Hello!

Our friends in Grand Haven, MI are fighting to prevent a deer cull from happening again. The council plans to kill deer beginning 9/1/09. Last year, after several garden owners complained about deer eating their plants (sounds familiar?), the city council voted in favor of killing the animals and pregnant doe and fawns were shot at their local cemetery in January.

Don't allow this to happen again! Council persons Mike Fritz and Geri McCaleb have told fellow council members Roger Bergman, John Naser and Ed Nieuwenhuis that they have no idea how many deer there are, how many they plan to kill - especially since a poacher has been killing them for over a year, and no safety measures in place. Geri McCaleb voted to cull and even she thinks it is not a good idea to rush into this.

Please urge them to implement safe non-lethal alternatives instead. Call the City Manager Pat McGinnis and Lt. Joe Boyle at Public Safety.

Please Call – and ask them to document your call:

City Manager Pat McGinnis at 616-847-4888

Lt. Joe Boyle, Public Safety at 616-842-3460

Help us be heard! The letter below will go to the Mayor and two key members of the city council. PLEASE ALSO COPY THE TEXT OF THIS LETTER AND SEND BY EMAIL TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS:

E-mail GH City Council Members at:

Pat McGinnis - pmcginnis@grandhaven.org

Geri McCaleb – gmccaleb@grandhaven.org

Letters to the editor:

Grand Haven Tribune – lpainter@grandhaventribune.com (mention you vacation or visit here)

Grand Rapids Press – pulse@grpress.com (200 word limit)