Does city want waterfowl park or people park?

I made a career performing bird control for the U.S. government and private sector. I'm familiar with all methods from firearms to trained falcons, pyrotechnics, hazing and trapping. I had 59 contracts total, including nine for the U.S. Air Force. I was on Animal Planet and National Geographic TV.

We should've never allowed them to breed there in the beginning. Their numbers will multiply until it's a health hazard.

A no-kill program with this species means you'd need to frighten them away with someone at about $100,000 a year, with "geese police" dogs, day and night. If the city of Sandpoint doesn't have the funds for a bird control operator with dogs, then I'm sorry, the only way to get rid of them is to kill them.

Once eradicated, vigilance must be applied to keep them from coming back, using cameras at the park. If new birds come back, they must be met with geese police dogs immediately. Never let them stay long enough to fill their crops with park grass. Certainly never let them breed there.

Does the community want a waterfowl park or keep their people park? If the latter is decided, it can be done without killing the geese, but it'll cost and it's not efficient.

Depredation is the best way. We'll need to pull a depredation permit with the state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — a process I know well.

TOM STEPHAN

Coeur d'Alene