MADISON — The Edgewater homeowners association voted to cull Canada geese at Lady Ann Lake using carbon monoxide gas. The board informed residents of the plan.

Dozens of people gathered in the Edgewater neighborhood to protest the culling plan. Protesters proposed using horns or relocation as alternatives to lethal methods. Neighborhood resident David Field created a Change.org petition to stop the geese culling.

"Our family, like many others, moved here to enjoy not just the tranquil environment but to live alongside nature. Tragically, the Edgewater HOA ruled to start capturing and slaughtering these innocent birds, a practice we find abhorrent and unnecessary," Field said. "This isn’t just about these birds; it’s about the ecosystem and the balance we disturb when we decide that we can control nature."

Edgewater HOA board president Brian Goodwin stated that 226 Canada geese currently reside at the lake. Goodwin added that the geese negatively affect water quality, public health, trails, common areas, and resident safety. The neighborhood used the same gas culling method on geese in 2020. Two board members voted against the culling plan. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals opposes culling geese for population management, stating that the practice provides only short-term population changes.

The Edgewater HOA issued a statement defending the culling vote. "For more than six years, our HOA has worked continuously to manage the growing population of resident Canada geese at our 140-acre community lake. These geese are not migratory; they live here year-round, and without natural predators their numbers have increased well beyond what the lake and surrounding environment stably support." The HOA stated that prior non-lethal management efforts included cleaning feces, deploying predator deterrents, reducing grazing areas, and applying goose-deterrent sprays.

"After years of non-lethal attempts that did not reduce the population, the HOA consulted with state wildlife officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under federal guidelines, USDA Wildlife Services is authorized to assist communities when goose populations exceed sustainable levels and create documented public-health and environmental impacts." Canada geese are protected under federal law but may be culled with a permit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.