Geese Mostly Gone Since No-Feed Law
Morgantown Dominion Post
27 July 2013
By Brandy Brubaker
The geese population at Star City’s Edith B. Barill Riverfront
Park has dropped significantly since a fine was put into effect
for visitors caught feeding the waterfowl.
Police Chief Vic Propst said about 130 adult geese formerly called
the park home. In late June, the city banned feeding them, and the
geese population has fallen to 15-20 birds.
Parkgoers can net a fine of $25 or more for feeding waterfowl in
Star City.
Propst said they haven’t yet handed out any fines but gave
warnings to seven people.
“We’ve warned them verbally, and they complied,” he said. “One
warning and that’s all.”
Susan Olcott, a wildlife biologist for the state Division of
Natural Resources, wasn’t surprise to hear that the geese
scattered so quickly after their bread scraps and other goodies
were taken away.
“Animals are hard-wired to get their food using as little effort
as possible,” she said.
Now that they aren’t being regularly fed, they’ll venture in
search of another easy source of food, she said.
Violators can be fined $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second
offense and $100 for a third or subsequent offense.
Three-time offenders will also be banned from all Star City
recreational areas for one year, during which they can be cited
for trespassing.