The State Beach meeting

Some items of importance were discussed:
New legislation in the house and senate, desires to develop quick testing methods, geese population and control, employment and service cuts in the state lab.

The new legislation is to extend/revive the Bract act of 2003 (?) and contains additional funds and expansions and maybe some punitive actions.
The additional funds may be a joke since of the $30 Million called for in the current act, only $10 million is appropriated.
The expansions are talking about developing new quick test methods and may be giving money to find out why and where high levels of bacteria come from.
The punitive actions are to cut funding if states do not meet the goal.
Quick testing methods are desired to be 2 hour turn around time, but are really very expensive (and there is no help with the cost of use).
A presentation from the fish and wildlife management division of CT was on Geese, everything you ever thought you wanted to know and more.
Population, areas of high concentrations, human attitudes toward them and possible control.
There was a clear statement that NO research has shown a link between human illness and geese feces.
It was also clear that Urban areas have had their fill of geese in the parks.
Stamford was one of 7 towns that DID NOT fill out a survey concerning attitudes and population from this Department in 2003.
It was also clear that the only real way to get rid of the resident population of geese (not migratory), was to kill them.
Stamford may get more work, the state can not hire the couriers as of this date for sample pick up. We are one of the few labs outside of the state, equipped to do the testing. Darien uses us. Fairfield has used us. Driving to Stamford is easier than driving to Hartford for any one west of Fairfield.
The state water quality lab lost one person to budget cuts and may have furlough days also.
Stamford still stands out in the state as far as data collection and knowledge of what goes on at its shores.