Who is responsible for roundups?
Property owners can decide to have geese killed. USFWS only gives permits to property owners who ask for them. For public property such as parks, managers may initiate the decision but local elected officials are ultimately responsible. Where homeowners associations (HOA) manage common areas, HOA-elected boards have the final say. Commercial pest control firms and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services carry out many of the roundups and killing. Property owners pay for this. Local and state government employees also round up some geese on public property. Taxpayers pay for roundups on public property and HOA members pay for those on HOA property. Taxpayers and HOA members have a right to demand their money be spent ethically and not spent to kill geese.
