Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident alleges borough allowed USDA to gas 26 Canada geese; council asks attorney to review
Summary
At public comment a representative from a conservation group said 26 Canada geese were rounded up on borough property and gassed; council asked its attorney to review the documentation and said it will discuss the matter at the next work meeting.
A visitor at the Feb. 20 Elmwood Park mayor and council meeting told officials that 26 Canada geese were rounded up on borough property and killed with gas under a USDA contract, and urged the borough to adopt nonlethal measures.
Doreen Fraga, identified as representing the Bird Protection League of New Jersey, said she obtained a USDA report that lists Elmwood Park and said the geese were “rounded up on the property of Elmwood Park and gassed to death.” She said the county has an ordinance discouraging lethal methods and that neighboring municipalities had refused USDA access.
Fraga said she and group representatives had previously met borough staff about nonlethal measures such as habitat modification and deterrents and brought a packet of alternatives to the meeting. “We were hoping that you would work with us to implement non lethal solutions and deny access to the USDA to come onto your property to kill the geese,” Fraga said.
Council members discussed possible avenues: one council member and a council attorney-style speaker noted municipal authority over borough-owned shoreline and that private property access can create different dynamics. Mayor Colletti asked the borough attorney to review the paperwork Fraga offered, and the mayor and council agreed to place the matter on a future work-session agenda. The borough said it will review correspondence from Fraga and the USDA and return with legal options.
Why it matters: Residents and conservation groups raised a documented allegation of lethal wildlife removal on borough property. The council directed staff or the borough attorney to investigate and scheduled follow-up discussion at a work meeting, giving the issue an official review path.
What’s next: The borough attorney will review the USDA report and communications and the matter will be discussed at the council’s next work meeting on March 6, 2025. Fraga said she will provide emails, the USDA report and a packet of nonlethal alternatives to staff.
