Goose Management Issue Heads Toward a Decision Public Comments Available for Review

The public comment period for the "Draft Environmental Assessment on Canada Goose Population Management in Anchorage, Alaska," closed on November 30, 1997. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) received more than 350 comments from individuals, organizations and government entities. Karen Laing, the Services lead biologist for the project, has assembled the comments into a single document in three volumes for public review.

The public comments document is available to the public at the Alaska Resources Library, and at the Fish and Wildlife Services Regional Office in Anchorage.

Where:

Alaska Resources Library (ARLIS)3150 C Street, Suite 100 8-5 Monday-Friday The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Headquarters, 1011 East Tudor Road (Call 786-3309 for an appointment)

Background: The primary purpose of the Draft Environmental Assessment is to consider whether "lethal control"--allowing some geese to be killed to control their population growth, should be considered as one option. The Environmental Assessment allowed members of the public to review the information and to provide comments prior to a decision. According to Laing, the next step to making a decision involves finishing the final Environmental Assessment, in addition to the Anchorage Working Group continuing to work on a management plan for the summer.

-FWS-