From VFA: South Side Geese: Keep the Pressure Up!

October 29, 2007

South Side Geese: Keep the Pressure Up!

About a dozen people protested and leafleted to drivers along Second Avenue on Thursday about the killing of a group of South Side geese by the US Dept. of Agriculture on October 10. The reaction from the public was very encouraging. Our "honk against geese slaughter" signs prompted a chorus of responses (including from an 18-wheeler on the Parkway above!) and several drivers stopped to ask in disbelief if we were talking about "the geese by the boat launch." A lawyer who received one of our leaflets emailed us to tell us he was filing his own FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request about the killings.

Lynn Cullen came out against the slaughter on her talk show on Thursday. [http://www.stationcaster.com/stations/wptt/?d=AM - halfway through Hour 1 of the 10/25 show]. Thanks to the many people who emailed her about it.

The Post Gazette published an article in which a USDA official claims that "to the best of her knowledge" the kills happened on private land (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07299/828624-338.stm). Try telling that to the local residents who witnessed it! Doesn't the USDA know where it's operating? Their main spokesperson confirmed last week that the round-up happened in River Front Park.

Here's the follow-up tasks we're asking you to do:

1) Please write letters to the Post-Gazette in response to the above article expressing your outrage over the killing of the South Side geese. We need to let the public know that this slaughter did happen on public land and absolutely no effort was made to use non-lethal methods at the Park. Please send letters to:

Letters to the EditorPittsburgh Post-Gazette34 Blvd. of the AlliesPittsburgh, PA, 15222(412) 263-2014 (fax) lettershttp://biz.post-gazette.com/contact/comments_form.aspx?ID=40 (online form)

2) Please call or email:

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office: ask them to find out what happened, ask why wildlife is being killed by a federal organization on City land, and why City residents were subjected to a distressing event that they did not want. Then ask them what they're going to do to prevent this happening again.

Phone: 412-255-2626; Fax: 412-255-8602

Email: melissa.stettner

Mayoral candidate and South Side resident Mark DeSantis: ask him what he thinks and what he intends to do to stop this from reoccurring if elected.

Phone: 412-606-3075; Fax: 412 471 3271

Email: kersey

More details on the goose kill can be found in our October 24th alert or on our website at www.vfa-online.org