Bloomsburg Police are asking citizens to refrain from feeding geese in the area due to possible detrimental impacts it may lead to.

Police released the following statement:

"As the conversation regarding management of the waterfowl population in the Town of Bloomsburg evolves; there is broad agreement that artificial feeding of waterfowl is detrimental to both the geese and our community. The following are among the possible detrimental impacts of feeding waterfowl:

1. Poor nutrition (many of the food items commonly used to feed waterfowl are low in protein and are poor substitutes for natural food; i.e. bread, corn and popcorn).
   
2. Increased hybridization (i.e. interbreeding which may compromise the wild population).
   
3. Water pollution (unnatural quantities of waterfowl droppings in ponds can result in issues such as summer algal blooms and hazardous e-coli counts).
   
4. Delayed migration (feeding alters normal migration patterns).
   
5. Concentrations at unnatural sites (artificial feeding attracts birds to human habitats).
   
6. Overcrowding (attracts unnatural numbers which may be beyond available natural food and water supplies).
   
7. Spread of disease (it is unhealthy for waterfowl to feed in the same area where droppings are prevalent). Diseases not generally transmissible in a wild setting find crowded, unsanitary conditions more favorable. Many waterfowl die-offs over the course of recent years involved artificial feeding. This concern is amplified by the recent identification of Highly Transmissible Avian Flu in Pennsylvania.
   
8. Costly management efforts.
   
9. Unnatural behaviors (waterfowl become dependent and conditioned to “handouts”; and may become more aggressive and lose their wariness of humans).
   

With this in mind, and regardless of your position in the on-going debate, the Bloomsburg Police and Town of Bloomsburg respectfully ask all residents and visitors for their cooperation in scrupulously refraining from feeding the waterfowl inhabiting the area.”