Dear Editor:
I read the article in last week’s Photo News reporting on the recent meeting in the Village of Tuxedo Park regarding “the Goose problem” and how they are looking to cull the geese. What a shame that it will not work!
When this method was employed in our area, the dead geese were merely replaced by others to fill the void created. For example: look to the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County when then Supervisor Holbrook had the geese culled. (Additionally, He was looking to use them as food for the homeless only to find that the culled geese were inedible due to pesticide contamination. )
There have been successful programs in the local area regarding goose population control. For example the Town of Woodbury. When the Goose Population Control program was in effect, the cost of the program, in the long term, was more fiscally responsible, more effective and also had the added benefit of being humane.
The program was based on guidelines established by Geesepeace and they may be reached at geesepeace.org
Killing “Nuisance” creatures should not be the go-to option for municipalities and residents should be aware that feeding geese does more harm than good and should be discouraged.
Yes, that also applies to feeding bread to the geese when you take the family out to the park on a Sunday afternoon.
Lorraine McNeill
Highland Mills