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A1453
ASSEMBLY, No. 1453
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
District 33 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Directs Dept. of Agriculture to consult with US Dept.
of Agriculture to determine methods and implementation of geese control.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning geese population control, and supplementing
Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� a.� The Department of
Agriculture shall:
���� (1)� consult with the United
States Department of Agriculture to identify nonlethal methods of geese
population control, the circumstances under which such methods may be
implemented, and, when lethal methods are necessary, humane lethal methods
other than gassing that may be implemented; and
���� (2)� propose the adoption of a
memorandum of understanding with the United States Department of Agriculture
providing for; (a) the implementation of the methods identified pursuant to
paragraph (1) of this subsection, (b) the circumstances under which nonlethal
and lethal methods may be implemented in New Jersey by either agency, (c) the
humane lethal methods other than gassing that may be implemented, and (d) the
limited circumstances under which gassing as a lethal method of geese
population control may be implemented by either agency in New Jersey.
���� b.� The department shall post
on its Internet website a fact sheet describing the nonlethal and lethal
methods of geese control and the circumstances for the implementation thereof,
as identified pursuant to subsection a. of this section, and, as applicable, a
copy of the executed memorandum of understanding.
���� 2.� a.� Within 90 days after
the execution of a memorandum of understanding between the Department of
Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to section
1 of this act, the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental
Protection shall consult with the Department of Agriculture concerning the
determinations made in consultation with the United States Department of
Agriculture pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act and the
provisions of the memorandum of understanding entered into with the United
States Department of Agriculture pursuant to that section, as applicable.
���� b.� The Division of Fish and
Wildlife shall determine the nonlethal and lethal methods of geese control to
be used by the division and the circumstances under which the division finds
the use of lethal methods of geese control necessary.� If appropriate and
necessary, the division shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the
United States Department of Agriculture providing for the division�s findings
and the coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture of
implementation of necessary lethal methods of geese control as determined by
the division.
���� c.� The division shall post on
its Internet website a fact sheet describing the nonlethal and lethal methods
of geese control and the circumstances for the implementation thereof, as
determined pursuant to subsection b. of this section, and a copy of an executed
memorandum of understanding between the division and the United States
Department of Agriculture pursuant to subsection b. of this section.
���� 3.� The Department of Health
shall notify the Department of Agriculture, the Division of Fish and Wildlife
in the Department of Environmental Protection, and the United States Department
of Agriculture of any public health emergency requiring the use of lethal
methods of population control on geese populations in the State and, to the
greatest extent possible, shall implement humane lethal methods other than
gassing identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 1 of
this act for the population control of geese due to the public health
emergency.
���� 4.� No later than 180 days
after the effective date of this act, the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the
Department of Environmental Protection shall adopt best management practices
for the development and management of properties that are designed to discourage
the development of resident Canada geese populations and to establish habitats
that are inhospitable to geese.� The standards in the best management practices
shall minimize the use of natural turf grass and encourage the establishment of
native plants, riparian buffers, and other plantings that do not provide food
sources for geese.
���� 5.� This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill directs the
Department of Agriculture and the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the
Department of Environmental Protection (DFW) to work with the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) concerning the implementation of nonlethal and
lethal methods of geese control to minimize the use of lethal methods of geese
control, and whenever lethal methods are required, to implement humane lethal
methods other than gassing whenever possible.
���� Specifically, the bill directs
the Department of Agriculture to:
���� 1)� consult with the USDA to
identify nonlethal methods of geese population control, the circumstances under
which such methods may be implemented, and, when lethal methods are necessary,
the humane lethal methods other than gassing that may be implemented; and
���� 2)� propose the adoption of a
memorandum of understanding with the United States Department of Agriculture
providing for the implementation of these methods and the circumstances under
which specific methods would be used as enumerated in section 1 of the bill.
���� Within 90 days after the
execution of a memorandum of understanding between the Department of
Agriculture and the USDA, the bill requires the DFW to consult with the
Department of Agriculture concerning nonlethal and lethal methods of geese
population control and the provisions of the memorandum of understanding, and
determine the methods of geese control to be used by the DFW and the
circumstances under which it finds the use of lethal methods necessary. �Furthermore,
if appropriate and necessary, the bill directs the DFW to enter into a
memorandum of understanding with the USDA providing for the DFW�s findings and
the coordination with the USDA of implementation of necessary lethal methods of
geese control as determined by the DFW.
���� The bill requires the DFW and
the Department of Agriculture to each post on its website a fact sheet
describing the nonlethal and lethal methods of geese control and the
circumstances for their implementation thereof, and a copy of any executed
memorandum of understanding between the Department of Agriculture and the USDA
and between the DFW and the USDA, as applicable.
���� The bill requires the
Department of Health to:
���� 1)� notify the Department of
Agriculture, the DFW, and the USDA of any public health emergency requiring the
use of lethal methods of population control on geese populations in the State;
and
���� 2)� implement, to the greatest
extent possible, humane lethal methods other than gassing identified by the
Department of Agriculture and the USDA in their consultation pursuant to
section 1 of the bill.
���� Finally, the bill requires the
Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection to
adopt best management practices for the development and management of
properties that are designed to discourage the development of resident Canada
geese populations and to establish habitats that are inhospitable to geese.�
The standards in the best management practices are required to� minimize the
use of natural turf grass and encourage the establishment of native plants,
riparian buffers, and other plantings that do not provide food sources for
geese.