Friends of Animals (FoA) needs your help to save Michigan’s mute swan population. Your calls and/or comments to the Waterford Township Trustees are needed by July 27, 2015.

Maceday and Lotus Lake in the Waterford Township of Michigan are home to a number of mute swans, but some local residents and the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources think that is too many.

FoA disagrees. 

A resolution that will go before the Waterford Township trustees July 27 would give property owners and lake associations permission to control mute swan populations on lakes through the removal and destruction of eggs and mute swan euthanization.

“Watership Township doesn’t have a mute swan problem,” said Edita Birnkrant, campaigns director for Friends of Animals. “After speaking with Waterford Township Trustee Anthony M. Bartolotta, it became clear to me that the problem is a few intolerant residents who ride wave runners on the lakes and don’t understand that they must keep a respectful distance from swans while out on the lake. Wave runners are naturally frightening to swans, especially if they get too close to their babies or nests. The only thing Watership Township needs is a public education campaign so property owners who use the lake learn how to co-exist with mute swans and other waterfowl they share the landscape with.”

When Friends of Animals was alerted to the news that Waterford Township trustees were voting on the misguided resolution on July 13, Birnkrant reached out to the trustees, who tabled the resolution and postponed the vote until July 27 so they could have more time to research the issue. FoA also reached out to local residents to tell them to call trustees and say they do not support the resolution.

“I explained to Bartolotta that passing the mute swan kill resolution would set a disastrous precedent in allowing residents and lake associations to massacre swans at will, and would portray Waterford Township—and the trustees who vote to pass the resolution—as swan killers,” Birnkrant said. “Bartolotta said he doesn’t want the town to have that reputation, and that he would absolutely vote against the resolution. He also said that many residents appreciate and admire the mute swans.”

TAKE ACTION BY JULY 27, 2015

Please call the Waterford Township Trustees and urge them to vote NO on the mute swan kill resolution. Tell them mute swans deserve protection and to implement policies that promote co-existence with wildlife. Email addresses can be accessed here. 

Gary Wall (Supervisor) (248) 674-6201; gwall@waterfordmi.gov

Sue Camilleri, Clerk  (248) 674-6211; scamilleri@waterfordmi.gov

Margaret Birch, Treasurer (248) 674-6217; mbirch@waterfordmi.gov

Anthony M. Bartolotta, Trustee (248) 980-4677; a-bartolotta@comcast.net

Julie Brown, Trustee (248) 396-0864; jabrown456@gmail.com

Karen Joliat, Trustee (248) 935-6133; joliatk@yahoo.com

Donna F. Kelley, Trustee (248) 673-3681; donnakelley1008@att.net

Please Attend the Waterford Township Trustee meeting to publicly speak in opposition to the swan kill resolution.

Date: July 27

Time: 6 p.m.

Location: Civic Center auditorium, 5200 Civic Center Drive, off Crescent Lake Road, Waterford Michigan