Those who enjoy feeding the local geese and duck populations in Washington green spaces are officially being asked to stop.

According to Washington Police and Fire Services Director Stacy Drakeford, complaints about the growing population of Canada geese and other species have been pouring in to the department. The complaints range from geese stopping traffic on city roadways to amount of goose scat decorating the walking paths in Veterans Park on Jacks Creek, he said. Now the city is cracking down and enforcing the law: with only one permitted exception, feeding animals in or on city-owned parks, facilities, boardwalks, roads, easements and rights-of-way in the downtown area is a violation of city ordinance. The exception is the “Cats About Town” program established in 2012.

“I just want to make sure people are aware,” Drakeford said. “We are giving everyone ample notice that you can’t feed the animals.”

Signs saying so have been erected in the main locales of the bird populations: Veterans Park, Havens Gardens, Festival Park and the downtown waterfront boardwalk. And those who don’t abide by the city ordinance will face a $50 fine, Drakeford said.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen the bird population grow significantly,” Drakeford said, adding that part of the problem is the number of people who feed the birds regularly.

“Because they are feeding the geese, they are growing in population and causing problems with the traffic,” he said, pointing out that the birds regularly stop traffic when a flock crosses Third Street/Park Drive. “I’m looking at it from a traffic safety perspective,” Drakeford said.

The Washington Police Department’s designated animal control officer, Lois Blackstock, will largely be issuing the citations, however, with 300 animal complaint calls since the beginning of March, Blackstock’s workload requires that other WPD officers pitch in to the effort. Drakeford said any WPD officer who witnesses someone feeding the birds will be writing tickets, effectively immediately.