The Milford Health Department will kick off the Geese Peace initiative in Milford over the next few weeks.
Geese Peace programs are structured to reduce or eliminate growing human conflicts with "resident" Canada geese in communities, recreation areas, and business and commercial complexes in urban/suburban areas and lake
Mayor James L. Richetelli, Jr. said, “This program provides a multifaceted solution to protect the duck pond and health and safety of the public in a comprehensive, humane way.”
The population of Canada geese in the United States is increasing by 15% annually.
The Geese Peace program provides integrated strategies to deal with such a staggering growth rate in order to address the issue in an effective,
humane manner, the Health Department says.
The Geese Peace program consists of three major strategies:
1. public education
2. population stabilization through egg oiling
3. site aversion.
The Milford Health Department, along with collaborating agencies and volunteers, will begin the first two strategies during the first three weeks of April. Research has demonstrated that implementation during this time period is critical to having an effective program based on Canada geese behavior patterns.
“Population stabilization through egg oiling is particularly important because it contributes to the long-term reduction in the number of resident Canada geese at the pond itself,” said Milford Health Director A. Dennis
McBride.
Egg oiling will be carried out by trained volunteers and staff with the permission of property owners in accordance with federal and state permits. Staff and volunteers will be visiting Milford property owners near the Upper & Lower Duck Ponds to discuss the program and obtain consent.
In addition to egg oiling, the Milford Health Department will conduct a public education campaign that will stress why individuals should not feed the Canada geese. Well-intentioned people often believe that feeding is beneficial
to the geese, but it often has negative ecological, environmental, and social consequences.
For further information about the Geese Peace initiative, please visit www.geesepeace.org.
MilfordPatch has posed several questions to the Health Department:
1. how many geese are the ponds now and how many were there five years ago?
2. how many reports have there been of conflicts between the geese and humans at the ponds?
3. what site aversion methods will they be using?
4. what exact effect does the oil have on the eggs?
We'll let you know the answers if and when the come in.
