10/10/2024, in a concerning decision, Governor Whitmer’s Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously to slaughter all Canada geese removed from Michigan lakes in 2025. This decision was met without any concrete scientific evidence justifying such harsh actions. Moreover, the DNR points the finger of blame at overpopulation, but readily disregards the mismanagement of the population for the sake of hunting. In fact, The DNR actually gave a Partner in Conservation Award to Joe Wilbur Johnson for, not only bringing in trumpeter swan eggs from Alaska, but the RESIDENT Canada goose into Michigan for the sole purpose of hunting. Similar outrageous actions have been targeted toward mute swans, yet another species that have been tremendously affected by these unsound policies.

The DNR and USDA have slaughtered over 8500+ mute swans in Michigan. The Mute Swan kill plan needs to be revisited, especially now that the DNR is planning to gas every NATIVE Canada goose that Lake Associations, businesses, condo complexes, etc., do not want on their property. The DNR acts like they care about our NATIVE  wildlife. They slaughter the swans because they claim they are non native and are invasive to the Canada goose, and yet the Natural Resources Committee just voted on the USDA and DNR plan to slaughter thousands of NATIVE Canada geese, which are also federally protected, whatever that means. If the swans are so invasive to the geese, why are there so many geese rounded up every year on lakes with swans on them. The swans should have chased them all off, if what the DNR is claiming is true. 

What the DNR does not tell Michigan residents is that Mute swans play several beneficial roles in our ecosystem:

 By grazing on aquatic vegetation, mute swans help control plant growth, which can maintain open water areas and promote biodiversity and create areas that are more accessible for dabbling ducks to feed and forage.

 As sentinel species of water quality and habitat health, their presence can reflect the overall condition of aquatic ecosystems. This would have been beneficial if the DNR, EGLE, and public officials in Flint would have paid a little more attention to the swans or lack of swans on Flint’s waterways.

They contribute to local tourism and recreation, enhancing the aesthetic and cultural value of natural areas.

The Canada goose is probably the most family oriented bird in existence, but those that want them dead do not care. The main reason for lake associations and other organizations wanting to kill the NATIVE Canada goose is because humans do not like their poop.  Lake Associations may think they are God, but they are not. Why do they get to decide what lives and dies on our lakes?  When your DNR is going to gas thousands and thousands of geese, shouldn’t all Michigan residents have a vote in the matter? People move onto these lakes and then want everything they do not like removed. They basically want a giant pool in their backyard. They also do not care about the people who have lived on the lake a lot longer than them and enjoy the waterfowl. The people who do like the waterfowl are afraid to speak up for fear of being bullied by their neighbors or retaliation from their HOA. 

What do the people who hate the wildlife do? They get on the HOA Board so they can make the decisions for everyone on their lake. They have no tolerance for the waterfowl on the lakes. They do hardly anything to deter the geese. They just want a quick fix, only now their quick fix results in the gassing or slaughter of thousands of NATIVE Canada Geese, and again, why, because they poop. 

Now that the Natural Resources Commission approved the gassing and slaughter of the geese in 2025, we, the residence of Michigan, want to know the following: 

Are they going to make lake associations get new resolutions and petitions? Even though the old petition says "maybe killed" on it, most people who signed petitions or approved resolutions in the past, were told the geese would be relocated.  

Are they going to verify the signatures on the petitions to make sure they have the 70% of the signatures needed and verify that the people signing are actually lakefront homeowners on the lake and also verify that 10 people from one home are not all signing it? 

Are they going to make the lake associations all fill out the standard petition on the DNR website and not make their own easily manipulated multiple choice petition as Lake Sherwood in Commerce Twp has done for years? If they are going to have geese killed, then they should have to do the proper leg work to do it.  

How much are the taxpayers going to pay for this and how much money are the DNR and USDA making to do this?

 Are they going to allow lake associations to remove a certain amount of geese per the lakes acreage? It will be pretty bad if 70 or less geese on a lake of 100+ acres get killed because the lakefront homeowners do not try and deter them in any way. 

The absence of scientific backing for DNR's actions, the negligence of Lake Associations, mixed with the essential role of these species in our ecosystem, paints a grim picture indeed. The Michigan Constitution states all wild animals belong to ALL people, not just to hunters and lakefront homeowners. The DNR should be managing our wildlife in compliance with our state's constitution and they are not.

It is time we change this narrative for the sake of the geese, mute swans, the ecosystem, and, ultimately, future generations. DEMAND an end to the unwarranted killing of geese and mute swans in Michigan. Let's stand in solidarity and urge the Michigan DNR to HALT their harmful policies for 2025. Please sign and share this petition. Please contact the Governor's office and ask her to stop these slaughters and ask for the Michigan based studies and science that warrant these killings. 

https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/contact 

THANK YOU!

If you would like to help, or donate, or have questions, please email savemigeeseandswans@gmail.com