Canada geese (Stock photo (ID 3672633 © Charles Brutlag | Dreamstime.com)

By Liam Verster

Vernon

Proposed goose control program could take three years, cost $100K

Mar 22, 2024 | 1:00 PM

The City of Vernon has heard a proposal for dealing with the local Canada goose population, and now has a dollar figure attached to the project.

A staff report to Vernon city council stated the goose harvest program, proposed by the Guardians of Our Salish Estuaties Society (GooSE), would cost $107,000 over a three year period.

The report, based on a high-level cost estimate, stated the work would take three years. The first year would involve surveying, planning and relationship building. The second year would involve harvesting and processing, while the third year would see the group conduct assessments and report on results.

GooSE representatives said a regional approach would increase the effectiveness of the program, as limiting the harvest to just the Vernon area may result in a population rebound in the future.

Garreth Ashley, a wildlife biologist with Guardians Of Our Salish Estuaries, told council earlier this month, the animals killed would be fully harvested.

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“Our main approach has been working with First Nations and utilizing that meat,” Ashley explained, noting the meat would either be frozen, made into sausages, cooked, dried, canned or smoked.

Should the city decide to move forward with the proposed harvest, the report stated it could be partially funded by $27,179 that remains in the original geese cull budget, and the remaining funding would come from the parks reserve, which at last update had a balance of $168,902.

Vernon council will receive the report at the regular meeting Monday, March 25, at which point a decision could be made on whether or not to move forward with implementing the harvest program.