Clock Is Ticking For Cuomo To Sign Bill And Save Sheepshead Bay’s Swans From Extermination

Governor Andrew Cuomo has barely a week to sign a piece of legislation, passed overwhelmingly by the Senate and Assembly, to block the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) from exterminating the state’s mute swam population.

In a press release sent Thursday, Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, who introduced the bill along with Queens Senator Tony Avella, urged concerned residents to convince the governor to back the law. Cuomo must sign the bill by November 21.

“People in my community feel very strongly about the mute swans that live in Sheepshead Bay and the thought of the state coming in and shooting or gassing these birds is not acceptable to anyone,” Cymbrowitz said in the press release. “Now’s the time to speak up and tell the Governor to sign this legislation.”

The legislation would establish a two-year moratorium on the DEC’s plan to eradicate the state’s population of 2,200 mute swans. It would also require the agency to demonstrate the swans, which were first introduced to North America from Europe in the 1800s, pose a threat to the environment and local wildlife.

For years, the DEC has been gunning for New York State’s mute swan population, which are a familiar and beloved presence in Sheepshead Bay. The agency argues that the swans are an invasive, non-native species.

In 2013, the DEC introduced a plan to wipe out all of New York State’s mute swans by gassing or shooting the adult birds. The agency also called for addling or oiling eggs to cut down the next generation. The proposal stirred outrage among environmentalists, animals rights advocates, and elected officials who argued that culling the swan population was cruel and unnecessary.

In response to the outcry, which included tens of thousands of public comments, letters and signatures against killing the birds, the DEC revised its proposal in March. The new plan would allow downstate areas like Sheepshead Bay to come up with their own management plans to control their local swan population.

At the time, Cymbrowitz said the DEC’s new proposal was still unacceptable, and argued the agency was imposing a costly plan on cash-strapped municipalities in order to “justify killing the birds when localities fall short.”

This is Cymbrowitz’s and Avella’s second attempt to block the DEC from killing the state’s mute swans. The same bill was passed by the legislature in 2014, but ultimately vetoed by the governor.

Anyone wishing to contact Governor Cuomo may write to him at the NYS State Capitol Building, Albany, NY 12224. The Governor’s office may be reached by email at Andrew.Cuomo@exec.ny.gov or by phone at 518-474-8390. You can also sign the petition by GooseWatch NYC on Change.org.