LIVINGSTON — The Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad has agreed to stop shooting and killing pigeons under Livingston’s B Street underpass, according to City Manager Grant Gager.

The railroad company relinquished managing pigeon populations nesting on the girders of the underpass on Oct. 29, and is working with the city on non-lethal means to remove the troublesome birds.

City officials and residents expressed unhappiness with BNSF’s practice of hiring a USDA contractor to shoot the pigeons with a pellet gun, as reported in the Livingston Enterprise last month.

Tensions boiled over in October when dozens of the birds were left discarded on the streets. Some were shot but remained alive.

Livingston resident Bonnie Goodman has rescued injured pigeons in the underpass that survived sniper shots delivered by the USDA pellet gun contractor. Goodman said she has rescued at least eight injured pigeons.

“The pigeons will be dealt with in non-lethal ways,” said Gager, who had expressed discontent with BNSF’s mitigation methods. “The city is appreciative on BNSF’s continued partnership. Removing the nests is the first step. We are working with BNSF to identify non-lethal means.”

Gager said the city and BNSF have had three years of conversations about the pigeon problem in the underpass.

City workers were seen spraying nesting areas with water and clearing pigeons from the underpass Friday.

“They were spraying water to clean the girders and remove the nests,” Gager said.