Residents of Peapack-Gladstone in Somerset County, New Jersey, are outraged by a new plan to reduce the Canada goose population by euthanizing the birds.

The town council decided in March to allow federal officials to carry out the plan after several failed attempts to manage the geese, which are causing pollution problems in Liberty Park’s pond and walkways.

Mayor Mark Corigliano noted the pond is manmade and not a natural habitat for the geese, which are considered invasive.

Opponents, such as Camille DiCarlo, argue that the area was designed to attract geese and now the town wants to kill them, ABC 6 has reported.

Activist Jacqueline Braun has started a petition against the plan, and many residents, including those from the Animal Protection League, propose non-lethal methods to manage the geese.

Volunteers have offered to help clean up the park and mitigate the geese’s impact.

Written by B.C. Begley