Foster City moves forward on plan to chase away Canada geese, change some park areas

FOSTER CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- The Foster City City Council unanimously voted Monday night to adopt a non-lethal Canada Goose Management Plan.

This comes more than two years after the council voted to lethally kill 100 Canada Geese, but then backtracked and opted against the plan after complaints came in.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Foster City officials approve plan to kill up to 100 Canada geese

"They are dangerous to our pets, they are dangerous to our kids, and at this point it feels like it has gotten completely out of hand," said Foster City Vice Mayor Stacy Jimenez.

Foster City Vice Mayor Stacy Jimenez didn't hold back after listening to a presentation given by a wildlife consulting firm regarding a non-lethal Canada Goose Management Plan to deal with the geese, and the droppings they leave.

"I would recommend that you move towards habitat modification as soon as possible," said of Dan Biteman of Wildlife Innovations.

That is the process of changing the look of these park areas so the geese don't feel comfortable there.

Experts here say an example of that would be to cover the fences that surround some of the beaches so the geese can't see the water from the park area.

"You need to take away both the land and the water as a safe space so that they don't just go from the land to the water, and then when you leave they come back to the land you want the whole area to be unsafe," said Biteman.

The process of hazing is also likely to be used. Loud noises, drones, or dogs to scare the geese elsewhere.

While some like the non-lethal ideas.

"I really appreciate that you guys are letting the geese live," said one member of the public.

Others are upset that the plan to kill a hundred geese two years ago never happened due to complaints about it.

"It seems to me that the most prudent thing to do for the people of Foster City is to kill most of the geese," said Dan Hogan of Foster City.

The city council adopted the management plan Monday night and will begin testing methods that could be used. Those from the city say they will meet again in two months. At that time they will vote on a full scale plan and the funding needed for it.