Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2014 07 09

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III. Management Recommendations The City of Louisville manages coyotes in several ways: education and outreach, reporting, and in rare cases removal. The primary tool that the City uses in reducing interactions and conflicts with coyotes is through public outreach and education. Education and Outreach The City of Louisville's main source of coyote management is through education and outreach. The City provides coyote focused environmental educational programs for local kid's camps, family groups, and adult- centered programs, and provides citizens with educational materials when requested. Educational materials include information on coyote behavior and ecology, human behavioral influences on coyote behavior, identifying coyote attractants, and hazing techniques. The emphasis of coexistence with coyotes in urban environments is the most important educational tool. An understanding of how coyotes respond to heavily populated areas is imperative to management practices and coexistence. Other educational resources include temporary signage and informative sandwich boards placed strategically on Open Space properties. Posted flyers on Rules and Regulations' signs located on Open Space properties or in City neighborhoods alert the public when encounters have been reported and provide general safety information. If the City receives a report of intentional /unintentional feeding, the City provides citizens and adjacent neighbors with educational materials on the negative impacts of feeding wildlife and follows up with the citizen filing the report. The City Police Department will be contacted for next steps if the issue is not resolved. Reporting The City of Louisville requests that citizens complete a Coyote Report Form to report coyote incidents within the City. This form can be found on the City's website and is also provided in coyote sandwich boards that are often placed in areas of suspected coyote activity and citizen reports. This form is located in Appendix C and can also be found at: http: / /www.louisvilleco.gov /SERVICES /Pa rksRecreation/ OpenSpaceDivision /Covotelnformation /tabid /5 68 /Default.aspx . The City website also provides helpful links to common questions, how to avoid coyote conflicts, and signs of normal /abnormal coyote behavior. Patrons can click onto the link to the Coyote Report Form, fill out the information, and email it in to the Open Space Division. Staff will follow -up on all reported incidents or attacks. The Open Space Division will provide report data analysis every 2 years which will be posted on the City website. Encounter Techniques Through educational programming, signs, and flyers the City educates the public on hazing techniques used to scare off coyotes and negate potentially dangerous encounters. Hazing is defined as a method that employs immediate use of deterrents to move an animal out of an area or discourage an undesirable behavior or activity. Hazing reminds coyote's of their natural fear of humans and helps to deter them from neighborhood spaces such as backyards and playgrounds. Hazing is not meant to harm Coyote Management Plan 6 13