This is just wrong

Saw this on a local news website, but I think it is importnat enough to post:

A clandestine move by a local congressman could mean the end of mute swans in Maryland. Maryland representative Wayne Gilchrest slipped a provision that ends protection of mute swans into a much bigger bill that got passed and signed into law by the president.

The bill clears the way for the state of Maryland to begin killing off the birds, which some say are quiet, graceful, and often friendly, but others, like Gilchrest, say are a menace to the Chespeake Bay. "We were able to convince the conference committee, dealing with the issue members of the house and senate, that mute swans was a policy issue so they put it into this larger bill," said Gilchrest.

But the new law is ruffling a lot of feathers among bird lovers. They worry mute swans will be killed off for all the wrong reasons. Bird lover and creator of "Save Maryland Swans" Patrick Hornberger said there are other reasons the bay's grasslands are dwindling. "I do not believe it's the grass eating situation and I think that's been proven by recent news of water treatment plants and the waterfront developments," said Hornberger.

But Maryland's Department of Natural Resources says if nothing else, mute swans run other bird species out of the region. So now that the bill is law, they plan to kill three thousand mute swans in the next few years. That's about the entire population.

The newly signed law also allows the state to kill off 93 other species of birds in Maryland.

This just seems wrong to me. 93 other species as well? Wow...