We are the ones that have already commented in the NY Times and other media on this travesty called scientific research. This is the most non-scientific, biased and arbitrary assault on one species that has probably ever occurred. All sanctioned by the NY DEC, endorsed and instigated by the US Wildlife Services.

First, the swans pose no problem to the environment any more than a duck or goose. In England, the swans are protected and left to their own devices unless they are injured or sick. NO ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE IS OCCURRING. Here, the US Wildlife Services and their cronies threaten rehabilitators, veterinarians and others to not treat, let die or kill the Mute Swans unless they want to lose their federal funding, licenses or permits.

Furthermore, the killing that is sanctioned by THE TAXPAYERS under the auspices of US Wildlife Services is to decapitate the swans in front of their cygnets (baby swans) and then stomp the cygnets to death. Those that do not immediately die are left to suffer until they do meet their demise. These entities and individuals should be investigated by Congress, fined and/or jailed for the inhumane suffering that they have instilled on wildlife. There is also documented instances where the USDA Wildlife officials have used cyanide (it is supposed to be banned) on coyotes and wolves, only to have killed domesticated dogs, cats and even protected species such as eagles. Then, supervisors tell the individuals setting the traps or poison to "not document any non-targeted species). Again, this is occurring on the taxpayer dollar and it is not just the Mute Swans, but wolves, black bears, coyotes, many other birds species to include Tundra Swans. The major issue in all of this is the almighty dollar for hunting and gaining money from the hunting permits.

There is a move to reign in the US Wildlife Services by cutting their budgets and stopping the killing of all species in which their environmental protocols are massacre vs management.

The DEC's research is not only outdated, their supposed research by their wildlife biologist is the most incomplete nonsense. Throughout their "studies" they have one excuse after another as to why they could not complete the study, (not enough staff, too large an area, their primary investigator left for medical reasons, DEC removed swans before study began, etc.) or could not obtain the results that they wanted. Throughout the study they use the words: estimates, possibility, speculation because they do not have concrete research evidence for any of their baseless plans. Throughout the research plan, they contradict themselves with further research needed and even worse, they only banded 161 birds over 5 years and then tried to apply their assumptions on these birds to the overall population of 2,000 swans.

A basic research student knows that this is not a representative sample and the confidence level and confidence interval makes this study invalid.

You and others need to get on board, sign the petitions, contact your congressmen and senators and let them know that they are going to answer to the voters this next election if they do not clean up their wildlife and environmental agencies and make them and the US Wildlife Services accountable to the voters. Threat of not going back into office is an eye opener in close races. Unfortunately, there is so much PAC and lobby money from hunters, a small percentage of the voting public, that it is hard to keep the "good old boys" from going back in. But, the tide is changing and people are tired of spending $126.5 million tax dollars to exterminate instead of develop a viable program that actually works.

Until taxpayers say enough is enough, these agencies will continue their massacres in the name of environmental protections. The Regal Swan