WillyBWright
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Federal court gives Wisconsin permission to kill mute swans
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - A death knell may have been sounded for Wisconsin's mute swans.
A federal appeals court recently upheld a federal law stripping the swans of wildlife protection and allowing state officials to kill them.
Wisconsin wildlife officials want to replace the nonnative mute swans with native trumpeter swans. The Department of Natural Resources has a plan to shoot the birds, clearing lakes in southeastern Wisconsin.
It has said it would start the program in January. Because of the New Year holiday, it could not be reached for comment.
But mute swans are popular among some lake residents, who feed and swim with the birds. The Village of Waterford has an image of a floating swan on its logo.
Waterfort Town Board president Bob Langmesser sent Gov. Jim Doyle a petition with 1,200 signatures, asking the governor to kill the DNR shooting program. Langmesser lives on Tichigan Lake, which is populated with mute swans.
"I think it's ludicrous that the court would make a ruling that would eradicate the mute swan," Langmesser said. "For our government's court system to go along and say this is an OK thing is an injustice to the people of the United States."
The DNR has said mute swans are aggressive toward people and native trumpeter swans and that they destroy habitant.
Langmesser said he has not seen that.
"No one has been able to explain to me the harm that these birds are doing," he said.
But the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has not been able to preserve native species because the swans have taken over in the Chesapeake Bay, said Jonathan McKnight, an associate wildlife director with the agency.
"Everyone has seen a mute swan," McKnight said. "But very few have seen a black skimmer. Their nesting area is now covered in the summer with mute swans."
Mute swans were federally protected for at least 75 years, said Michael Markarian, president of the Fund for Animals and executive vice president of the Human Society of the United States.
The Fund for Animals started the lawsuit, which aimed to have the federal government extend protection to nonnative species.
"There's no reason to kill these animals because they're simply nonnative," Markarian said. "Wildlife managers should take a broader view of the birds because they're part of the ecosystem now and appreciated by people now."
His group is deciding whether to appeal the U.S. Supreme Court.
What are they thinking? With this kind of logic, the Ringneck Pheasant should also be irradicated. They are not native to Wisconsin either. ( Carp I could do without.
)
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - A death knell may have been sounded for Wisconsin's mute swans.
A federal appeals court recently upheld a federal law stripping the swans of wildlife protection and allowing state officials to kill them.
Wisconsin wildlife officials want to replace the nonnative mute swans with native trumpeter swans. The Department of Natural Resources has a plan to shoot the birds, clearing lakes in southeastern Wisconsin.
It has said it would start the program in January. Because of the New Year holiday, it could not be reached for comment.
But mute swans are popular among some lake residents, who feed and swim with the birds. The Village of Waterford has an image of a floating swan on its logo.
Waterfort Town Board president Bob Langmesser sent Gov. Jim Doyle a petition with 1,200 signatures, asking the governor to kill the DNR shooting program. Langmesser lives on Tichigan Lake, which is populated with mute swans.
"I think it's ludicrous that the court would make a ruling that would eradicate the mute swan," Langmesser said. "For our government's court system to go along and say this is an OK thing is an injustice to the people of the United States."
The DNR has said mute swans are aggressive toward people and native trumpeter swans and that they destroy habitant.
Langmesser said he has not seen that.
"No one has been able to explain to me the harm that these birds are doing," he said.
But the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has not been able to preserve native species because the swans have taken over in the Chesapeake Bay, said Jonathan McKnight, an associate wildlife director with the agency.
"Everyone has seen a mute swan," McKnight said. "But very few have seen a black skimmer. Their nesting area is now covered in the summer with mute swans."
Mute swans were federally protected for at least 75 years, said Michael Markarian, president of the Fund for Animals and executive vice president of the Human Society of the United States.
The Fund for Animals started the lawsuit, which aimed to have the federal government extend protection to nonnative species.
"There's no reason to kill these animals because they're simply nonnative," Markarian said. "Wildlife managers should take a broader view of the birds because they're part of the ecosystem now and appreciated by people now."
His group is deciding whether to appeal the U.S. Supreme Court.
What are they thinking? With this kind of logic, the Ringneck Pheasant should also be irradicated. They are not native to Wisconsin either. ( Carp I could do without.
)
