The price is right.

It's government-approved.

Therefore, it's worthy of further investigation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture helped Utica get rid of its crow problem.

Perhaps the federal government can help Auburn as well.

The USDA "hazing" program managed to scare off 8,000 of the 14,000 crows which roosted annually in Utica, thanks to a mix of non-lethal harassment techniques such as pyrotechnics, amplified recordings of distress calls and non-harmful lasers.

More than half of the crows left Utica and resettled in more rural areas, as well as the suburbs.

In addition, it is comparatively inexpensive.

The USDA hazing program is only $5,000. Compare that with the $50,000 being charged by the Madison County falconer who made a presentation at last month's Auburn City Council meeting, and the government program is quite a deal.

Plus, the falconer's methodology seemed more bent on violence than disruption and relocation.

And there are few people in the community who are calling for the crows to be killed, just for them to leave.

In addition, it's more settling to work with the U.S. government and its wildlife biologists, than a falconer and his attack birds.

However, Auburn poses significantly greater challenges for the USDA program than did Utica.

With five times as many crows roosting in the city throughout the winter, the program may not be successful in just a few weeks of work, as it was in Utica.

"We would need to spend some time in Auburn and look at the problem," said Richard Chipman, the USDA's New York director for Wildlife Services program.

We urge Mayor Tim Lattimore and city councilors to pursue the USDA, and have them research the possibilities of utilizing their hazing program in Auburn.

This appears to be the most humane option presented for chasing the birds out of town, far better than crow hunts and peregrine falcons.

And it would serve those who dislike the black birds and want them out, but at the same time, respect the sensibilities of the town's animal supporters.