STOP BLACK VULTURE CULLING IN CHESTERFIELD, VA
- by: IE Ries
- recipient: USFWS, USDA, Chesterfield County, Virginia Dominion Power
The US Department of Agriculture, funded by Chesterfield County and via a permit granted by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, has yet again prepared to kill Black Vultures at Dutch Gap Conservation Area on Dominion Virginia Power's property. This will be the fourth time the USDA has captured and killed vultures at the Dutch Gap Conservation Area.
Three previous events resulted in the killing of 1,210 birds (documented), though other sources place the death toll closer to 1,500 Black Vultures (and possibly exceeding the number of birds the permits were authorized to exterminate).
According to Mr. Phil Innis of the Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation Department, Chesterfield County is funding this year's culling to trap and kill Black Vultures on land owned by the power company (in the past, funding of measures to persecute wildlife has alternated between the three entities - Chesterfield County, USDA, and Virginia Dominion Power).
TRAPPING AND KILLING METHODS
The birds will be baited into a trap and then shot at point-blank range with a .22 rifle by agents from the USDA and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries - in view of the public, including children.
Due to increasing public enquiries, on October 26, 2007, the county "suddenly" decided to temporarily halt the questionable cull and "do some research on the vultures" by instituting a one-week halt to the killings.
On November 1, 2007, witnesses reported seeing decaying deer carcasses located near the traps - ostensibly strategically located bait to lure even more birds to the area to ensure a high kill rate!
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
Impact studies, wildlife studies and avian ecology investigations should have been performed well prior to any authorizations from the federal government to kill endemic species simply because they were deemed "inconvenient" by anglers and people parking in the lot of the boat ramp. People using this area have carelessly and habitually discarded their litter, notably scraps of fish caught and dispatched on shore, attracting the birds to feed by day and roost at night.
Demand the US Fish & Wildlife Service rescind all permits and place a permanent moratorium on killing any more birds in central Virginia. Send a clear message to the USDA, Chesterfield County, and Virginia Dominion Power that their actions to kill these animals are not scientifically supported, and not supported by the public.
NO FUTHER PERSECUTION OF THE BLACK VULTURES TO PLACATE COMPLAINING FISHERMAN!
Organizations and scientists OPPOSING the killing of vultures in Virginia include: American Bird Conservancy, Humane Society of the United States, National Audubon Society, Virginia Society of Ornithology, Raptor Research Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, Fairfax Audubon Society, The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, Richmond Audubon Society, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre (South Africa), Dr. Jim Fraser, Professor of Wildlife Science, Virginia Tech University (raptor specialist).
IMPORTANT! After signing the petition, please also contact the following persons to register your concern and opposition to any further culling:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Migratory Birds and State Programs
Division of Migratory Birds
Region 5, Regional Office
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035
Chief of Migratory Birds: Diane Pence
413-253-8643; fax 413-253-8424
Diane_Pence@fws.gov
Permit Examiner : Peggy Labonte
413-253-8576; fax 413-253-8424
Peggy_Labonte@fws.gov
Permit Examiner: Linda McKenna
413-253-8643; fax 413-253-8424
Linda_McKenna@fws.gov
When contacting USFWS, request they revoke the following permit:
Permit# MB100985-0
Principal Officer: Scott C. Barras, USDA-APHIS (WS) Virginia State Director
Permit Issued by: JoAnne Dyer
Date: 09/10/07
Local Officials:
Dan Genest
Environment Services - Virginia Dominion Power
804-771-6115
Dan.Genest@dom.com
Michael Golden
Director - Chesterfield County Parks & Recreation
804-748-1079
goldenm@co.chesterfield.va.us
Scott C. Barras, Ph.D.
Virginia State Director
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services
USDA Wildlife Services
804-739-7739
scott.c.barras@aphis.usda.gov
1) Demand an immediate stop to the culling of vultures on Virginia Dominion Power land in Chesterfield County, Virginia. We further demand that the following USFWS permit be immediately and permanently revoked:
Permit# MB100985-0
Principal Officer: Scott C. Barras, USDA-APHIS (WS) Virginia State Director
Permit Issued by: JoAnne Dyer
Date: 09/10/07
2) Demand that all permits, votes and actions related to official decisions be made immediately available to the public, media and conservation/humane organizations who request it for investigation purposes.
3) Demand that the three (3) entities who have covertly begun baiting, poisoning, trapping and shooting the vultures be held publicly accountable for these actions and that the authorizing officials from each entity, along with their agency or organization, be prosecuted for violating animal cruelty statutes (state and federal).
4) Demand that these entities and their officials publicly acknowledge that it was the clearcutting of roosting trees, the erection of high structures, and litter produced on the boat landing - all actions committed by humans - which are the real problems and it is now up to humans to address these problems we as a society created instead of blaming it on opportunistic wildlife by persecuting and killing wild, native bird species normally protected by federal laws.
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