No bird feeders allowed?
The city of Long Branch, NJ, a stone's throw from Sandy Hook, is contemplating an ordinance against the feeding of all wild birds and feral cats. The ordinance is based on recommendations from the state DEP. I was able to find the state's model ordinance online. At least, I think this is it. It only refers to feeding of animals in public places and any places owned by the municipality, so I'm not sure where the Long Branch folks are getting this from. Although I would love to see a global ban on feeding feral cats, I hope this ordinance doesn't turn into a fiasco that leads to a statewide ban on feeding birds.
3 comments:
Finally! A solution to all those grannies feeding pigeons from park benches! I'll stop feeding my chickadees when they pry my Yankee Droll feeder from my cold, dead fingers!
This sounds like bureaucracy gone wild. I can see how feeding feral cats is bad, and how feeding large flocks of ducks and geese Wonderbread can pollute a pond, but I can't understand banning backyard feeders. Is there a rationale, or is it simply bad lawmaking?
It sounds like the ordinance was badly written. They probably wanted to make it broad enough so that the pigeon and cat feeders could not find loopholes, but did not think about bird feeders. The representative at the public meeting did not seem to realize that backyard bird feeders would be banned as well.
I think it's definitely some bad lawmaking. People are up in arms about it and making the point that the state law doesn't say what the city law is trying to propose. I should know more in a few days. It could pass on Tuesday.
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