Tweeters,
In response to my recent post about the reported deaths of Trumpeter Swans on Judson Lake, which straddles the border between Canada and the U.S., I received the following email from Stan Olson of Abbotsford, a Member of Central Valley Naturalists. Stan is not a member of Tweeters, but receives the group's posts from a member. I will post my reply to Stan in an email to follow this one.
Barbara Fysh, Abbotsford, BC
email: raybar99 at aol.com

"I saw your posting on Tweeters about the swans. I have lived in Abbotsford for 25 years and am familiar with Judson Lake. I want to assure you that there is another side to the story.

"It is not true that 400 swans have died at Judson Lake. Nor is it true that the authorities are doing nothing about it. Despite what's depicted on that website, there is a major, multi-year, cross-border project currently underway, involving volunteers as well as staff of the government agencies on both sides of the border that are being attacked on the website, working to locate and deal with the source of the lead. What is true is that this thorough study, which is now in its third year, does not bear out the claims made on the website that the swans are being poisoned at Judson Lake. It's my impression that it is widely believed among local birders and naturalists
that this website has an agenda of a different kind.

"What's not mentioned on the website, is that several years ago the land owner on the Canadian side of the lake went to a lot of expense trying to get authorization for a large gravel extraction project in the lake that was widely recognized as an environmental disaster in the making, and was opposed vigorously by many local naturalists, and by residents of the immediate area. The appearance of the website in question looked very much to me like plan B when Plan A was denied by the local city council.

"I am not currently a member of Tweeters, but a friend forwards the digests to me daily. Perhaps, since as a non-member I cannot post to Tweeters, you could make some of this information available to other readers of Tweeters in the interests of balance and fairness.

"Thanks!"

Stan Olson
Abbotsford
Member of Central Valley Naturalists