Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña, State Senator Henry Stern, and Chair of Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority George Lange co-signed an open letter in this week's copy of The Acorn titled No Justification for Trapping of Coyotes by HOA:
We’re blessed to live surrounded by nature and open space. The proximity to natural open lands and trails is one of the great joys of living in our area. These lands add to our quality of life and the desirability of homes.
But like homeownership generally, living next to nature has both its joys and its responsibilities. Along with stewardship of our properties for fire protection and water conservation, we must also be mindful and protective of the wildlife that are our natural neighbors.
It has come to our attention that a homeowners association in Thousand Oaks has contracted for the indiscriminate trapping and killing of coyotes. While coyotes can pose risks to pets, attacks on humans are extremely rare.
It’s inordinately cruel, inhumane and unjustified to maim and kill coyotes that pose minimal risks to humans. There are many places to live where people can avoid wildlife.
If we choose to live where wildlife roam, especially for this HOA that backs up to open space, we must accept the responsibility for our choice and for minimizing risks and conflicts.
At a time when we’re building a wildlife crossing bridge to further the ability of wildlife to remain in our natural open space areas, it’s antithetical to be killing off our area’s coyotes before they can use it. A little additional care and practice will minimize the issue that these residents are so concerned about.
There are many guides for avoiding conflicts with coyotes for those who live near open space. Measures include not leaving pet or human food outside, keeping cats indoors, promptly harvesting fruit, keeping dogs on leashes.
For people concerned about coyotes, carrying pepper spray, an air horn or a walking stick can allay those fears.
Coyotes are integral to the ecosystem and are beneficial predators that keep rodent populations in check. Destroying coyotes for fear of them attacking pets does more harm than good, and the painful traps that snare them are inhumane. That is why we join together to strongly condemn the trapping of coyotes and call upon the HOA to cease this practice immediately.
Linda Parks, Ventura County Supervisor
Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Thousand Oaks Mayor
Henry Stern, State Senator
George Lange, Chair of Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
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Sierra Club Takes Notice
In other news, The Sierra Club recently took notice of this issue and our petition. See their article on page 7.
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What Can I Do?
Here are a few ways you can help:
1. Write a Letter to the Editor of the T.O. Acorn sharing your response to the North Pointe HOA trapping and killing coyotes. Your statement is only 350 words or less and is due by 5pm on Sunday for publication the following Thursday.
2. Contact the North Pointe HOA asking them to stop trapping and killing coyotes (via their management company) by email at: info@cpm1.com or by letter addressed to North Pointe HOA, c/o Community Property Management, 751 East Daily Drive, Suite 300, Camarillo, CA 93010, ATTN: Melinda Tandecki.
3. Share this petition with your network urging the North Pointe HOA Board to stop trapping and killing coyotes: https://chng.it/V9Ly8JSyx4
4. Learn more about how coyotes provide natural rodent-control, are important for healthy, resilient open space, and can be deterred from frequenting residential neighborhoods using much more effective, and humane, strategies at the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife's "Keep Me Wild" website.
Thank you for all of your support.
- Brendan Callahan