We have a cheer today for Michigan’s Waterford Township Trustees who voted against population control of mute swans on Monday evening. 

A resolution before the trustees would have given property owners and lake associations permission to control the population on lakes through the removal and destruction of eggs and mute swan slaughter. The trustees’ unanimous vote got a well-deserved standing ovation at the meeting Monday night. 

When Friends of Animals (FoA) was alerted to the news that Waterford Township trustees were voting on the misguided resolution on July 13, Edita Birnkrant, campaigns director, 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 members and asked them to call trustees and urge them to vote no on the mute swan kill resolution. 

“We are overjoyed that Waterford Township Trustees heard Friends of Animals loud and clear, as well our members who picked up the phone and wrote letters and local residents who showed up at the meeting last night,” Birnkrant said. “We applaud the trustees for voting unanimously against intolerant, hateful resolutions, and for recognizing that groundswell of support for policies of co-existence with swans and other wildlife.

“Watership Township never had a mute swan problem—the problem was a few intolerant residents who ride wave runners on the lakes and don’t understand that they must keep a respectful distance from swans, as well as Michigan Department of Natural Resources labeling mute swans as invasive. That kind of swan-hating agenda failed last night. It’s time for the DNR and all government agencies to evolve beyond the mentality that says wildlife is a nuisance to be eradicated. Friend of Animals, and the people of Waterford Township Michigan were victorious last night in eradicating that destructive mentality.”