Living With Coyotes: Getting the Word Out

The Calabasas Environmental Commission on Tuesday formed an ad hoc committee that would promote a city-authored plan that encourages peaceful co-existence with coyotes.

At its Oct. 26 meeting, the adopted a coyote management plan, which lays out tips for residents on how to avoid having contact with the wild animals. The guidelines replaced trapping, the city's previous method of dealing with reported coyote sightings.

Commissioners Michael Karagosian and Alicia Weintraub volunteered to serve on the committee and stated they will work with community members to let them know about the plan and other resources for dealing with coyotes.

"[The ad hoc committee] could be useful so that the management plan just doesn't get shelved in the city records," Weintraub said.

The committee has no budget, but it is allowed to use any city-owned space free of charge for workshops or other kinds of informational meetings, said Alex Farassati, environmental services supervisor for the city.

Karagosian and Weintraub are scheduled to present the committee's mission statement and plan for reaching out to the community at the commission's Dec. 6 meeting.