FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] BLACK VULTURES TO BE SLAUGHTERED AT DUTCH GAP AGAIN THIS YEAR- TRAP ALREADY SET

[Dawn Wilson <dmwcarrot@xxxxxxxxx>]

BLACK VULTURES TO BE BAITED AND KILLED AGAIN AT DUTCH PARK.  A BAITED TRAP IS 
ALREADY IN PLACE.

The USDA, with support of Chesterfield County and Dominion Power, is again 
preparing to kill Black Vultures at Dutch Gap Conservation Area.  This will be 
the fourth time that USDA has captured and killed vultures at Dutch Gap.  Three 
previous events have killed between 1,000 and 1,500 Black Vultures.   Dominion 
Power is who is DIRECTLY AND FULLY FUNDING THIS.

AS OF THIS MORNING, THERE IS A BAITED TRAP CURRENTLY SET UP UP AT DUTCH GAP.  I 
DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN IT WAS SET UP, BUT IT IS BEING UTILIZED TO ATTRACT THE 
VULTURES AS I WRITE THIS, TO GET THEM "COMFORTABLE" AND "FAMILILAR" IN HEADING 
INTO THE TRAP.  IN 2005, IT WAS BAITED WITH DEER CARCASSES, SO I WOULD ASSUME 
THE SAME METHODS ARE BEING EMPLOYED.  ONCE THE OPERATORS DECIDE TO "SPRING" THE 
TRAP, EACH BIRD THEREIN WILL BE SHOT AND KILLED WITH A .22 RIFLE.  THEN THEY'LL 
EMPTY IT AND START AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT AND... UNTIL THEIR "HARVEST" 
GOAL HAS BEEN MET (IT WAS PREVIOUSLY 400 BIRDS).
   
  Important contact numbers.  Please call them ASAP:
  
1) Dominion Media and Public Relations  1-804-771-6115; 
  The first name of the man you want to speak with is "Dan" (I don't know his 
last name.)
  Say that you know Dominion is paying to have the vultures trapped and killed. 
 Ask them why they are doing this despite the previous four years of it not 
working to curb the population? 
  
2) Chesterfield County (804) 748-1000;  
  Ask for Mike Golen
  
3) USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services  (804) 739-7739; 
  Ask to speak with Jennifer Cromwell
   
  In summary, tell the other two that "It has not worked over the past four 
years.  Why are you still doing it?  Vultures from other areas (particularly in 
those states where their numbers are low) are also being baited in and killed." 
 

This latest trap and kill project clearly demonstrates that this management 
action is not working.  Black Vultures populations quickly build after each 
time the USDA attempts to decimate the population.  This project continues 
despite that the USDA has never provided an assessment of the effects of this 
harvest on the regional Black Vulture Population, investigated where 
these birds are coming from, or investigated all of the specific non-lethal 
measures that could be used to control the use of Dutch Gap by Vultures.  In 
previous kill projects the USDA has shot more Black Vultures than were 
originally present at the site when trapping begins.  It is obvious that their 
baited trap lures more birds than are actually causing problems.  This project 
is a classic example of USDA, Chesterfield County, and Dominion to SHOOT FIRST 
AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER.  But it turns out that they are not even asking the 
questions.  It dates wildlife management back to the 1950s when actions were 
taken without assessing all of the consequences.  There are countless examples 
how this management approach has led to unwanted results.

If it is so clear that the killing of Black Vultures does not cure the problem 
then why is it continuing?  The USDA Animal and Plan Inspection Service (APHIS) 
Wildife Services is a service agency conducting a service project.  In other 
words they have to be paid by non-government funds to conduct this work.  I 
would presume (read: known) that either Dominion, Chesterfield County, or both 
may be responsible for providing funding since the work is being conducted on 
their property and they appear to be the complainants .  It is time to stop 
those businesses and agencies responsible for undergoing the repeated killing 
of 
Black Vultures despite knowing this does not work in population control.  It is 
also time to put a stop to the senseless killing of Black Vultures without 
investigation of other non-lethal measures.

I urge those people are opposed to the senseless killing of Black Vultures to 
contact Dominion, Chesterfield County Parks and the USDA to stop the shooting 
before they start.


I WANT TO ARRANGE AN OFFICIAL PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION(S) THIS YEAR.  IF YOU ARE 
INTERSTED, PLEASE EMAIL ME PRIVATELY AT dawnmw@xxxxxxxxxxx  I will also be 
contacting the media shortly about this issue.  As some of you may remember, in 
2005 Irene got a great spread in the paper about it and I ended up on the local 
evening news.  


Dawn Wilson
Henrico County 


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