Sample letter urging NYC not to kill hundreds of thousands of Canada geese

NYC, July, 2010 - Nearly 400 Canada geese in Prospect Park were killed last month, with more killing to follow, in an effort to reduce the city and state population from 25,000 to 4,000, and 250,000 to 85,000 respectively, reports Kinship Circle. Making matter worse, New Yorkers and Americans alike were horrified to discover the manner of death supported by city and state officials is the gas-chamber. Insultingly, mass goose burials will be performed in an effort to quiet animal rights activists.

According to the New York Times, the plan, formulated as a result of a report made by city, state and federal agencies, is actually part of a larger effort from 17 eastern states to reduce the Canada geese population by half (from 1.1 million to 650,000). For the report concluded the New York City goose population is, “five times the amount that most people would find socially acceptable.”

The obscenely cruel plan, which will annihilate hundreds of thousands of innocent sentient birds, was developed for the purpose of decreasing airplane strikes in the region, ala Captain “Sully” Sullenburger. Unsurprisingly, a serious effort to modify human behavior with regards to geese and aircraft flight patterns is not being made.

On August 19, Kinship Circle generously made available a sample letter urging city, state and federal officials to implement a non-violent strategy to resolve the issue of bird strikes. People are advised to personalize the letter for greater effectiveness. E-mail addresses and phone numbers of the intended recipients are included.

Sample Letter from Kinship Circle

Mayor Bloomberg, New York City Council, Port Authority of NY & NJ, and USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services:

I am outraged over New York's extermination of Canada geese. I understand city, state and federal agencies plan to decrease the state's population from 250,000 to 85,000 and New York City's numbers from 25,000 to just 4,000 geese. Residents and non-residents alike are shocked that officials advocate gas-chamber death for hundreds of thousands of New York resident geese.

I respectfully request suspension of this violent strategy. Last summer's roundup killed more than 1200 geese. Now officials hope to wipe out two-thirds of the population in a misguided plan to stop airplane strikes.

Destroying geese some distance from airports does not deter strikes. In July an entire flock of Canada geese at Prospect Park were captured and gassed. Some 400 geese, beloved by Brooklyn residents, vanished without warning. Killing these resident geese may have minimal impact on the migratory birds who actually collided with planes.

Dozens of Canada geese have already returned to Prospect Park. That's because killing geese does nothing to modify landscapes and waterways that attract them in the first place. I encourage officials to work with avian experts on population stabilization and site aversion.

GeesePeace, for example, shows how to recruit and train community volunteers to find nests, addle/oil eggs, use repellents, etc. Integrated strategies resolve conflicts with geese and are more enduring than euthanasia. Additionally, airports ought to use radar technology to deter geese.

Please fund non-violent ways to protect planes and passengers from bird strikes. Sweeping eradication does not reduce long-term flock growth. Moreover, elected officials and government agencies should not enact profoundly cruel practices that the public opposes.

Sincerely,

[Your first and last name]
[Your street address, city, state, zip code]

E-mail contact list (as some recipients do not have emails, scroll down for complete contact info)

USDA-APHIS-WS Federal & State, Port Authority NY & NJ
webmaster@aphis.usda.gov, hallie.zimmers@aphis.usda.gov,
jacob.hegeman@aphis.usda.gov, Mike.Begier@usda.gov, Gail.M.Keirn@usda.gov, Martin.S.Lowney@usda.gov, Allen.L.Gosser@usda.gov, Richard.B.Chipman@usda.gov, InspectorGeneral@panynj.govNew York City council Members who have e-mail:gbrewer@council.nyc.gov, fcabrera@council.nyc.gov, chin@council.nyc.gov, comrie@council.nyc.ny.us, ecrowley@council.nyc.gov, Edilan@council.nyc.gov, mathieu.eugene@council.nyc.gov, jferreras@council.nyc.gov,
LFidler@council.nyc.gov, foster@council.nyc.gov,garodnick@council.nyc.ny.us,jgennaro@council.nyc.gov,
vgentile@council.nyc.gov, gonzalez@council.nyc.ny.us, dhalloran@council.nyc.gov, gnizio@council.nyc.ny.us, rjackson@council.nyc.gov, ljames@council.nyc.gov, pkoo@council.nyc.gov, okoppell@council.nyc.gov, Koslowitz@council.nyc.gov, lander@council.nyc.gov,
lappin@council.nyc.gov, slevin@council.nyc.gov, mviverito@council.nyc.gov, darlene.mealy@council.nyc.gov, rmendez@council.nyc.gov, joddo@council.nyc.gov, apalma@council.nyc.gov, drecchia@council.nyc.gov, Joel.Rivera@council.nyc.gov, yrodriguez@council.nyc.gov, jsanders@council.nyc.gov, cmseabrook12@yahoo.com, jvacca@council.nyc.gov, jvanbramer@council.nyc.gov, avann@council.nyc.gov, MWeprin@Council.NYC.gov, twhite@council.nyc.gov

*Important recipient with web contact form only:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

--Contact info for those without emails--

* Maria del Carmen Arroyo: http://www.council.nyc.gov/d17/html/members/home.shtml
* Charles Barron: 212-788-6957; fax: 212-676-8595 (no email)
* Inez E. Dickens: 212-788-7397; fax: 212-442-2732 (no email)
* Daniel Dromm: http://www.council.nyc.gov/d25/html/members/home.shtml
* David G. Greenfield: http://council.nyc.gov/d44/html/members/home.shtml
* Michael C. Nelson: 212-788-7360; fax: 718-368-9160 (no email)
* Christine C. Quinn: http://www.council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml
* Diana Reyna: 212-788-7095; fax: 212-788-7296 (no email)
* Deborah Rose: 212-788-6972; fax: 212-341-3045 (no email)
* Eric Ulrich: 212-788-7069; fax: 718-738-1918 (no email)
* Peter F. Vallone, Jr: http://www.council.nyc.gov/d22/html/members/home.shtml
* Jumaane D. Williams: 212-788-6859; fax: 718-451-2136 (no email)

--Complete contact info--

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall / New York, NY10007
ph: 311 (or 212-788-3000 outside NYC); fax: 212-312-0700
web form: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

USDA-APHIS, Wildlife Damage Management
4700 River Road, Unit 87 / Riverdale, MD 20737
ph: 301-734-7921; Legislative and Public Affairs: webmaster@aphis.usda.gov
Hallie Zimmers, State Liaison, APHIS: hallie.zimmers@aphis.usda.gov
Jacob Hegeman, State Liaison, APHIS: jacob.hegeman@aphis.usda.gov

USDA-APHIS, Airport Wildlife Hazards Program
1400 Independence Ave, SW
Room 1621 South Agriculture Bldg. / Washington, DC 20250
ph: 202-720-4383; fax: 202-690-0053
Mike Begier, National Coordinator: Mike.Begier@usda.gov

National Wildlife Research Center
4101 LaPorte Avenue / Fort Collins, CO 80521-2154
ph: 970-266-6007; fax: 970-266-6040
Gail Keirn, Public Affairs Specialist: Gail.M.Keirn@usda.gov

USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, New York State
1930 Route 9 / Castleton, NY 12033-9653
ph: 518-477-4837; fax: 518-477-4899
Martin Lowney, State Director: Martin.S.Lowney@usda.gov
Assistant State Director: Allen.L.Gosser@usda.gov
Richard.B.Chipman@usda.gov, richard.b.chipman@aphis.usda.gov

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
225 Park Avenue South / New York, NY 10003
ph: 212-435-7000
Office of the Inspector General, ph: 973-565-4340
fax: 973-565-4307; email: InspectorGeneral@panynj.gov
web form: http://www.teb.com/feedback/

New York City council members
Find their full street addresses + phone numbers here
http://www.council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

Office address for all NYC Council members:
250 Broadway / New York, NY 10007

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