Vernon council supports plan for goose harvest

Mar 25, 2024 | 3:05 PM

The City of Vernon is moving forward with a goose management plan.

At Monday’s regular meeting, city council was presented with information and a timeline for a proposed goose harvest program to be conducted by the Guardians of our Salish Estuaries (GooSE).

Upon receiving the report, Councillor Kari Gares moved that the city proceed with the plan put forward by GooSE, and fund it through the streams outlined in the report.

A staff report to council stated the goose harvest program would cost $107,000 over a three-year period.

The report said 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.

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The meat and down of the killed birds will be used by First Nations.

Councillor Teresa Durning inquired as to how the plan would see only resident geese killed, and not migrating birds.

In response, staff noted the migratory geese Vernon sees come from Alaska and the Yukon in the fall and winter months, and those birds would not be in the area during the summer months when the harvest would be conducted.

Council voted unanimously in favour of the motions.

The program will be partially funded by $27,179 that remains in the original geese cull budget, and the remaining amount will come from the parks reserve, which at last update had a balance of $168,902.

by Liam Verster

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