What is the Refuge now proposing to do to manage resident Canada Geese?
Under the proposed Integrated Wildlife Damage Management (IWDM) program, lethal and non-lethal methods will be used to manage the adult resident Canada goose population. It is important to remember that IWDM would involve a combination of techniques, including: (1) altering habitat; (2) fencing; (3) use of frightening/harassing techniques; and (4) population reduction through lethal control methods. The Refuge staff would tailor methods to meet the overall objective of reducing and maintaining the Refuge resident Canada goose population to the 1989 level. Lethal control has become necessary as the Refuge has conducted non-lethal methods for several years without success to control resident geese populations. Resident gosling production on the Refuge in 1998 and again in 1999 exceeded 2,000, despite the expenditure of at least one full staff year of effort and thousands of dollars for harassment/scare devices each year. These harassment/scare devices include: the use of propane cannons,
