By Staff
Reps. John Proos, Neal Nitz and Tonya Schuitmaker will hold a public meeting Monday, Jan. 23 to discuss the current reports of the possibility of cougars in Southwest Michigan. This meeting will allow legislators and the general public to gain knowledge concerning the situation.
"We invite local residents and local officials to share their information regarding this important topic," said Proos, R-St. Joseph. "We anticipate that their will be a variety of perspectives and look forward to hearing from the residents of Michigan's Great Southwest."
In November 2005, a horse was mauled and killed leading experts from the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy to believe it may be the work of a cougar. However, the DNR claims there are no cougars in the Southwest Michigan area and what killed the horse could possibly be a pack of wild dogs or coyotes.
"A cougar could be a detriment to Southwest Michigan's livestock," said Nitz, R- Baroda and chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. "But the safety of Michigan residents is our number one concern. There has been a lot of recent press regarding possible sightings and we thought it was appropriate to offer concerned citizens a public forum with officials and experts."
Several groups and speakers have been invited to bring what information they have to the meeting. Wildlife groups, government officials and agricultural affiliations are expected to attend Monday's meeting. Residents in the area are encouraged to voice their opinions and present facts to the legislators and organizations present.
"We are not attempting to introduce legislation or act on this particular instance until we know all the facts," said Schuitmaker, R-Lawton. "This meeting will give us the opportunity to learn more from residents and organizations trained to deal with these situations. Our first priority is to the residents of this great state and we want to further that agenda by keeping families safe."
The meeting takes place at the Berrien Intermediate School District Conference Center located at 711 St. Joseph Ave., Berrien Springs.
All residents are invited to attend the meeting which will go from 2 to 4 p.m.
For more information on the meeting, please contact Proos' office toll free at 1-888-656-0079 or by e-mail at johnproos@house.mi.gov.