the goose population, including the purchase of a beach cleaning machine, using border collies, and modified landscaping. These are more humane solutions that exist and should be pursued.

Please go to the following websites to learn about non-lethal methods of managing geese:

http://www.geesebusters.com​

http://www.naturesweep.com​

http://www.nativereturn.com/products.html

http://humanesociety.org/wildneighbors
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/geese/tips/solving_problems_canada_geese.html#Public_health_and_Canada_geese .
http://www.geesepeace.com/

http://www.animalalliance.ca/campaigns/human-wildlife-conflict.html

http://www.canadageesenewjersey.com/

Regarding the belief that geese are a health hazard HSUS states, “Scientific studies do not show that goose droppings pose any special health threats. Obviously, people want to avoid contact with any animal droppings. Ordinary good hygiene, such as washing hands and leaving shoes at the door, are adequate prevention if you accidentally contact animal droppings.”

The USDA corrals the geese and their young into small pens, uses plastic zip-ties to bind their feet together, and then shoves them into mobile gas chambers to be killed, or sends them elsewhere for slaughter. Carbon dioxide is the standard gas used by USDA to kill the geese. Carbon dioxide asphyxiation is an especially cruel process that slowly strangles geese for many anguishing minutes as they struggle to breathe. It is far from humane, particularly because geese have capabilities to hold their breath for long periods while diving for food, so they die even more slowly than most animals exposed to this ruthless method of oxygen deprivation.

Please tell Lacey Township to reject USDA's lethal methods for managing geese.