These mute swans in White Lake, near Mill Pond Park, are considered an invasive species and will be the target of a control program.

The Muskegon Conservation District has finalized efforts this past month with State and Federal agencies to begin a mute swan control program on White Lake.

Early in 2011 the conservation district began working with the White Lake Association and USDA Wildlife Services to finalize a permit to the State and initiate the program.

“This initiative fits directly into our current shoreline restoration work to remove White Lake as an internationally listed Area of Concern,” Jeff Auch, executive director of the Conservation District and Chair of the White Lake Public Advisory Council, states. “We are working to restore and protect native habitat for fish and wildlife populations that have been historically degraded or lost. It would be a significant setback to the community having done all this work only to have an invasive species take over and endanger native wildlife and destroy wetland habitat.”