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Carol Bannerman (301) 734-6464
Jerry Redding (202) 720-4623
USDA ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF RECORD OF DECISION ON CANADA GEESE MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2007--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that a record of decision has been prepared for the management of resident Canada geese. The decision is based on a final environmental impact statement (EIS) prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in cooperation with and adopted by APHIS.
The EIS describes and evaluates seven alternatives to reduce conflicts associated with overabundant populations of resident Canada geese, while maintaining long-term conservation of the species. Based on the findings of the EIS, APHIS’ wildlife services program selected components of the environmentally preferred alternative, the integrated damage management and population control alternative, which allows for use of nonlethal management when effective, as well as humanely implemented lethal management, when requests are received from landowners, states, agricultural managers, airports or other property managers.
In recent years, the population of resident Canada geese that nest and/or reside predominantly within the contiguous United States has grown dramatically resulting in increased conflicts with people, property damage and public health concerns.
Copies of the record of decision and the final EIS on which the record of decision is based are available for public inspection at the USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the reading room, please call (202) 690-2817. The final environmental impact statement may also be viewed on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/cangeese/finaleis.htm. The record of decision may be viewed on the wildlife services Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/ws/ws_nepa-environmental_documents.shtml.
This notice was published in the June 27 Federal Register.
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