[va-richmond-general] Re: BLACK VULTURES TO BE SLAUGHTERED AT DUTCH GAP AGAIN THIS YEAR- TRAP ALREADY SET
- From: "James Blowers" <jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <dmwcarrot@xxxxxxxxx>, <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:02:49 -0400
Do you know when The Great Black Vulture Massacre of 2007 will take place?
How did you find out about the Massacre? I could not find anything on Google
or on Dom's site ( www.dom.com <http://www.dom.com/> ).
Jim Blowers
_____
From: va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dawn Wilson
Sent: Tuesday, 2007 October 23 14:07
To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [va-richmond-general] BLACK VULTURES TO BE SLAUGHTERED AT DUTCH GAP
AGAIN THIS YEAR- TRAP ALREADY SET
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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