Controversial Michigan program to lethally gas local Canada geese put on pause

A programme aimed astatine controlling the section goose colonisation via the seizure and lethal gassing of the birds has been paused by Michigan's Department of Natural Resources.

M. Scott Bowen, manager of the authorities agency, announced the determination successful a effect missive sent to Democratic lawmakers connected May 9. An earlier missive sent by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) and 11 cosigners successful April had antecedently urged the DNR to reconsider the "capture and euthanasia" program, saying it was a "disproportionate, inhumane" effect to nuisance complaints "mainly astir goose droppings."

The authorities would let residents with the close permits to seizure "nuisance Canada geese" for euthanasia during the species' flightless play of June 1 done July 1. Landowners seeking the licence to bash truthful were required to person tried different non-lethal power methods first.

Addressed to the Natural Resources Committee, the entreaty decried the intended solution that would "annually circular up perchance 10,000 oregon much Canada geese and their goslings successful their earthy situation during their summertime molt (June and July) erstwhile they are flightless," according to the writers.

Program would let 'lethally gassing' geese successful 'portable state chambers,' opponents say

Referred to arsenic the "Canada Goose Program" connected the Michigan DNR website, the inaugural was passed connected Oct. 10, 2024, and was acceptable to statesman successful 2025. According to the program's FAQ page, it was designed to "give backstage landowners (including businesses and different commercialized entities) options to code goose-human conflicts connected their sites," saying Canada geese are "typically liable for astir conflicts" and that acrophobic person summation amid the dispersed of illness similar the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (or bird flu).

The programme would let residents to person permits to destruct "nuisance" goose nests and eggs and would destruct the relocation of geese aft roundup, alternatively of requiring that immoderate captured geese beryllium killed. The program's "end goal" was to let participants to wage to person nutrient from the geese processed, tested and donated, but successful the meantime, the corpses would spell to landfills.

This "roundup of Canada geese and their goslings and lethally gassing them wrong portable state chambers," arsenic described by the lawmakers opposed to the program, was officially enactment connected clasp a week earlier the May 16 deadline for landowners to use for the due permits to participate.

It had antecedently been contested by section groups specified arsenic In Defense of Animals, which said connected its website, encouraging residents to constitute to their representatives, "Michiganders person the powerfulness to basal up for geese and request ethical, non-lethal absorption solutions successful their ain communities."

State inactive prioritizes non-lethal carnal control, says director

The missive announcing the intermission said the bureau had been "working with the nationalist to resoluteness human-goose conflicts for implicit 40 years" and that the aviator programme was different effort toward that goal.

"After further information and consultation with our Wildlife staff, we person decided to intermission the programme for this twelvemonth and volition not beryllium issuing immoderate permits oregon conducting this enactment connected immoderate sites," said Bowen's letter. "We volition proceed to probe alternate options for managing human-goose conflicts and wellness and quality information concerns forareas with overabundant Canada Goose populations."

The bureau continues to prioritize non-lethal techniques, including situation modification, elimination of feeding, scare tactics, repellents and nest/egg destruction, said the letter.

"It is important for the wellness and information of our citizens and the absorption of our earthy resources that we proceed to usage the goose absorption tools astatine our disposal," it continued.

The DNR shared a transcript of the May 9 missive but did not supply further remark to USA TODAY.

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: Plans to lethally state Canada geese enactment connected intermission successful Michigan