URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - Geese at Crystal Lake Park would be killed to control the population if a plan approved by the Urbana Park District gets final approval.
The park district board unanimously approved plans to apply for a charity harvest in order to keep geese numbers in that area down, The News-Gazette reports. Urbana Park District Superintendent of Planning and Operations Derek Liebert said the goal is to get the population down to 10 to 20 from 80 to 100.
Officials want to manage the geese "at a sustainable level", Liebert added.
The board will now apply to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for a permit. Workers with the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Division would then come in July or early July and collect geese.
The animals would then go to a facility, where they would be killed. The meat would go to a food bank as a donation.
Urbana officials estimate it would cost between $4,000 and $6,000 to carry out the charity harvest. The final cost would depend on the number of birds killed.
“We never wanted to be here. We really wanted to use every tool available to us so that we wouldn’t come to the point where we’re considering this,” Liebert said. “We knew there would be some mixed feelings about it, and that’s evident today.”
Citizens attended the park board's virtual meeting, with some speaking in favor of the harvest and others voicing disapproval. Patch Adams of Urbana was part of a protest against the idea on Tuesday.
“I am sure huge numbers of people are feeling better in their souls and lives because of these geese,” he said. “I love how they walk across the street and show patience for the cars. It’s an embarrassment to kill our friends.”
Greg Springer of Urbana said he was in favor because "the geese are out of control" and will come after people and hiss at them. He said there are no places to sit at Crystal Lake Park because of feces.
