The U.S. Department of Agriculture working with the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation and New York City Dept. of Parks and Recreation, plans to round up and kill by gassing 170,000 Canada geese found on city property within 5 miles of NYC airports.  

Indeed, 400 Canada geese have already been rounded up from Prospect Park in NYC and gassed.  

The reason given is airline safety. It was a flock of Canada geese that  U.S. Airways Flight 1549 stuck last year, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. All crew and passengers made it off the plane safely. 

But the target of the mass kill are resident Canada geese while the birds involved in the Flight 1549 incident were migratory Canada geese. Also, consider this: There were 676 reported bird strikes at JFK airport and 410 reported at LaGuardia between 2004 and 2008. Only five of the strikes at JFK involved Canada geese and only 2 of those caused any damage to the planes. Four of the bird strikes occurring during that period at LaGuardia airport involved Canada geese and only 1 of those caused what was minor damage. 

The government agencies involved also say there is a risk of "fecal contamination" from resident Canada geese and damage to grass and "ornamental plantings". But hazing or moving birds is already done to protect water supplies.

The cost to taxpayers from the mass kill is unknown. There have already been considerable government resources spent counting birds in NYC and preparing reports to justify these plans which were recommended in a 2006 Final Environmental Impact Statement and Records of Decision issued by USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and Fish and Wildlife Service.

Let's hope the government doesn't decide to eliminate every species of bird involved in an airplane strike. Or birds like the targeted resident Canada geese that weren't involved in the Flight 1549 strike. 

Also, surely this occurred to the various agencies involved in planning the mass kill, but more Canada geese will simply come in and take the place of those that have been culled and gassed.     

The birds are supposed to be protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act o 1918, 16 U.S.C. 703-712, but they can be taken under federal depredation permits. And, in fact, USDA-APHIS FWS has issued these orders for New York airports and other places. New York has also authorized taking of these birds consistent with the federal depredation permits. 

For more on the Canada geese in New York and the plan to round up and kill 170,000 of these animals....