Canada Geese Protection Colorado

Good morning, fellow Denver friends, yesterday I had an hour long discussion with DPR's wildlife manager (WM), about the banding project, which people in Denver might have noticed. I want to share information with you.

Timeframe: The banding project is to last five years. 2025 is the end of the second year. The first year (2024) involved tagging 6 geese with GPS devices in order to track their movement. Another six were tagged with GPS devices this year. The information gathered thus far is that one goose travelled as far north as Greeley, and another goose travelled as far south as Colorado Springs. A third goose was injured, which had nothing to do with the device. The goose was located and taken to a rehabilitation facility. The goal is to gather more information about what DPR refers to as the city's "resident" population.

Collaborators: DPR's wildlife management team consists of one full time and two half-time people. DPR partnered with USDA/FWS and CPW. The banding takes place during the molting season, which is also why many people noticed immediately that our urban geese were banded. Thus far, 200 urban Canada geese have been banded in 4 Denver Parks: City Park, Garfield Lake Park, Washington Park, and Sloan's Lake. I mentioned that cleanup crew members had seen the collared geese at Huston Lake and Barnum Lake.

Banding: the person overseeing the physical banding of the geese is CPW's Senior Avian Researcher. DPR wildlife manager reached out to him to inquire about a concern , i.e. the appearance that the collar is obstructing a goose's ability to breathe, etc. His response was that he took extra care when placing the collars on the geese to ensure that they were not too tight. The workers follow the procedures based on the Bander's ethic code, if you want to get more information about the process. DPR's WM and the Senior Avian Researcher realize that it might appear that the collar is too tight. That is not the case, and that was not the goal or intention. Personally, I have worked with the Avian Researcher as part of the work of the Canada Goose Task Force, and I have no reason to think that there is/was an intention to enact harm.

History: I recognize and want to validate individual concerns about our Canada goose community, especially given the lethal round-ups in 2019 and 2020. I spoke about that backdrop to the WM. Their response was that there has not been a lethal round-up since 2020. CGPC efforts and community members speaking out in front of City Council and PRAB were effective, and the third year of the "kill" contract was terminated. The banding project is NOT intended to be a precursor to a lethal round-up. The goal is to gather more information about the population. This was a concern CGPC raised five years ago and in conversation with CPW. There is an admittance that the initial information was outdated and not accurate. Personally, this is a step in the right direction.

Moving forward: To engage the public, DPR will be placing a sign with a QR Code at the 4 parks where the geese were collared. The QR code will connect to a survey that the public can fill out. CGPC will be working with DPR to help promote the project.

Encourage and Support, Lead with Curiosity, and Gather Information: CGPC has worked very hard to be collaborators with DPR and other federal agencies to ensure that the public is involved. DPR is committed to focusing on non-lethal approaches to engaging the geese. I want to support those efforts and not jump to a conclusion of malice.

Town Halls: There is a timeframe to gather information. Please help get the word out to neighbors, friends, and colleagues. DPR is facing layoffs due to budgetary constraints, and community efforts are vital.

I hope this information was useful. Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.