On Monday, October 16, the West Hollywood City Council will meet to discuss implementation of a “comprehensive coyote management plan.” The City Council is expected to direct staff to develop a non-lethal management approach toward coyotes that emphasizes education, management strategies, and recommended responses to coyote encounters, and that “address[es] the issues presented by urban coyote populations in a humane and compassionate manner.”
Randi Feilich, Project Coyote’s Southern California Representative, will be attending the October 16 meeting to testify in favor of the City Council adopting a compassionate coexistence plan, and we urge those in the area to attend and testify as well. See below for ways you can help.
For the wild,
Camilla Fox
Founder and Executive Director
What You Can Do To Help
1. Contact the West Hollywood City Council and ask them to implement a Coyote Management Plan that fosters coexistence by emphasizing proactive public education and aversive conditioning for habituated coyotes.
Mayor John Heilman: jheilman@weho.org
Mayor Pro Tem John J. Duran: jduran@weho.org
City Council members:
Councilmember John D’Amico: jdamico@weho.org
Councilmember Lindsey P. Horvath: lhorvath@weho.org
Councilmember Lauren Meister: lmeister@weho.org
City of West Hollywood
West Hollywood Park Public Meeting Room – Council Chambers
625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 91007
Phone: (323) 848-6409
2. If you are a local resident, join Randi Feilich, Project Coyote’s Southern California Representative, at the West Hollywood City Council meeting on Monday, October 16, to express your concerns in a public forum (Item 2.S. on the Agenda):
What: West Hollywood City Council Meeting
When: October 16, 2017, 6:30 pm
Where: City of West Hollywood
West Hollywood Park Public Meeting Room – Council Chambers
625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 91007
Phone: (323) 848-6409
3. Help keep these issues in the public eye by submitting Letters to the Editor of your local paper(s). Use our tips and tools for writing LTE’s.
Local newspapers:
West Hollywood Independent
http://www.wehoville.com/contact-us/
Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/about/la-letter-to-the-editor-htmlstory.html
TALKING POINTS (please be respectful and personalize your message):
- Commend the West Hollywood City Council members for their proactive approach to living with coyotes, and express your support for a coyote coexistence plan that emphasizes educatiopn and outreach to the community, and consistency in response protocols.
- Coyotes are here to stay. We must learn to coexist. Education is the key.
- There are many effective non-lethal methods for reducing negative encounters between people, coyotes, and domestic animals. More info here.
- Killing coyotes is ultimately ineffective, as coyotes from surrounding areas will soon refill vacant niches. Snares, which are most often used to capture coyotes, are indiscriminate and may capture, injure, or kill pets and other wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. Read more here.
- Coyotes play an important role in keeping rodent populations in check and ecosystems clean of carrion. Coyotes also help to limit mesocarnivores (e.g., foxes, skunks, raccoons) thereby helping boost bird population and diversity.
- We’re here to help. Encourage the City of West Hollywood to work with Project Coyote in adopting and implementing an ecologically and ethically sound long-term coyote coexistence plan that emphasizes public education, reducing coyote/wildlife attractants, and hazing of habituated coyotes. Read more about Project Coyote’s Coyote Friendly Communities program here.
Remember to include your name, address, and email address when submitting public comments to ensure that your comments will be counted in the official record!
Thank you for writing on behalf of America’s Native Song Dog!
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About Project Coyote
Project Coyote is a North American coalition of wildlife scientists, educators, predator friendly ranchers, and community leaders promoting compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science, and advocacy. As a national non-profit organization based in Marin County, California, Project Coyote aims to create a shift in attitudes toward coyotes, wolves and other native carnivores by replacing ignorance and fear with understanding and appreciation. Our programs seek to create fundamental and systemic change in the way wild carnivores are viewed and treated in North America.