RECOMMENDATIONS

The Canada goose is under Federal protection through the migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. This act makes it unlawful to hunt, kill , sell, disturb nests, purchase or possess migratory birds except as permitted by regulations adopted by the Secretary of the Interior. In Rockland County most municipalities have laws against the discharge of firearms. Hunting is dangerously inappropriate for suburban residential neighborhoods. It is our opinion that the best and safest methods for people and geese are non-lethal controls. In line with this view, we make the following recommendations:

1. ALTER THE HABITAT

In the wild Canada geese enjoy a varied diet, including grasses, sedges, seeds, berries, aquatic plants, insects and crustaceans. In suburbia the "resident" goose favorite is fertilized, closely mown grass. In fact, a verdant lawn leading to a pond - devoid of surrounding shrubs and trees - is the ideal goose habitat. "If a Canada goose were to design paradise, there would be lots of short, tender grass for grazing, a pond of fresh water for drinking and security, and no predators. It would look almost exactly like a park, golf course, waterfront estate, cemetery or manicured corporate complex." (Smithsonian, December 1994).

A. Grass:

1) Reduce grassy areas by planting large borders of ground cover. Geese do not like to walk through such plantings.
2) Plant trees and shrubs. Geese tend to avoid lawns when they cannot see a water body for a quick getaway.
3) Allow grass to grow taller. Geese do not like to walk through tall grass.
4) Turn part of a lawn into a wild flower meadow.
5) At a golf course increase the rough wherever possible.
6) Plant grass less tasty to geese. Substitute fescues for Kentucky Blue Grass.

B. Water Bodies:

1) Surround with trees and shrubs to obscure escape routes and to intercept the 6 degree takeoff vector of the geese.
2) Install vertical rocks and fencing around ponds to limit access.
C. Local Zoning Ordinances Or Land Use Guidelines - could require new developments to include landscape design features that will help prevent or control problems with geese.

2. ENCOURAGE CANADA GEESE TO FEED FROM NATURE

A. Discourage feeding by the public in nuisance areas. Such feeding attracts and encourages geese to remain. Feeding also allows birds to become tamer than they should be for their own protection.
B. Pass non-feeding legislation to discourage feeding in certain areas.

1) Worked out by Dr. Gregg Feigelson, committee member, legislation was passed by Ramapo in June 1994 which prohibits feeding except in designated areas.

C. Similar legislation was introduced by Hon. Charles E. Holbrook, Legislature Vice Chairman, and passed by the County Legislature in March 1995. Such legislation gives a municipality the freedom to continue feeding in unimpacted areas and to use feeding to lure birds away from impacted areas (see Attachment 4).

-7-

---

3. INSTALL MECHANICAL BARRIERS

A Fences, Hedgerows and other Physical Barriers - are effective tools to restrict movement. In most problem situations, Canada gepse tend to walk , not f1y, to and from water to feed. A low fence or other barrier to prevent access may be all that is needed to solve a problem.
B. Land and Water magazine (Jan/Feb 1995) states, "emplacing string around an emergent seeding or planting at a height of 3" - 8" to literally "trip up" the geese is as effective and cost-effective a solution to this problem as we have found so far."
C. Electric Fencing has been successful at corporate parks and large estates. A 12-inch high electric fence carries a 6-volt jolt, which deters geese, but does not hurt them. (see Attachment 8, Westchester Woman Controls Those Pesky Geese, Rockland Journal News, 3/05/93).

4. UTILIZE NOISE MAKERS

Noisemakers used in conjunction with balloons and/or scarecrows will enhance the effectiveness of both.

A. Auto-exploders - use bottled propane gas and produce a sound similar to that of a shotgun. The noise can be intensified by directing the firing through a hole in the end of a small steel drum from which the opposite end has been removed. The exploder is relatively small, can be set to go off automatically, and can be used for years if given proper maintenance.
B. Shell Crackers - are special shells that project a firecracker up to 125 yards. They are fired from a 12-gauge shotgun. By using them when geese first arrive in an area, the birds can be persuaded to go elsewhere. To be most effective, the firecrackers should go off under the birds as they come in to land. Be aware that a permit may be required for discharging firearms.
C. Timed Sirens. These can be combined with flashing lights
D. Bangers and Screamers- to scare geese at dusk and dawn.
E. Ordinary banging on pots and pans.

A. Large red, white or yellow balloons, 30" in diameter, or smaller 17" mylar balloons filled with helium and tethered on a 40-50 monofilament line of 50-75 pound test will scare geese. One balloon for every two to ten acres of open area should be effective in the daytime. Large eyespots, located so that the two are always visible from any direction, will increase the balloons' effectiveness. Use in conjunction with noisemaking also increases effectiveness. Balloons may be purchased from local advertising agencies or balloon businesses. Check the Yellow pages.
B. Scarecrows are a traditional method of controlling birds and may be quite effective. It is not necessary to spend time making an elaborate design in the shape of a human. A loose sack of straw or a wide streamer of plastic may suffice if properly placed in the problem area. It is also important that some part of the scarecrow moves, activated by a breeze.

SUCH TACTICS NEED TO BE ALTERNATED AND/OR MOVED PERIODICALLY BECAUSE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IS REDUCED IF THE GEESE BECOME USED TO THEM.

-8-

6. METHYL-ANTHRANILATE - REJEX-IT

This deterrent has won approval from the US EPA and the NYS DEC. For information call the manufacturer, RJ Advantage, 800/423-2473.

A.

Dr. Paul Curtis, Wildlife Specialist, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell Couperative Extension, presented a report as part of the Blue Ribbon Panel - METHYL ANTHRANILATE: NATURAL GEESE REPELLENT NON-LETHAL APPLICATION TO GRASS.

B.

Dr. Curtis and Astrid S. Jirka subsequently tested Methyl Anthranilate in Clarkstown parkland - producing a report - ASSESSMENT OF METHYL ANTHRANILATE (REJEX-IT AG-36) FOR REDUCING CANADA GOOSE USE OF TURF GRASS AREAS (see Attachment 5).
They were assisted by, committee member, Andy Turner. Excerpts from his press release follow:

"Cornell Cooperative Extension orgarized two specific experiments in 1994 in response to the Canada goose issue. In cooperation with the Rockland County Canada Goose Citizens Advisory Committee, the Town of Clarkstown, the Department of Environmental Conservation and Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension conducted an experimental test of a bird aversion agent that may be effective on Canada geese. The study, conducted at Kings Park in Congers, attempted to determine whether Methyl Anthranilate (trade name ReJeX-IT AG-36) could be an effective repellent to Canada geese.

Methyl Anthranilate is a naturally occurring sweet flavored compound found in plants such as jasmine, concord grapes and orange blossoms, according to Cornell University Wildlife Specialist, Dr. Paul Curtis, who designed the experiment in Rockland County. "While MA tastes sweet to humans, it is distasteful to many bird species, including Canada geese," says Curtis.

In this experiment, MA proved to have a strong impact on the geese, causing them to move off of the test site immediately after application. However, the aversive effect seemed to wear off after several days as geese returned to the test site to resume feeding. A second application was undertaken using a higher concentration of MA which proved very successful. Overall, the number of geese found in the study area decreased consistently over time, eventually resulting in a total lack of birds on the treated areas by the last day of observations."

Border Collies have proven highly successful in herding geese out of ponds and grassy areas at golf courses and other facilities. Other obedient breeds and mixed-breeds, when trained, have proven successful as well. See Attachment 6 for a report by Dr. Ann Herriott, Cornell Cooperative Extension -THE USE OF TRAINED BORDER COLLIES TO DISCOURAGE CANADA GEESE.

A.

Locally, Mary Felegy, offers the services of her dog - a trained Border Collie mixed-breed - to chase off "resident" Canada geese. Among her clients are Camp Venture, Sparkhill (sic), and St. Paul's School, Valley Cottage. Ms. Felegy, a Congers resident, can be reached at 914/268-9371.

"Dow Jones and Company Inc. started using two Border Collies (Bert and Bessie) four years ago at their 175-acre corporate headquarters in South Brunswick, NJ. The dogs herd the geese into the pond and then keep circling it. The geese get frustrated because they can't waddle out and eat the grass, so they I eave. The company is getting inquiries about them from other corporations and from golf courses." (Smithsonian, March 1995).

-9-

8 . COMBINATION OF TECHNIQUES SUCCESSFUL AT INNIS ARDEN GOLF CLUB, OLD GREENWICH CONNECTICUT (Smithsonian, March 1995)

Pat Lucas took over as superintendent of the Innis Arden Golf Club in Old Greenwich, CT in the late 1970's. His strategy for managing geese is two-pronged. 1) Large plastic swans accompanied by small plastic cygnets. "We have three fake swan families on our pond. If geese fly over and see the swans, nine times out of ten they go somewhere else because they know that swans with cygnets are vicious. But you can't just put out swans and live happily ever after. If the geese do land, and you don't do anything, pretty soon the bravest one will go in the water, and then more of them. Pretty soon they're swimming around the swans, and the jig is up.

Which brings Lucas to his second prong. "We've named it the hunter-ambush approach. If they land on the grass, you have to make them feel hunted. I'll have a guy with a shotgun creep up on them from the woods for 10 or 15 minutes early in the morning or late in the evening. The gander will give out a signal: 'Something's wrong!' They stop eating. All their heads point in one direction, toward the stalker. They start to flap their wings a little. That means they're primed to go. Then the guy comes out of the woods blasting blanks. They take off and won't come back because they get the message.

Sometimes, though, Lucas runs into geese that won't leave, the ones he calls "rogue geese-hard cases." To give these toughs the willies, the ambusher carries a boom box and just before he jumps out shooting, he cranks up a tape of Canada goose distress calls. "You're speaking in their own language. It gets rid of them ." Golf course superintendents from all over the country call Lucas for advice. "The key is, you've got to stop thinking like a human and start thinking like a goose."

9. EGG ADDLING (regulated by Federal permit)

A.

Egg addling, considered a lethal method, includes:
1) Shaking
2) Oiling
3) Puncturing
4) Freezing
After treatment, some eggs must be returned to the nest or the mother goose will lay more.

Within the committee there were two views on egg addling:
1) That all eggs-should be addled in each treated nest in order to achieve maximum population control results for this method.
2) That one or two eggs be left unaddled for humane reasons so that parent geese could have some young to raise.

A.

Allendale, NJ - The town has been using pistol noisemakers to scare off geese. Town employees shoot off the noisemakers early in the morning, and the loud screech frightens the birds away. So far, it's working; no geese have been sighted in Allendale.

Demarest, NJ - Last winter the town hung green flags around the Tenakill Brook, home to dozens of Canada geese. Although vandals have torn down some of the pennants, the goose population has been cut in half, apparently because the flags make the geese nervous. The town chose green because it was aesthetically pleasing. "We didn't want the place to look like a used car lot," a local Councilman said.

Woodcliff Lake - In 1992 Washington gave the borough permission to puncture the eggs of geese nesting on an island in Woodcliff Lake Reservoir. In the past three years, more than 1,100 eggs have been destroyed, and officials say the number of geese has decreased.

-10-

11. RELOCATION

Relocation experiments carried out by the DEC in Rockland County have offered only temporary relief (see Attachment 3).

CONCLUSION

It is important to note that best results are obtained when several non-lethal control methods are used together in a cycle of implementation, observation and modification.

This committee has researched and demonstrated several possible techniques of a non-lethal nature (plus egg addling), for resolving human/geese conflicts in Rockland County. There is no question that these conflicts and problem areas must be treated on a case by case basis and that certain approaches outlined here may be very effective in certain circumstances and of little or no effect in other areas. One specific approach outlined, methyl anthranilate, has been approved for use in New York State by the NYS DEC. For information, call the manufacturer, R.J. Advantage, at 800/423-2473.

This committee recommends that alI of the approaches discussed in this report be examined carefully and implemented where appropriate.

cgreport

-11-

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. NEW YORK'S WILDLIFE RESOURCES - NOVEMBER 20, 1984 NYS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

2. GREENWICH CONSERVATION COMMISSION POSITION PAPER, GREENWICH, CT FEBRUARY 7, 1991

3. FACT SHEET ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - MAY 1991

4. PARTNERS IN FLIGHT - NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION - SUMMER 1993

5. TRANSCRIPT - BLUE RIBBON PANEL OF EXPERTS ON CANADA GEESE SEPTEMBER 22, 1993

6. ROCKLAND AUDUBON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS - 1995, 1994 AND 1993

7. CANADA GOOSE SURVEYS IN ROCKLAND COUNTY - BRYAN L. SWIFT, WATERFOWL SPECIALIST, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION - FEBRUARY 24, 1994

8. OVERVIEW OF GOOSESBUSTERS (sic) PROGRAM, KENSICO RESERVOIR, WESTCHESTER COUNTY MAY 1, 1994 - DR. GREGG FEIGELSON

9. THE USE OF TRAINED BORDER COLLIES TO DISCOURAGE GEESE - DR. ANN HERRIORT, CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION - MAY 26, 1994

10. FINAL REPORT ASSESSMENT OF METHYL ANTHRANILATE (REJEX-IT AG-36TM) FOR REDUCING CANADA GOOSE USE OF TURF GRASS AREAS - PAUL D. CURTIS AND ASTRID S. JIRKA, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITAHCA, NY JULY 29, 1994

11. ROCKLAND COUNTY CANADA GOOSE POPULATION UPDATE BRYAN SWIFT DEC WILDLIFE SPECIALIST - SEPTEMBER 1994

12. EXPANDING THE COMMITMENT - NORTH AMERICAN WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT PLAN 1994 UPDATE - NORTH AMERICAN WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT PLAN COMMITTEE

13. CRITTERS ADVENTURES IN WILDEST SUBURBIA, A.B.C. WHIPPLE ST. MARTIN'S PRESS 1994

14. THE NEW CANADA GEESE AMONG US - WILD IN NEW YORK, NYS DEC FISH & WILDLIFE VOL 2. NO 3. 1994

15. SMITHSONIAN, DEC. 1994

16. LAND AND WATER MAGAZINE - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1995

17. NUISANCE CANADA GOOSE CONTROL - USDA, ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL

18. SMITHSONIAN, MARCH 1995

19. THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY NEW JERSEY SECTION, 7/02/95

20. REDUCING THE IMPACTS OF STORMWATER RUNOFF FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT, NYS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, 1992

-12 -

CANADA GEESE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Hon. Harriet Cornell, Committee Chair &
Rockland County Legislator

Robert 0. Binnewies, Executive Director
Palisades Interstate Park Commission

Diane Gruskin, Committee Coordinator & Executive Director
Rockland County Environmental Management Council

Betty Hedges, President
Rockland County Conservation Association, Inc.

Andy Turner, Committee Coordinator for Special Events &
Environmental Issue Program Leader, Cornell Cooperative Extension

1. Frank Bevelaqua, Greens Superintendent
   Blue Hill Golf Course, Pearl River
2. Joseph Clarke, Director
   Orangetown Parks & Recreation
3. Charles F. Connington, Superintendent
   Clarkstown Park & Recreation Commission
4. Carl Dornbush, Public Health Sanitarian
   Rockland County Health Department
5. Dr. Gregg Feigelson, Chairman
   Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese
6. Denis Foley
   Rockland Audubon
7. James Forzono, Supervisor, Buildings and Grounds
   Town of Stony Point
8. Rita Glynn
   Southern Clarkstown Civic Association
9. Charles E. Holbrook, Supervisor
   Town of Clarkstown
10. Edward Lockwood, Director
    Ramapo Parks and Recreation
11. Tom Maglaras, Nuisance Wildlife Specialist
    West Nyack, NY
12. John Zeman, Maintenance Supervisor
    Town of Ramapo

Glenn M. Cole, Regional Wildlife Manager
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Bryan L. Swift, Waterfowl Specialist
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

goose-2

-13-