HASSO HERING

A perspective from Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley

Albany council bans feeding of wildlife

Written November 7th, 2024 by Hasso Hering

These wild turkeys walked through a subdivision under construction in west Albany in November 2021.

In response to complaints about wild turkeys, the Albany City Council has voted to outlaw the feeding of wildlife except for songbirds and waterfowl.

The council adopted the “wildlife control” ordinance on Nov. 6.

Two months ago, the city got complaints about wild turkeys causing trouble at the Mennonite Village retirement center on the southeast side of town. One reason the turkeys were hanging around, it was said, was that someone was feeding them.

On Wednesday, code compliance officer Kristopher Schendell told the council it would take a while, but he hoped the birds would leave once the feeding stopped.

The ordinance takes effect 30 days after it was enacted. Here’s the central provision:

“Feeding of wildlife within the city limits of Albany is declared a public nuisance and shall be prohibited at all times. Feeding of wildlife includes any manner by which a person allows food or other attractants to be given with the intent of attracting and/or feeding wildlife. Nothing contained in this ordinance shall prohibit the feeding of songbirds or waterfowl provided that the feed shall be contained in receptacles which are reasonably designed to avoid access by wildlife.”

The text does not explain how you’re supposed to feed ducks or songbirds with feed that’s “contained in receptacles.”

The ordinance defines wildlife as “any animal that is not normally domesticated including but not limited to nutria, coyotes, deer, foxes, groundhogs, opossums, raccoons, skunks, and turkeys.”

Violations are subject to potential penalties, but the ordinance is vague. It refers to penalties set forth in another section of the code. But that section includes both “violations” subject to civil fines of up to $1,000 a day and “misdemanors” with fines up to $2,500 and a year in jail.

So if people still insist on feeding wild turkeys, they have to hope the birds won’t rat them out. (hh)

The new ordinance says it’s OK to feed waterfowl, but these ducks seemed to be doing fine on their own last week in the Periwinkle Canal.





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