Some New Jersey residents outraged over town's plan to exterminate Canada goose population

PEAPACK -GLADSTONE, New Jersey -- Some residents in one New Jersey town are outraged over a new plan to reduce the Canada goose population.

The plan would allow federal officials to euthanize the birds in the borough of Peapack-Gladstone in Somerset County.

Council members made the controversial decision back in March after several failed attempts to get rid of the geese population they say is out of control.

One area of concern is a pond and paved walkway in Liberty Park.

"While they are beautiful creatures, unfortunately, they create issues for us with a greater number of fecal matter droppings which pollute our walkways and benches, and also the fecal matter in our pond," said Mayor Mark Corigliano.

The mayor pointed out it is a manmade pond.

"The pond was created in 1920 and it is not natural for this species of birds which are indeed invasive," he said.

But others say, of course, it would attract geese.

"It's a manmade area that's designed to attract the geese and now that it is a little bit of a problem, they want to kill them," said Camille DiCarlo.

The council voted in March to allow the USDA to come in and gas the geese. Under those federally approved guidelines, it would be done during a period when the geese cannot fly - which is also a crucial time for the flock, supporters say.

"Goslings have been seen who can't fly so the issue is, if we try to get them to fly away now, the parents won't leave the goslings behind," said Elizabeth Jonach.

Jacqueline Braun lives in town and started a petition against killing the birds.

"What they do is they round them up in a truck on site and they gas them with carbon dioxide, it takes 15-30 minutes to kill them and it's heartbreaking," Braun said.

Now a host of others are offering other methods to shoo them away.

"Everyone's on board, the Animal Protection League is more than willing to work with them and help to implement these measures," Jonach said.

Others say they already have volunteers willing to step in and help with the negative impact of the birds.

"There's volunteers to clean up the excrement, there are volunteers to come rake, there are volunteers to pretty much take care of anything they're troubled with," DiCarlo said.