I was reviewing the County Council agenda for Tuesday, May 7, 2013 and noticed that the consent agenda included a bill, AB2013-174, that authorized a contract of $84,000 to KCDA for new playground equipment. Normally, this would not attract my attention, but the park involved is Silver Lake.

The agenda bill only authorizes the award of the contract.  The Parks Department asserts that that funding was already approved in the Whatcom County 2013-2014 Budget, AB2012-332A. I reviewed the budget and perhaps I did not know the correct place to look, but I could not find this project.  I only saw broad objectives to inspect and maintain playground equipment.

I normally do not question Department budgets, but in this case, the Parks Department only recently revealed that it wanted to deal with a Canada geese population problem at Silver Lake by exterminating the park geese.  I believe this reflects something about the Parks Department's priorities.

The Parks Department is acting contrary to the advice of wildlife experts, who advocate the development of an integrated multi-technique approach to goose management and community input. Plan development requires funding because it involves investigation, assessment and monitoring. It involves community involvement.  And of course, there is a cost to implementing the management methods determined to be best suited for Silver Lake.

That is why I question whether it is appropriate to spend $84,000 to replace playground equipment. I do not believe the Parks Department should be making such an expensive non-essential purchase when it lacks appropriate planning for wildlife management.  It is important to avoid human/wildlife conflicts so that healthy populations of local species can survive.  Biodiversity, ecosystem resiliency and healthy ecosystem benefits are a higher priority than new playground equipment.

I have requested that the County Council use the contract for the playground equipment as an opportunity to engage the Parks Department in a discussion of its wildlife management strategy. The Parks Department should provide public assurance that it will not kill the Silver Lake geese this summer, allowing time for a transparent community discussion about wildlife management.