We must help the geese before it's too late

Time is very short. By noon this Friday, June 14, we must demand that City Council reopen this issue on their agenda. We must be a voice for a multitude of Canada geese at City Beach, who may be ultimately destined for euthanasia should Sandpoint’s geese management plan commence on June 24.

It does not make sense to me to corral, band, transport and relocate a multitude of adults and goslings to the Chain Lakes WMA not that far south of Coeur d’Alene. Supposedly 200. They will band for identification and if any return next year they will be killed.

So I called Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation to see what their thoughts were about this sad plan. An employee who is qualified to comment on this issue got back and informed me that relocating the geese simply will not work. He said Canada geese are used to flying 1,000-2,000 miles during migration and relocating them just south of Coeur d’Alene is not going to stop them. Even if they were relocated way up in Canada they’d be back, and it’s a waste of time and money. Furthermore, he said Coeur d’Alene Parks and Rec would never even consider such a management plan of banding and killing any returning geese. He said their informed community would never stand for it. I asked if e. coli in the goose droppings might pose a threat and he said that would be a real stretch. There’s never been a documented case in Coeur d’Alene in all these years. When I had called Sandpoint’s Park and Rec they also said there had never been a documented case from the droppings here.

Sandpoint, we can and must do better. Have all non-lethal methods to control the geese population really been used, and if so consistently enough? According to a KREM-2 news clip there was 80 percent success with the two border collies they hired for hazing. I can think of many more methods that were not mentioned during my conversation with Sandpoint Park and Rec like landscape management, which would beautify the shoreline.

We must insist on implementing effective and proven strategies that will work long term in the bigger picture. The suffering and taking of life, of innumerable geese is a high price to pay because of inconvenience to people. Let’s open our hearts to all God’s creatures and find the higher road.

Please contact Sandpoint City Council at 208-263-3158 by Friday and ask they reopen this proposal so you can voice your concern at the City Council Meeting on June 19. Thank you.

ADRIANA MILLER

Sandpoint