Seal Beach Council-Adopted (Mar 2015) Coyote Management Plan Parallels LB's Draft Coyote Management Plan -- Prepared by LB Animal Care Services In Late 2014, Publicly Available Now, Brought To Some Neighborhood Groups For Reaction In 2015; Some Different Verbiage: "Red" Level Response In SB Plan Explicitly Authorizes City Staff To Pursue Lethal Removal, LB Draft Verbiage Would Work With CA Dept. Fish/Wildlife To Eliminate Responsible Coyote(s)
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(August 5, 2015) -- A Coyote Management Plan adopted by unanimous voted action of the Seal Beach City Council (March 9, 2015) is very similar in its approach and text to the draft Long Beach Coyote Management Policy prepared months earlier by LB's Dept. of Animal Care Services, which is publicly visible on the LB ACS website and has already been circulated for reaction to at least three neighborhood groups over the past few months.
LBREPORT.com provides links to both documents here.
While LBREPORT.com hasn't compared the two documents page by page/word for word, the policies are very similar in approach, emphasize hazing, public education, removing coyote attractants and apply a "tiered" method of city response (reflecting the level and nature of coyote activity.) However when matters reach the "Red level," the Seal Beach policy authorizes SB city staff to pursue lethal removal...while the LB ACS "Red level" draft verbiage says staff will notify CA Fish and Wildlife and work with that agency to "eliminate" the responsible coyotes [implies lethal removal.]
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Seal Beach's implemented plan defines "Level Red" as: "A coyote that has been involved in an investigated and documented provoked or unprovoked close encounter or attack on humans. City staff may work to lethally remove the responsible coyote(s) after a thorough investigation of the incident(s).
Long Beach's draft verbiage defines "Level Red" as: "A coyote that has been involved in an investigated and documented provoked or
unprovoked attack on a human. City staff will notify California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). City staff will work with DFW to locate and eliminate the responsible coyote(s)."
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As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, in September 2014, the Seal Beach City Council voted unanimously to approve a short-term Coyote Management Plan that began short term trapping [euthanized killing] of coyotes by hiring a private firm to do so and also directed its staff to pursue a regional plan to deal with coyotes; fine residents who feed wildlife or leave food out for pets. crack down on property owners who leave trash containers uncovered and repair and improve city and other infrastructure (such as fences and channels) that allow coyotes access to populated areas.
Although LB Animal Care Services has a draft Coyote Management Policy ready and publicly available for months, the Long Beach City Council (which sets LB city policy) hasn't taken up the issue...until now. As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, Councilwoman Stacy Mungo has agendized an item for the Aug. 11 City Council meeting, but it asks LB Animal Care Services to "study the potential of establishing a coyote mitigation program to address the growing presence of coyotes in Long Beach and to report back to City Council within thirty (30) days."
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Councilwoman Mungo's agendizing memo (joined by Councilmembers Daryl Supernaw and Roberto Uranga) doesn't say exactly what "mitigation" means, mentions trapping in its text (implying euthanasia/killing), attaches a copy of the draft ACS LB Policy and doesn't mention the Seal Beach Council's voted action and adopted policy which allows SB city staff to apply lethal removal.
In addition, despite her agendizing memo's reference to trapping, Councilwoman Mungo appeared to back away from trapping/killing at an impromptu meeting last night (Aug. 4) outside her Wardlow Park field office attended by roughly 60 people at its height, mainly members of a Facebook page favoring trapping/killing. Councilwoman Mungo cited other methods (including more aggressive hazing) and made other statements that left a number of those present disappointed and in some cases angry [visible in their subsequent responses on Facebook.]
(August 5, 2015) -- A Coyote Management Plan adopted by unanimous voted action of the Seal Beach City Council (March 9, 2015) is very similar in its approach and text to the draft Long Beach Coyote Management Policy prepared months earlier by LB's Dept. of Animal Care Services, which is publicly visible on the LB ACS website and has already been circulated for reaction to at least three neighborhood groups over the past few months.
