MARCH 2020 IN THIS ISSUE:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
~Margaret Mead
While our world has been turned upside down over the past month, our work for the wild ones persists.
Unconscionably, wildlife killing contests continue in Texas, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, with participants flaunting government directives to not gather in groups of ten or more in order to avoid spreading the deadly Coronavirus. As you will read below, we continue to expose this barbarity and to work with our growing National Coalition to Ban Wildlife Killing Contests to bring an end to these horrific killfests.
We have joined our allies in urging Congress to address the root causes of this emerging virus and others like it—the trade of wildlife and habitat destruction in the U.S. and around the world. Scientists estimate that 60% of known infectious diseases in people can be transmitted from animals, and 75% of emerging infectious diseases originate in wildlife. We have an opportunity—now—to shine a spotlight on the links between our treatment of wild animals, zoonotic disease transmission and our responsibility for curbing violence against Mother Nature.
I want to thank our supporters for your continued support—especially through these tumultuous times. Together we will weather this storm.
Camilla Fox
Founder & Executive Director
P.S.: If you didn’t see our COVID-19 message—Community. Compassion. Coexistence.—you can read it here.
IN MEMORIAM
Project Coyote has lost a treasured member of our pack. Judy Paulsen, our New Mexico Representative from 2012-2019, left us in February; but she left her legacy of tireless and fearless dedication to animals and the environment. We miss her deeply. Read our tribute to Judy here.
COYOTE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES
Ranching with Wildlife Coordinator Keli Hendricks will be representing Project Coyote in the #Let’s Talk Coyotes Coyote Twitterchat that takes place on Monday, March 30, at noon PT. Keli and other wildlife and agency representatives will discuss coyote safety, education, and programs available to help residents and communities better understand and coexist with our wild neighbors. The Twitterchat is sponsored by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (https://twitter.com/SGVCOG) and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. To participate, utilize the hashtag #LetsTalkCoyotes—this will allow you to see the questions posed and the agency responses, and to follow along with the webinar.
RANCHING WITH WILDLIFE
Mendocino, CA:
Project Coyote promotes non-lethal ranching practices via our Ranching with Wildlife program. Last November in Mendocino, our team joined the Mendocino Non-Lethal Wildlife Alliance to present a workshop and informational session highlighting predator-friendly ranching practices. Our own Ranching with Wildlife Coordinator Keli Hendricks explained that lethal retaliation against predators for alleged livestock losses has resulted in the mass killing of carnivores; these misguided acts have harmed the ranchlands and the balanced health of entire ecosystems. Keli discussed how Project Coyote works cooperatively with ranchers to establish good animal husbandry practices and to employ strategic nonlethal predator control methods. Our program results in a triple win: We reduce livestock losses, we meet the needs of individual operations—and we protect wildlife in the process!
REFORMING PREDATOR MANAGEMENT
National:
Project Coyote’s efforts to end wildlife killing contests stretch from coast to coast. Just last month, we encouraged Oregon and Maryland residents to urge their state legislatures to ban killing contests; both states held hearings on the bills in recent weeks. Maryland-based Project Coyote Policy Analyst Harriett Crosby testified before the Maryland House Natural Resources Committee, stating, “Science tells us the killing contests are ecologically destructive and do not serve the goals that contest participants tout. But more than that, killing contests are ethically indefensible.” Executive Director Camilla Fox traveled to Olympia, Washington, in early February to testify at the state Fish & Wildlife Commission killing contest briefing and public hearing, encouraging the state to move forward on a proposed rulemaking process to ban killing contests statewide.
Following concerted efforts by Project Coyote and its coalition partners, strong support from local organizations, and the powerful voices of individual citizens, wildlife recently gained important protections in Massachusetts. Last December, the Massachusetts Fisheries & Wildlife Board voted unanimously to ban cruel killing contests in the Commonwealth! The ban also prohibits the wanton waste of animal hides and carcasses from hunters who knowingly leave dead or wounded animals behind without making a reasonable effort to retrieve them.
In early January, the St. Paul, MN City Council passed a resolution condemning “the indiscriminate killing of wildlife in the form of wildlife killing contests.” Wildlife agencies and professionals across the country have expressed concerns about killing contests—not only because they reflect badly on responsible sportsmen and sportswomen, but also because they contravene modern, science-based wildlife management principles and are destructive to healthy ecosystems.
Mendocino, California:
In February, Project Coyote and the Mendocino Non-lethal Wildlife Alliance sued Mendocino County over its wildlife killing program. The suit challenges the County’s certification of its Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) on its wildlife management program. It further seeks to reverse a controversial decision by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors to renew its contract with USDA Wildlife Services for killing wildlife in the County. “We have determined that the County’s FEIR is fundamentally flawed and does not meet the minimum standards of environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),” said Attorney Don Lipmanson, who is representing Project Coyote and the Mendocino Non-lethal Wildlife Alliance in the suit. Project Coyote Executive Director Camilla Fox went on to state, “We did not reach this decision lightly, but decided to sue only as a last resort after the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors refused to engage in constructive dialogue regarding its determination to renew its contract with WS and its inhumane and outmoded Integrated Wildlife Damage Management Program, which relies heavily on lethal and indiscriminate tools including cruel strangulation neck snares.” The suit follows our efforts, by way of action alerts and this petition, to urge Mendocino to terminate its lethal wildlife management contract and instead adopt a locally administered, humane and environmentally sound non-lethal wildlife management program.
Northern California:
Project Coyote and partners (the Center for Biological Diversity and the Animal Legal Defense Fund) are on the cusp of reaching a settlement with USDA Wildlife Services in the lawsuit filed last year against the agency regarding its activities in its Sacramento, California District. Plaintiffs contend that under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) Wildlife Services must prepare a supplemental analysis when “significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the proposed action or its impacts” emerge. Wildlife Services last completed a final NEPA analysis specific to California’s Sacramento District in 1997, prior to passage of Proposition 4 in 1998 that banned or restricted certain body-gripping traps as well as poisons used to kill predators including coyotes and foxes. That analysis is now outdated and can no longer be reasonably relied upon without supplemental analysis. Despite its failure to comply with the law, Wildlife Services continues to target and kill native wildlife in California. For example, federal agents in 2017 killed about 30,000 native animals in California including mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, bears, badgers and beavers. Plaintiffs contend that with additional NEPA analysis, the agency might make better-informed decisions about how to most effectively prevent these wildlife conflicts with a focus on nonlethal methods. We hope to bring you news of a final settlement very soon!
KILLING GAMES
KILLING GAMES ~ Wildlife In The Crosshairs continues its inspiring and informative journey across the country, educating people about the horrors of wildlife killing contests. Most recently, the film was screened at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival on February 22 in Golden, Colorado; and on February 26 at the University of Denver as part of the Human-Animal Coexistence Catalyst Series. At the DU Event, Colorado First Gentleman Marlon Reis gave remarks, followed by a discussion with Camilla and Project Coyote Science Advisory Board member Marc Bekoff.
Project Coyote Ramps Up Social Media Presence
Project Coyote continues to expand our presence on social media with the help of social media intern Aspen Stevanoski.
With her background in wildlife biology and deep commitment to protecting North America’s wild carnivores, Aspen brings passion and experience to her work with Project Coyote. Since she joined our team last December, our Instagram following has continued to rise, and now numbers almost 7,000. Aspen also works closely with Program Associate Fauna Tomlinson and Ranching with Wildlife Coordinator Keli Hendricks to provide current and thought-provoking content for Project Coyote’s Facebook and Twitter feeds. As an avid wildlife tracker in the North Carolina area, Aspen frequently captures wild canids and other native animals on her trail cams, and generously shares many of these beautiful images and videos through Project Coyote‘s social media channels.
You can view Aspen’s work, stay current on Project Coyote’s campaigns and programs and learn fun and fascinating facts about North America’s wild carnivores by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
FLOAT.org Coyote Swag Coming Soon!
Project Coyote is once again partnering with FLOAT.org to offer exclusive Project Coyote T-shirts, tank tops and hoodies featuring a new design (sneak peek at left) and additional colors. The campaign is currently on hold due to the ongoing concerns related to the Coronavirus, but please stay tuned—we will give you plenty of advance notice before the launch!
RECENT NEWS
Protest planned over Bald Head’s lethal cull of coyotes (Dec. 11, 2019)
State to prohibit coyote hunting contests (Dec. 19, 2019)
Coyotes figured out how to survive in the city. Can urban Coloradans learn to coexist? (Jan. 6, 2020)
St. Paul bans wildlife killing contests in unanimous City Council Vote (Jan. 10, 2020)
Point of View: It’s time to end wildlife killing contests in Oklahoma (Jan. 17, 2020)
There’s a Coyote in Central Park. Don’t Panic. (Jan. 29, 2020)
Wildlife Conservation Organizations Sue Mendocino County Challenging WS Killing Program (Feb. 3, 2020)
Washington Fish and Wildlife commission considers ban on hunting competitions (Feb. 16, 2020)
Opinion: It’s time to ban wildlife killing contests in Colorado (Feb. 19, 2020)
Mendocino County exploring non-lethal wildlife management service (Mar. 6, 2020)
Cheatgrass, Wildfire and Livestock Grazing (Mar. 9, 2020)
Wildlife Killing Contests Have No Place in Pennsylvania (Mar. 16, 2020)
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