On 29 Mar 2000, Ed Newbold wrote:

> On another subject anyone who gets the Tacoma News Tribune might check ou=
t=20
> the outdoors column by Bob Mottram today. He wrote a really nice (overly
> complimentary) story about me and my crusade against the Geese Culling
> program, the program designed to perfectly meet the needs of an incompete=
nt
> state bureaucracy. He clearly distinguished between the pure animal righ=
ts
> position and my position =96(blame grass/reduce lawn)...


I am pondering the reference to an incompetent state bureaucracy. My agency=
,
Fish and Wildlife, has always worked to try to reduce urban sprawl and the=
=20
constant creep of residential development that damages wildlife habitat and
limits opportunities for wildlife-oriented recreation, like hunting and=20
fishing. In areas where hunting is still possible, Canada Goose numbers can
be effectively limited. Unfortunately, vast areas of Puget lowland country
are now off-limits for hunting.=20

For many years, Habitat Biologists within this state agency have also tried=
to
discourage conversion of native shoreline vegetation to lawns. It is the
will of the majority that creates a political environment where such=20
recommendations are deemed unpractical (maybe even silly). I can't help but=
=20
think that when we see ills in government, we are often pointing toward=20
the mirror.

I agree that reducing lawns, on shoreline margins particularly, would go=20
a long ways toward reducing the quantity of resident Canada Goose habitat.
It is a more sustainable, less costly approach to the problem. However,
large numbers of people want soft green grass and are willing to pay tax
dollars to do what it takes to have it, and have it clean of goose dropping=
s.
So, we reduce the number of geese by another technique. Rather than reducin=
g
their numbers by reducing habitat, we reduce their numbers by killing them.
Same result...fewer Canada Geese (and it has to be repeated periodically,
for an indefinite period of time).=20

So, the question for me becomes, why is reducing the amount of habitat more
acceptable than killing geese? Is it because you don't like the waste of ta=
x
dollars for a repetitive program of goose removal? Or, is it you don't like
the geese being killed? If it is the latter, you are still arguing an anima=
l
rights perspective, are you not?

Now I should go find Bob Mottram's article to see if it enlightens me any.



Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife


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