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NOVI — Canada geese are causing problems in the city of Novi, especially near Walled and Shawood lakes, according to Jerry Anderson, of the Lakes Area Homeowners Association.
Walled Lake is approximately a square mile in size. The majority of the lake lies within the city of Novi.
The federally protected birds are heavily overpopulated, can carry disease and have no real enemies, making it necessary to enforce some population control, Anderson said.
“Both the lakes are just perfect breeding grounds for geese,” Anderson said. “Now they don’t always stay on the lake. I’ve been at Powerhouse Gym and saw them at the front door. There are stories about geese in the area that are somewhat hilarious, but it’s a public health hazard too, because now they have found that the bird flu is now carried by geese.”
In order to lessen the population of geese in the area, the Lakes Area Homeowners Association has been participating in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Canada goose nest and egg destruction program since 2014, when the issue was first brought to the limelight.
“We were getting beach closures, because goose droppings would mix with the weeds, and E. coli would just shut everything down for safety reasons,” Anderson said. “Then those could last up to a 30-day period when they’re continually testing.”
The DNR program allows the Lakes Area Homeowners Association to apply for a permit to find and destroy goose eggs and nests. Without a permit, it is illegal to disturb or harm the nests of Canada geese, as they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
“They have no natural predators, so this is just a way to be able to keep a little bit of balance within our community,” Anderson said.
The Lakes Area Homeowners Association will use a licensed contractor to find and destroy the nests in an “orderly fashion.” According to Anderson, the association has rounded up 107 nests and 502 eggs since 2020. He said that it is the only humane way to control the geese population.
The destruction permit is good for five years. However, in order to obtain the permit, the DNR requires the city to make a resolution declaring the issue to be a problem and showing support for the association’s efforts to combat the goose population.
The City Council previously approved a resolution on the issue in 2014 and 2020.
“I’m strongly in support of this. I’ve been in support of it the prior two times,” Councilman Dave Staudt said. “It’s probably one of the most requested items near the Walled Lake.”
Staudt said he has been to numerous Lakes Area Homeowners Association meetings over the years and it is a really important issue to residents in that area. He said he had received several calls on the issue prior to the meeting as well.
“Geese are kind of dirty things. You know we live with a number of them, but this is an excessive number in that area, and this really goes a long way to remedy that situation,” Staudt said.
The Novi City Council voted 5-1 to approve the resolution during its meeting Feb. 10. Mayor Pro Tem Laura Marie Casey voted against the resolution.
