01-10-1977 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORONO COUNCIL P�IEETING HELD JANUARY 10, 1977 Page 23 Petition from residents of Crystal Bay area: PETITION - Ducks U7e, the undersi ned hereb (Continued) 9 � y petition the Orono ity Council for an ordinance to prevent care and feeding of wildlife and waterfowl that creates an unnatural habitat and migration pattern. : Ron Glesne, 1470 Cherry Place, read the f.ollowing letter from the United States Department of the Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service, John �I. Ellis, Biologiste Concerning your recent inquiry on the effects of � co-mingling of domestic ducks and wild waterfowl we offer the following observations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicee Domestic and Semi-domestic ducks raised under � confined conditi�:•ns have been repeatedly shown to be serious disease reservoirs. �Vhen they are released and mix with wild ducks, they can tzansmit diseases to wild birds. iae view the potential for the introduction and spread of Duck Viral Enteritis (VDE) from captive-raised ducks released to the wild as extremely dangerous to wild waterfowl populationso This has led us to prohibit the introduction of captive-raised waterfowl to lands managed for wild ducks by the ish ancl Wildlife Serviceo 6�Then captive-reared wild ducks are released and are then fed artificially, they become serious threats to wild ducks which are decoyed and baited into very often unsanitary and unhealthy situations. The prospects for introducing DVE into wild ducks from this lcind of manage*:lent can be a very serious, particularly when continued into the winter months when other food and water situations � are in short supply. Wild ducks held in the north under these conditions are severely taxed to maintain normal body functions and become very susceptible to disease which can be easily introduced under conditions found at artificial feeding and watering sites. Last summer during our hot dry weather we saw a high incidence of Type C Botulism in ducks in the Twin City area, Here ac;ain, the combination of feeding captive-reared ducks at waters infected with Botulism and decoying wild ducks to these areas no doubt caused a greater loss of ducks than if the birds dispersed naturally throughout suitable habitat in this area. � short, wild ducks which are held caPtive and are then allowed to mix with wild ducks pose an unhealthy potential for both themselves and the wild birds which come in contact with them. End of letter (Continued)