Wildlife Management of Canada Geese in New York State: A Departure from the Express Policies of New York\u27s Environmental Conservation Law

Prolonged recreational hunting of Canada geese in New York State may be contributing to the degradation of the species and ecological damage throughout the state. Due to the recent significant changes in the resident and migratory populations of Canada geese throughout the Atlantic Flyway, a more thorough Environmental Impact Statement, than the one the New York Department of Environmental Conservation currently relies on, should be required for any action that will result in the hunting of Canada geese. The DEC should also reopen environmental review and conduct a cumulative impact assessment of the effects of habitat manipulation and prolonged hunting on Canada geese. The goals and mandates of New York\u27s Environmental Conservation Law, specifically SEQRA, would be better served if the DEC prohibited all current and future hunting of Canada geese. This Comment considers whether the DEC\u27s management of Canada geese deviates from the policies and mandates of the New York ECL and whether the DEC\u27s management of Canada geese should be reconsidered and restructured to better comply with New York State\u27s ECL and, therefore, embody a more ecologically sound approach to the management of Canada geese