SANDPOINT — An adult goose can produce up to two pounds of fecal matter each day.

With as many as 100 to 200 geese at City Beach, depending on the time of year, up to 400 pounds of poop per day could accumulate across the grounds.

“The number of year-round geese at City Beach increases each year,” said Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Director Kim Woodruff, who has struggled with the problem for more than 30 years.

During a workshop-style City Council meeting on Wednesday, Woodruff said he intends to work with USDA Wildlife Services to develop a management plan for the geese, which will likely involve capture and relocation of the birds. The birds are federally protected through the USDA Wildlife Services and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, as well as Idaho Fish and Game on the state level.

August and September see the least amount of geese at the beach with about 100, with the most on site between February and May as the snow disappears and grass becomes exposed.

The primary food for geese is grass, so it is a “smorgasbord” for them at that point, Woodruff said. It is illegal to feed the wildlife, and Woodruff said most people respect that. The geese also have no natural predators in the park, making it an ideal spot for them to hang out.

This week, he said, a count confirmed there are about 150 geese at the beach.

“My goal is to reduce numbers,” Woodruff said. “We’re not making any headway with the plans so far. We can’t keep up with the volume that they continue to grow, and the only logical way to truly address it is going to be to reduce the numbers.”

Over the years, Woodruff has tried several way to minimize the goose population at the beach, including harassment by dogs and, most recently, some coyote decoys, which Woodruff said “started off strong,” as they were moved around with a scent on them designed to deter the geese.

“I was pleased, but then people keep sending me pictures of the geese right next to the coyotes,” Woodruff said.

The problem, he said, is the geese are smarter than people give them credit — they figure out rather quickly that they are not in any danger.

The city spends $5,000-$8,000 per year in staffing to sweep the grass and sand for fecal matter, in addition to the equipment cost of $27,300. The contract with the dog handler is $5,500 per year, and the coyote decoys were $1,500.

There are also indirect costs, such as tourism, he said. The Edgewater Best Western, for example, sent him 13 comments from guests who wanted something done to address the geese. He also gets several calls a week from local residents about the goose problem.

The benefits of having geese around is that they are visually enjoyed by many and is an indicator of a healthy environment, Woodruff said. However, research has shown goose populations to commonly carry pathogens such as swimmer’s itch and E. coli. While no cases have been reported from City Beach, he said, it is a concern as the population of geese continues to grow.

“Where we go from here is going to be driven by Wildlife Services,” Woodruff said. “They are the ones tasked with human and animal conflict.”

Woodruff said he met with the Wildlife Services director Todd Grimm, who gave him a “glimmer of hope after all these years.” Idaho Falls had a similar problem, Woodruff said, but with the help of Wildlife Services, the goose population dropped from 500 to 50 geese. The key, he said, is to continue with the management plan each year. Idaho Falls is in its fourth year, and Woodruff was told of the 50 geese, 40 migrate and 10 stay year-round.

“To be honest, I gave up hope about five years ago that we could do anything about it … now I think that we can really make a difference,” Woodruff said. “I’m excited.”

Woodruff will meet with Grimm later this month to move forward with a plan to manage the goose population before next year’s recreational season.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.