Senator Ken LaValle announced that he has introduced legislation to immediately halt the eradication of the Mute Swan.  The bill (S.6667) establishes a moratorium on the killing of Mute Swans and compels the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to hold off any decisions until a new independent study is conducted.   “Among the many issues raised about the DEC’s plan were questions of the validity of the justification of the proposed actions.  It appears that the DEC utilized 40-year-old data to come to the decision.” Senator LaValle said.  He continued, “It’s always been about the science for me.  Haphazard planning without the science to back up the theories is not acceptable.”

The legislation will immediately stop the finalizing of the Mute Swan eradication plans; create a board to review the new research, and require the board to report back within 120 days of receiving the study. “We need irrefutable information to be order to correctly assess the situation.  We need to slow down, step back, and ensure any plan moving forward has a balanced, scientific basis. ” Senator LaValle concluded.

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