Birders Nervous About Plan To Ban Wildlife Feeding In NYC Parks

NEW YORK, NY — The city Parks Department is set to crack down on animal feeding in city parks through a rule change that has bird watching enthusiasts voicing their anger.

A public hearing will be held Friday afternoon at Harlem's Pelham Fritz Recreation Center to discuss the Parks Departments plan to prohibit feeding squirrels and birds of all kinds in city parkland. Parkgoers are currently allowed to feed birds, but park officials say the behavior creates favorable conditions for rats.

"We think all New Yorkers should be healthy eaters, including our wildlife. But, food left on the ground is an open invitation for rodents to congregate for a free meal. This amendment will help to clarify the rules, and keep our parks safe and clean," Parks Department spokeswoman Meghan Lalor said in a statement.

The rule change will also cut down on potentially negative interactions between humans and wildlife, disruptions to the healthy balance between wildlife and their habitats and the potential for disease spreading at busy feeding sites, parks officials said.

Parks officials did not specify whether established bird watching areas such as the Ramble in Central Park will be affected by the new rules. Bird watchers estimate that feeding has been happening in the Ramble as far back as 1898.

Current rules prohibit feeding of most wildlife, but make an exception for birds and squirrels. People who violate the rules are subject to a $50 fine, but parks officials usually opt to educate violators on proper park behavior instead of utilize the fine as a punishment Lalor said.

"Parks Enforcement will have the ability enforce by summons, but we only do that where absolutely necessary," Lalor said in a statement.

The proposed rule change has incensed New York City's bird watching enthusiasts. The rule change proposal has garnered 51 comments on the city's website, the vast majority of which oppose the new policy.

Most comments contest the Parks Department's claim that people who feed animals in parks are harming the wildlife.

"This rule would stop people from engaging in an experience that is educational and serves to enhance their lives. I have observed from daily visits to Madison Square Park that people who are feeding the wildlife are very much aware of the proper foods to feed them," a commenter named Sarah Katz wrote.

New Yorkers can also submit comments using the city's rules website before March 1.

The public hearing will begin at 12 p.m. on Friday at the Pelham Fritz Recreation Center on Mount Morris Park West and West 122nd Street.