Flap grows over winged critters

Heather Rawlyk

Thursday, March 25, 2004 | 10:58 a.m.

The Desert Shores homeowners association board told a standing-room only audience Wednesday night that the waterfowl in their neighborhood's lakes will not be harmed.

Nearly 100 Desert Shores residents were crammed into the meeting room at 2500 Regatta Drive to confront board members about a recommendation that the coots and faro ducks from the community's lakes be sedated, removed from the property and destroyed.

Some residents of the area previously had complained about how there were too many birds at the lakes and that they were possible health and traffic hazards, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service officials had suggested killing the birds, board members said.

The Desert Shores residents who spoke to the board Wednesday, however, were strongly opposed to that proposition.

"These sweet innocent creatures aren't hurting anybody," Elaine Myers said. "To take away the ducks is to change the entire face of Desert Shores, and I think that's criminal."

Board President Mitchell Kuhn told the crowd that the board had declined to follow the recommendations made by the federal agency. However, "misleading mailers have been circulated by anonymous sources in our community alleging that the Desert Shores Board of Directors intends to destroy all waterfowl in our lakes," he said.

Board directors reiterated Wednesday night that they did not intend to destroy the birds.

"We do not intend to hurt the waterfowl," Kuhn said. "We hope this will calm those of you who fear we will take some harmful action."

Kuhn explained that the board met with Wildlife Services employees in January to simply "hear out" their recommendations.

"We did not know what they were going to say," he said. "We absolutely did not accept their recommendation and moved on. An uproar has resulted from rumors and misleading information."

The controversy stems from the association's Jan. 28 meeting at which USDA representatives discussed possible solutions to complaints about the waterfowl at Desert Shores. The USDA was invited due to the number of residents' complaints regarding damage to vegetation, droppings on sidewalks, traffic and safety problems, and the number of residents and nonresidents who continue to feed the waterfowl, according to the board of directors.

The USDA recommended that feeding of the birds be discontinued and that the overpopulation on the lakes be reduced for environmental, health and safety reasons.

After conducting research, Lynnette Brand, resident and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals member, said she found no health risks resulting from the waterfowl.

"There's no health threat here," she said. "If anything, the waterfowl eliminate the bacteria in the lakes and you need them to control algae.

"If you mess around with the animals you are messing with nature."

Brand said she was disappointed with the recommendations of the USDA Wildlife Service.

"I was miffed by what I heard from them," she said. "I thought their purpose was to protect wildlife."

Brand, who works closely with PETA, said the national organization has offered to help with the situation, free of charge.

Members of Geesepeace, an organization devoted to building better communities by finding solutions to wildlife conflict, also agreed to help.

Board directors agreed to work closely with PETA and Geesepeace.

The board also said it would form a Lakes and Waterfowl Committee.

A proposal to fine homeowners who feed the ducks was also discussed, which infuriated several residents who proclaimed that fining them would not solve the problem.

"It's not the homeowners that are out there feeding the ducks," said Ray Verhelst, a resident of 12 years. "You can go on and fine someone who lives here for feeding the ducks, but that won't stop the 80 percent who don't even live here and are doing it."

Verhelst suggested hiring more security guards to patrol the community and enforce the "do not feed the ducks" rule.

Judy Levy, a PETA member and resident of 11 years, said adding security and enforcing fines on residents and nonresidents may help to decrease the feeding.

"The main problem is that people are feeding these ducks too much," she said.

"There is a problem here and it's a mess. But the ducks and the birds are the beauty of Desert Shores. People just need to stop feeding them."

The board said it would continue to take suggestions.

"At the present time they (the waterfowl) are migrating and present no immediate problems," Kuhn said.

Residents said they are satisfied for now, but do not want to see the ducks removed from the lakes.

"What is the water without the ducks?" said Sandy Melnick, a resident for 14 years. "The ducks are beautiful. They are one of the reasons I moved here in the first place."