Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2014 06 11

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I.Introduction The City of Louisville is a relatively small suburban city, located approximately 15 miles from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Louisville is an active community with and many pet owners. The City of Louisville owns or has an inter land, making Louisville an attractive recreation area for the co coyotes. ation has grown rapidly and, as with most of growing suburbs, human-coyote sightings and conflicts are being purpose of this document is to present guidelines for responses interest in decreasing and resolving human-coyote conflicts. Coyotes are members of the family Canidae which includes wolves, medium-sized mammals and closely resemble dogs in size with long usually weigh between 30-40 pounds and are 4 feet in length from nose to tail. Coyotes are native to Colorado and population numbers have risen with urban developmen throughout the Northern United States, with exceptions in areas populations are successful (Gehrt and Riley, 2010). Wolves and, and the competition for food kept coyote populations lower than . In the midst of urban sprawl, coyote populations have expanded as they where there are plenty of food sources, water, and shelter (Gehrt and Riley, 20 As top predators in the urban ecosystem, coyotes help to balance Coyotes preferred diet includes small mammals, raccoons, bird eg However, coyotes are also opportunistic feeders and may prey on the opportunity (Gehrt 2004c). Urban expansion has reduced coyo change in the . Coyotes are adaptable and clever, and may consume only human garbage, compost, and dog food when readily available (Denver Pa Coyotes are diurnal, meaning they can be active throughout the d prefer traveling at night to avoid people (Grinder and Krausman 2003; Atwood et al. 2004); however, coyotes have been observed t have even been observed in downtown Louisville during middle of Research suggests that coyotes are more nocturnal in heavy populated areas and more dius are more prevalent (McClennen et al. 2001; Riley et al. 2003; Gehrt II.Urban Coyote Ecology Coyote populations have been rising steadily and have expanded showing their adaptability as human occupation has expanded (Geh coyotes have adjusted to life in the city, reports of coyote enc become more prevalent. Coyotes can live in any part of the urba suburban areas where open space is available. Within the urban habituated to city life. For example, i Coyote Management Plan 3