Proposed Goose Control Measure Pitched To Pines Board

OCEAN PINES – An Ocean Pines committee will begin exploring habitat modification measures in an ongoing effort to control the Canada goose population near the South Gate pond.

On Wednesday, members of the association’s Environment and Natural Assets Committee came before the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors to present a possible method that would not only prevent erosion of soil along the pond, but deter the growing number of resident Canada geese.

“The Environment and Natural Assets Committee would like to make a presentation of the work we’ve done over the past 18 months regarding geese population control in Ocean Pines,” said Director Doug Parks, the committee’s board liaison. “The committee has been collecting and reviewing historical data regarding the various methods that have been used in Ocean Pines over the years to control the population of the geese in our area. They are reporting on the successes and the failures of these various methods and have researched state and federal sources of information regarding several of the methods for consideration.”

Chair Sharon Santacroce told board members this week her committee was presenting a proposal to plant buffer vegetation, a habitat modification method, around the South Gate pond.

“The habitat modification will serve two very important purposes,” she said. “It will help stop the land erosion – one of our main goals – and also deter the Canada geese from gathering, building nests and increasing their population.”

Committee member Karen Detter noted pond buffers are 20-foot-wide vegetative strips planted around the body of water at a height ranging from two to three feet. She noted the buffer prevents geese from easily accessing the water.

“That deters them from foraging or nesting in that area,” she said. “It also provides a lot of root growth that prevents erosion of the soil, and it can encourage more diversity of the ecosystem in that area that can actually have a beneficial effect on cleaning the water.”

Detter noted numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of pond buffers in deterring Canada geese, as they tend to avoid areas of high-level vegetation.

“It doesn’t let them see their predators through the grass, and they don’t like going through an area of higher vegetation where they can’t see,” she said, adding, “Their favorite food is actually newly mowed grass, so by mowing the grass very short you’re actually encouraging them to congregate in those areas.”

Detter also told board members this week the buffer can be planted using native plants.

“A pond buffer doesn’t just have to be unmowed grass,” she said. “It can be purposefully undertaken and thoughtfully undertaken to increase the beauty of the area and accomplish our environmental goals.”

General Manager John Viola questioned how the association would implement a pond buffer. He also questioned if the committee had gathered cost estimates.

“We haven’t gotten to that point,” Detter replied. “However, in doing the research, I found a lot of grant opportunities.”

Viola also questioned the effectiveness of the habitat modification measure.

“This definitely stops the geese migration?” he asked. “Is it 50% effective, 100%, 10%?”

Detter said several case studies reported a deterrence rate between 50% and 70%. She added there were also pond management companies that could install and maintain pond buffers.

Director Frank Daly commended the committee’s work, but encouraged them to start preparing plans and cost estimates.

“I’m going to encourage you all to be very cognizant of the timing because we’re going to be putting together a budget after the end of this season and it would be good to have this sort of information for the budget,” he said. “If it’s in the budget, my suspicion is they like to do this kind of planting in the springtime or early summer. And if you miss the budget cycle then we would be faced with turning down a project we’d like to do and like to support.”

Director Amy Peck also encouraged committee members to explore pollinator grants.

“When you are searching for the grants, also search for pollinator grants too,” she said, “because the pollinator gardens match well with native plants and it would be beautiful.”

After further discussion, the board agreed to have the committee begin gathering information and developing plans for a pond buffer.

“It doesn’t require a whole lot of maintenance if it’s planned properly,” Detter said.

Efforts to control the Canada goose population in the Pines have been ongoing for years.

In 2018, for example, the association brought in officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to euthanize nearly 300 Canada geese in an effort to mitigate problems relating to excrement and environmental pollution. That decision, however, drew the ire of some Pines residents protesting the “wholesale slaughter” of the birds without the community’s knowledge.

The association late last year also explored the use of a specialty turf grass to deter the geese.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.