12842 Regional Goose Management Coordination Project

The Five‑Year Regional Goose Management Coordination Project provides a coordinated, valley‑wide approach to mitigating the growing impacts of resident Canada Geese on public spaces, water quality, and community enjoyment throughout the Okanagan. As noted across the Okanagan Regional Goose Management Committee’s program materials, resident geese increasingly occupy parks, beaches, and waterfront areas year‑round, contributing to elevated E. coli levels, degraded recreational water quality, and significant maintenance challenges for local governments. Interior Health has identified geese as a contributor to water quality concerns, and regional partners rely on coordinated monitoring, egg‑addling, scare‑to‑move efforts, and shared communications to manage the population in a responsible and science‑based manner. The project is critical because no single jurisdiction can effectively address goose impacts in isolation. Participating municipalities and regional districts benefit from centralized coordination, annual population surveys, regulatory guidance, program reporting, and valley‑wide communications that support consistent public messaging. The initiative also integrates contractor‑led field work—including addling, surveys, and scare services—reported through the Okanagan Regional Goose Management Committee. Program documentation highlights the importance of sustained collaboration and structured inter‑agency coordination in managing geese across the Okanagan Valley, where shared shorelines and migratory patterns necessitate a collective response.