Final Environmental Impact Statement
· Managing populations of Canada geese can be a challenging
responsibility given the diversity in landscape and ownership patterns and
the desire to keep populations at levels that are both sustainable and
appropriate for environmental and sociological conditions. There are some
19 management populations and 11 subspecies of Canada geese for which the
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and other agencies have management
responsibility. A number of these populations are at or below management
goals. â?oResidentâ? Canada geese, however, make up one population
that is
well above desired levels.
· Resident Canada geese are those that nest and reside predominantly
in
the U.S. and do not have the characteristically long north/south migration
patterns so common in the rest of the populations and species of Canada
geese. Because resident Canada geese live in temperate climates with
relatively stable breeding habitat conditions and low numbers of predators,
tolerate human and other disturbances, have a relative abundance of
preferred habitat provided by current urban\suburban landscaping
techniques, and fly relatively short distances to winter, they exhibit a
consistently high annual production and survival.
· Over the past 10 years, resident Canada goose populations
in the
Atlantic Flyway increased an average of 1%/year and numbered over one
million in the spring of 2005. In the Mississippi Flyway, resident Canada
geese increased about 5%/year since 1996 and currently number about 1.6
million.
· On August 19, 1999, the Service issued a notice of intent
to prepare
a management plan and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for resident
Canada goose management. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate strategies
to reduce, manage, and control resident Canada goose populations in the
continental United States and to reduce related damages. In conjunction
with the EIS is a rulemaking process, the objective of which is to provide
a regulatory mechanism that would allow State and local agencies, other
Federal agencies, and groups and individuals to respond to damage
complaints or damages by resident Canada geese.
· An integral part of the national management strategy was
Flyway
Council input. All four Flyway Councils prepared or updated Flyway-specific
resident Canada goose management plans.
· As part of the EIS process, public scoping meetings were
held in
February, 2000, at nine locations across the country. Attendance totaled
approximately 1,250 and over 3,000 comments were received. A Draft EIS was
released on March 1, 2002, with a 90-day public comment period. Attendance
at the 11 public meetings totaled 429 and over 2,700 written comments were
received.
· A proposed rule was published on August 21, 2003. The comment
period
closed October 20, 2003. Over 2,900 comments were received.
· The Final EIS analyzes seven management alternatives: 1)
No Action;
2) Increase Use of Nonlethal Control and Management (no currently permitted
activities); 3) Increase Use of Nonlethal Control and Management
(continued permitting of those activities generally considered nonlethal);
4) Expanded Hunting Methods and Opportunities; 5) Depredation Order
Management (consisting of an Airport Depredation Order, a Nest and Egg
Depredation Order, an Agricultural Depredation Order, and a Public Health
Depredation Order); 6) Integrated Damage Management and Population Control
(PROPOSED ACTION); and 7) General Depredation Order.
· The Proposed Action would establish a new regulation with
three main
program components:
1. The first component would consist of specific control and depredation
orders (Airports, Nests and Eggs, Agricultural, and Public Health) designed
to address resident Canada goose depredation, damage, and conflict
management. Depredation orders are regulations allowing the take of
migratory birds without a Federal permit. These actions could be conducted
by the appropriate State agency, the Service or another official agent
(such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services), or in some
cases, the affected public.
2. The second component would provide expanded hunting methods and
opportunities to increase the sport harvest of resident Canada geese above
that which results from existing September special Canada goose seasons.
3. The third component would authorize a resident Canada goose
population control program, or management take (defined as a special
management action that is needed to reduce certain wildlife populations
when traditional management programs are unsuccessful in preventing
overabundance of the population). The intent of the program would be to
reduce resident Canada goose populations in order to protect personal
property and agricultural crops, protect other interests from injury,
resolve or prevent injury to people, property, agricultural crops, or other
interests from resident Canada geese, and reduce or eliminate potential
concerns about human health.
· Certain components (management take, additional hunting methods,
and
agricultural depredation order) would be restricted to the States in the
Atlantic, Central, and Mississippi Flyways.
· The Final Environmental Impact Statement will have a 30-day
public
inspection period.
· Following the 30-day review period, the Service will issue
a Record
of Decision and a final regulation, or rule, to implement the EIS Proposed
Action.
Nicholas Throckmorton
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public Affairs
Room 3357
1849 C. Street, NW
Washington D.C. 20240
202/208-5636 - phone
202/219-2428 - fax