Local residents had grown to love the swans and wrote dozens of letters to oppose the planned extermination. This victory proves that residents’ voices can make a real difference in local politics!
Image from Pixabay
We’re overjoyed to share the good news! Thanks to the compassionate
residents of Clearlake, California and our advocacy efforts, more than 20
mute swans can continue to live peacefully on Clear Lake without the threat
of being brutally killed just for being unfairly labeled as an “invasive”
species.
In late October, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
announced plans to destroy all of the mute swans living on the lake. The
Department sought a rubber stamp of approval from local agencies, although
it was not required.
Our team sprung into action to save the swans! We expressed our concerns to
the Lake County Board of Supervisors and to the Lake County Fish and
Wildlife Advisory Committee. It turns out that the Advisory Committee Chair
Greg Giusti was not in favor of such extreme lethal measures when humane
alternatives exist.
Fearing a public relations nightmare, local agencies voiced opposition
instead of anticipated support for the cruel plan. Within a couple of weeks,
the CDFW officially withdrew its swan eradication plan!
According to this article in the Sacramento Bee, mute swans were brought to
the area by humans in 2004. Local residents had grown to love the swans and
wrote dozens of letters to oppose the planned extermination. This victory
proves that residents’ voices can make a real difference in local politics!
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