HERMITAGE, PA. Buhl Farm's plans for geese draw protest from residents

The park has a permit to kill some waterfowl to control their population.
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- A protest may be brewing against Buhl Farm's plan to permanently remove some geese and ducks from the park.
Glenn Siminick, a Sharon businessman and Sharpsville resident who lives near the park, said he and others are upset with plans to catch and kill some waterfowl at the park.
They know the park plans to catch the birds at 6 a.m. Tuesday, he said.
The waterfowl are attracted to the park's Lake Julia and should be left alone, he said, adding that a lot of them will fly out of the area when their young are old enough to fly.
The problem
Pat O'Mahony, Buhl Farm superintendent, said the problem is that the birds have become permanent residents and don't leave the area. Their population is growing, and their droppings have become a pollution and health problem.
There are probably about 200 geese living in the park now, he said, not venturing a guess on how many ducks are there.
The park has tried to control the population in the past by banning the public from feeding the geese.
However, the population continues to grow. The park has secured a permit from the Pennsylvania Game Commission this year to take stronger measures, O'Mahony said.
That included putting oil on eggs in nests this spring to prevent them from hatching and permission to kill 50 Canadian geese and 30 mallard ducks, he said.
The birds will be euthanized and taken to a meat processor, who will clean the birds and prepare them for donation to a food bank, O'Mahony said.