Earlier this year, I wrote about my concerns and skepticism about the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to deal with mute swans.
I wrote that, “The issue has become highly emotional in my district at Phantom Lake in the town of Mukwonago…..evidence does not exist that the mute swans are causing serious damage or pose a public safety threat. The correct ruling for the DNR Board is to listen to the people living with the mute swans for the past 30 years. They testified the mute swans are gentle and tame. A drastic policy to eliminate the swans is unnecessary.”
You can read my column on mute swans
here.I witnessed how emotional the mute swan issue is for residents who have cared for these lovely animals for years as if they were family members. As I feared, the DNR policy is unpopular and unnecessary.
The Appleton Post –Crescent is reporting the sad story of an Appleton apartment owner who killed mute swans in order to meet state guidelines, angering residents.
You can read the Post-Crescent story
here.