LAKEHURST – Councilman Steven Oglesby noted that the borough’s population is growing but the new residents are birds of a feather and they are causing a mess.
“I know it has been brought up many times,” noting that a local street has been invaded “by our goose population. They are fouling our street. They are fouling our sidewalks. They are fouling the yards,” he said, pun intended. “We have 40 new goslings that are growing rapidly. I’d love to snatch them all up and move them somewhere else.”
“People are now walking in the streets and not on the sidewalks and I am talking a whole lot,” he said, concerned about pedestrian safety.
Council President Jeffrey Emmons said he spoke with Police Chief Matt Kline in hopes of “fixing the situation. I’m not sure what to do.”
Oglesby suggested some snow fencing along the beach for a few weeks. “It should be fairly inexpensive. I don’t know – I’m grasping at straws.”
The subject of geese removal from Harry Wright Lake in Manchester dominated a recent council meeting of that municipality. Township officials and local animal rights advocates (The Animal Protection League APL) are actively discussing geese management to balance ecological conservation with wildlife protection.
While animal advocates urge the township to use non-lethal deterrents to protect the flocks, Manchester Mayor Joseph Hankins noted that geese have caused lake closures due to high fecal count contamination, requiring the council to find solutions that also keep recreational areas safe.
The discussions, which took place during the Township Council meeting centered on a few key methods to reduce goose populations and prevent them from settling at popular locations like Pine Lake and Harry Wright Lake:
- Egg Addling: Oiling the eggs to prevent them from hatching, a standard non-lethal practice for curbing population growth.
- Canine Patrolling: Utilizing trained border collies to chase geese away from beaches and disrupt their nesting routines, a method previously used by contractors like Geese Chasers, LLC.
- Habitat Modifications: Modifying parks and shorelines to make them less attractive to resident geese.
- Public Awareness: Enforcing “no feeding” regulations to prevent birds from losing their natural fear of humans and congregating in public spaces.
In other business, Council President Emmons said Lake Street will be paved and a bicycle path grant application is under consideration.
Councilman Oglesby also noted that it was once again time for police contract negotiations while Councilwoman Patricia Hodges noted that a written agreement with the school district concerning snow removal by the Borough’s Department of Public Works needed to be finalized. She also said a rain barrel workshop would be held at the Community Center on Center Street on July 22.
“An ordinance for involving new construction might be something we need to address,” Hodges added. A proposal from DPW was requested that would involve comparison regulations from other area towns which will be presented to the appropriate Borough committee.
Councilman Robert McCarthy noted the police department’s receipt of two new police vehicles. He said a shared services agreement provided a quarter of a million dollars from a congressional fund that was approved by Senator Andy Kim and was expected to be received early next year.
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