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Feed the ducks, go to jail. Don't these government nannies in Scottsdale have any real problems to solve???
Perhaps they should get rid of the ducks if they are that much of a problem. On the other hand I guess it is a lame excuse to create jobs for a couple of park narcs. In Scottsdale, feed the ducks and face fine or jail Scottsdale is trying to control flocks and foul mess at city park by Beth Duckett - Jun. 14, 2012 09:46 PM The Republic | azcentral.com Feeding the ducks at Chaparral Park has become a happy daily ritual for Scottsdale kids and moms. On Friday, it becomes a crime. Plagued by growing flocks of geese, ducks and pigeons attracted by food handouts that are fouling the footpaths and the water, Scottsdale officials are banning people from feeding the birds. Anyone caught throwing crumbs to the ducks could end up being cited, fined and even jailed under the new law that goes into effect Friday. Officials say it's not a question of being killjoys but a serious matter of keeping the parks clean and safe, protecting the birds and saving money by clamping down on a practice that has become a feeding frenzy. People aren't just throwing a few scraps to the birds, city recreation officials say. They are throwing whole bags of bread into the water and even emptying garbage bags of stale bread on the grass and paths beside the lake. "There is a big concern with many people feeding abundant amounts of food," city recreation supervisor Scott Anderson said. The new ordinance prohibits people from feeding the animals at urban parks and sets out fines for violators. Nobody can "feed, touch, tease, frighten, hunt, kill, wound or intentionally disturb wildlife in any city park," without authorization, the ordinance states. Anyone caught running afoul of the law, however well-meaning his or her intentions, could face fines of up to $750 and jail time, though the penalty would likely be a smaller fine, city officials say. According to Scottsdale, the ordinance is necessary to manage growing populations of waterfowl and protect their health because human food can be harmful to birds. The city also wants to improve the water quality of lakes, which have been sullied by years of buildup from bird droppings. At local parks, the fowl are fouling up sidewalks and other public areas with waste, which can carry diseases and cost thousands of dollars to clean up, city officials said. "We have to spray the sidewalks where people are riding their bikes and running," Anderson said. "There is high maintenance." Other Valley cities have experienced similar problems but have stopped short of imposing a get-tough ordinance. Phoenix works with the federal Department of Agriculture to monitor and maintain the bird population, city parks spokesman David Urbinato said. Encanto Park, at 15th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard, averages about 3.6 birds per acre, which is in the "good" category by federal standards, Urbinato said. "The lakes are very large and there is vast shoreline, so enforcing an ordinance, if there was one, would be difficult," he said. In Scottsdale, the main problems are geese and pigeons that have taken up residence at Chaparral Lake, in the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt north of Chaparral Road and east of Hayden Road. Research involving the city, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and an Arizona State University graduate student showed a significant increase of waterfowl living in the greenbelt from October 2008 to September 2010. The city has taken steps to manage the population, contracting with a federal agency to relocate some of the birds and hiring an outside vendor to remove vegetation, making the park less hospitable, Anderson said. Now, Scottsdale is working with Game and Fish to erect "no feeding" signs at parks citywide, Anderson said. Mike Rabe, a migratory-game-bird biologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said similar laws have been adopted in California and Oregon. "It's not that uncommon where you have human/wildlife conflicts," he said. According to Rabe, Scottsdale is being proactive and protecting the birds. When humans and animals collide in public, "the wildlife almost always lose," he said. "It's not that they (city officials) are offended by a 5-year-old girl feeding ducks," Rabe said. "They've had people going out with garbage bags with used bread, heaving them onto the ground and into the water." There is no warning period with the law, so penalties become effective Friday, he said. The offense is a Class 2 misdemeanor, which carries a penalty ranging from a suspended sentence to up to four months in jail, $750 fine and surcharges and up to two years' probation, according to the city. Luis Santaella, Scottsdale senior assistant city attorney, said he expects a fine would be $50 to $100, plus surcharges. Police officers have the discretion to enforce the ordinance through education or a citation, Santaella said. Officer David Pubins, a Scottsdale police spokesman, said police will take into consideration the circumstances of a situation before citing anyone. Ultimately, the penalty would be decided in city court. |