Allegheny County is opposing a recommendation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to kill about half of the roughly 700 Canada geese that have been making a mess of a county park.

The county wants to control them by other means at North Park, including destroying unhatched eggs, growing tall grass around the lake, and harassing the geese so they stay away from the 3,010-acre park, county Parks Director Andrew G. Baechle said.

"We're going to try to exhaust other methods," Mr. Baechle said. "We don't want to hunt them. We're not ready to go euthanize them."

The county's plan has been met with mixed reaction.

"That's fantastic, and we applaud their decision not to do that," said Stephanie Boyles, a wildlife biologist with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The federal Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services office estimates that a Canada goose releases 1.5 pounds of feces a day. With the park's flock, that's more than three tons a week.

Mr. Baechle hopes current methods can help. Since 2000, the county has shaken or poured oil on about 100 goose eggs a year to keep the population from growing, he said.

The Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese also favors less fatal methods.

"Issuing the geese a death warrant for doing what comes naturally is not only inhumane but completely unnecessary, given the success of many non-lethal goose-abatement programs," said Sharon Pawlak, the group's national coordinator.