In 2018, the County of Orange hosted a forum in the City addressing coyotes in the community. Representatives from Orange County Animal Care and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) presented to a room filled with Brea citizens ways to keep their properties and pets safe from coyotes. One suggestion was the formation of a Wildlife Watch program where residents are trained by volunteers from CDFW to proactively address, prevent and manage nuisance wildlife issues in their own neighborhoods. Modeled after the well-known Neighborhood Watch program, Wildlife Watch partners residents with their city and county governments to identify and eliminate wildlife attractants. The program is sponsored by CDFW, but is ultimately run and maintained by a network of committed agencies, community groups and individuals who have completed the Wildlife Watch training.
Interest was expressed to form a Wildlife Watch program in Brea. Staff contacted CDFW to learn the steps needed to launch the program. That led to staff researching and writing a Coyote Management Plan specifically for Brea. The intent of the plan is to provide guidance for staff in dealing with coyotes in Brea. City strategy for managing coyotes is based on balancing respect and protection for wildlife and their habitats without compromising public safety. The main strategy of the plan is comprised of a three-pronged approach consisting of public education, enforcement of laws and regulations prohibiting the feeding of wildlife and ensuring public safety. For public education, the goal is to decrease attractants, increase pet safety, and reshape coyote behavior. Staff from Communications & Marketing/Public Information will produce both printed and digital materials to have available at City facilities, City events and online. An ordinance has been drafted, and is attached to this staff report, making it unlawful for any person to feed or provide food to any non-domesticated animal in Brea. Adopting the ordinance will enable the Brea Police Department to cite individuals who are caught feeding wildlife. And lastly, to ensure public safety, appropriate tiered responses to coyote and human interactions are detailed in the management plan. The Coyote Management Plan also details what attracts coyotes to urban areas, appropriate hazing techniques, definitions of different coyote encounters, a coyote behavior and recommended response chart and a yard audit checklist.
Staff presented a draft of Brea’s Coyote Management Plan and anti-feeding ordinance to City Council during Study Session on October 16, 2018. At that time, Council was interested in learning how other cities have benefitted from adopting a Coyote Management Plan and running a Wildlife Watch program. To conduct research, staff reached out to CDFW, Orange County Animal Care and a few cities with management plans and programs already in place. To date, the cities of Irvine, Newport Beach, Culver City, Torrance, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Palos Verdes Estates, and Whittier have implemented Wildlife Watch programs with the help of CDFW. Other cities, such as Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, just to name a few, have Coyote Management Plans in place. Attached to this staff report are testimonials from the cities of Newport Beach and Irvine documenting how Wildlife Watch has benefited their cities. Both reported that animal losses have been reduced and that residents feel more comfortable and empowered to do things about coyotes in their neighborhood. Other cities contacted had similar accounts and positive feedback.
Next Steps
- Council to adopt Brea’s Coyote Management Plan and ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wildlife.
- Staff to work with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to establish Wildlife Watch program in Brea.
- Communications & Marketing/Public Information staff to develop an educational campaign.
Once the Wildlife Watch program is launched, staff will continuously work with Orange County Animal Care and CDFW to monitor reports of coyote sightings and incidents in Brea. Overall, to be successful the Coyote Management Plan and the Wildlife Watch program require active participation on the part of the entire community, including residents, volunteers and City staff. |