Subject: [HSUS-PNW:361] Seattle Goose Kill Ends (for this year)
Date: Jul 12 15:44:44 2002
From: Dennis K Rockwell - dennis.rockwell at gte.net


Now I'd be impressed if they'd gone down into Seattle's parks rescuing homeless humans, but this "goose rescue" is an example of why the rest of the world either hates us or thinks we're ridiculous.

Dennis Rockwell Kennewick, WA dennis.rockwell at gte.net

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.
William James (1842-1910)

-----Original Message-----
From: Susen Oseth <susen at lighthawk.org>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Thursday, July 11, 2002 10:24 PM
Subject: FW: [HSUS-PNW:361] Seattle Goose Kill Ends (for this year)



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-HSUS-PNW at envirolink.org [mailto:owner-HSUS-PNW at envirolink.org]On Behalf Of Lisa Wathne
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 6:34 PM
To: hsus-pnw at envirolink.org
Subject: [HSUS-PNW:361] Seattle Goose Kill Ends (for this year)


PRESS RELEASE from Give Geese A Chance:

Seattle Goose Kill Halted
Program an Unpopular and Expensive Failure

On Tuesday afternoon, July 9, 2002, Give Geese A Chance telephone brigade volunteers began getting messages from the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department and from the Mayor's office that the Canada goose kill in Seattle was halted. Later that day, Dewey Potter in the Park's office and Dave Tacomi at the Mayor's office, confirmed that the USDA would not attempt to kill more geese in Seattle this year. The USDA Wildlife Services office in Olympia has refused to return calls.

"We are extremely pleased to learn that our resident Canada geese can go about their lives without fear of being captured and gassed," said Give Geese A Chance volunteer Bob Chorush. "Four months ago, we began getting to know our geese, visiting them, tracking their populations and movements. We learned about them so that we could protect them, but the more we learned about them the more we wanted to protect them. They are intelligent, beautiful, loyal and resourceful. We are very pleased that we will be able to continue our emerging friendship with these geese."

The yearly goose kill in Seattle is paid for by the Parks and Recreation Department who have contracted with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to kill "surplus" geese. The USDA rounds up the geese during the month-long seasonal molt when they cannot fly and gasses them to death in city parks.

Seattle Parks Superintendent Ken Bounds invoked emergency rules to close city parks and condoned the unnecessary response of more than 40 Seattle Police Department cruisers and three Seattle Harbor Patrol boats when no laws were being broken and no member of the public was in danger. Despite these "safety precautions" the USDA agents were only able to kill about 64 out of an anticipated kill of 1000 resident Canada geese in the Seattle area.

"Ken Bounds should resign for fiscal malfeasance," remarked Chorush. "The Parks Department is threatening to cut vital programs and services for lack of money, yet they consume enormous resources trying to kill a few geese. The Parks Department's actions surrounding the attempted goose kills were clearly out of bounds. We think that the Parks Department should be out of Bounds as well."

Give Geese A Chance volunteers credit their actions with saving resident geese. Volunteers jumped into Lake Union and Lake Washington prior to goose kills commencing so that the geese would stay away from shore. Kayakers herded geese away from city parks when USDA spotter vehicles were located. More than a dozen dogs patrolled Seattle beaches keeping geese in the water. Cars roamed the streets and freeways searching for USDA vehicles, while volunteers at parks reported on goose whereabouts and called for a dog or kayak to be dispatched if needed. All of the volunteers' actions were legal and volunteers quickly obeyed any legally issued police orders. Two volunteers who were arrested during the campaign were released without charges being filed.

"This was an impressive all-volunteer, grassroots effort to save the geese and I feel honored to have been a part of it," states goose volunteer coordinator Charlene Baxter. "We hope that the killing will not resume next year, but if it does, we will protect our geese as fiercely as we have this year. We do not believe that the public is willing to tolerate this unnecessary and inhumane slaughter. We have more than 150 volunteers who are ready and willing to save our geese."