Florida Association of Counties help sought to deal with coyote problems in Sarasota County

Commissioner Smith wins colleagues’ approval to send letter asking association to work with FWC to change its stance

This is a still from a video of a coyote in a Sarasota neighborhood, sent to Sarasota City staff in November 2018. Image courtesy City of Sarasota

Sarasota County Commissioner Mark Smith has won full support of his  board colleagues for a letter to be sent to the president of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC), seeking FAC’s help in trying to persuade the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to change its policy regarding the handling of coyotes.

Smith has discussed the issue with the chair of the FAC’s Water, and Environmental Sustainability Committee, on which he serves, he has reported to his fellow commissioners. His goal, Smith added, is “to get (FWC) on board with a more aggressive approach” to dealing with coyotes.

He had distributed to the other commissioners a draft of his proposed letter to FAC, he noted.

During their regular meeting on Jan. 15, in Venice, Smith made the motion to authorize Chair Joe Neunder’s signature on the letter, and Commissioner Teresa Mast seconded it.

Among other points, the letter to FAC President Terry Burroughs points out, “FWC does not have an active program of coyote removal nor allows public or private removal. The FWC further states that ‘removing coyotes for the purpose of eradication is an inefficient and ineffective method to control populations.’ ”

Yet, the letter adds, “The presence of coyotes is increasingly happening in our community and neighborhoods. Our Board feels that this presents an imminent threat to the safety of our residents and visitors.”

The letter concludes, “We are happy to meet with you and the FAC staff to discuss this in greater detail or participate in any meetings or efforts with FWC to address this important statewide issue.”

Commissioner Mark Smith. File image

Smith first raised his concern about coyotes in the county in remarks to the board in July 2024. At that time, he discussed incidents that had occurred on Siesta Key, where he lives.

On July 5, 2024, he reported that he received what he characterized as a “distressful letter/email” about the fact that “animals are now starting to get eaten” by coyotes on the barrier island.

Coyotes have been present on Siesta for some time, Smith acknowledged, noting that he had observed them on a couple of occasions in his neighborhood.

However, he continued that day, he had learned that people were becoming scared to go to the county’s Glebe Park, which is located off Midnight Pass Road, near St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church. “Apparently, there’s dens back there” in the park, Smith pointed out.

Further, the park was the scene of a recent coyote attack on a dog, Smith said, as illustrated by “a rather nasty picture” that he had seen.

During that July 2024 County Commission meeting, he sought support to direct County Administrator Jonathan Lewis to contact FWC representatives to learn about any assistance that agency could offer the county in handling the situation.

After further board discussion last year, an FWC biologist made a public presentation on Nov. 18, 2024, at Siesta Key Chapel, regarding the organization’s advice for dealing with coyotes in residential areas.

During the Jan. 15 commission session, Smith referenced that meeting, which leaders of the Siesta Key Association hosted. FWC representatives, he said, are “basically telling us that we just have to leave [coyotes] alone, and they’ll be just fine …”

This is part of the information about coyotes on the FWC website. This is the link to the FWC Coyote Species Profile.

A growing concern countywide

During the Dec. 17, 2024 County Commission meeting, Smith proposed the letter to FAC, offering to draft it. That day, reprising earlier remarks to his board colleagues, Smith noted that on Siesta, “We’ve had several instances with pets being attacked and killed.”

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, he pointed out, a 4-year-old child “was attacked in Colorado [by a coyote] and is in serious condition.”

CBS News Colorado reported that a coyote had lunged at a 4-year-old girl “in a neighborhood east of Monument Creek and Interstate 25 near the U.S. Air Force Academy.”

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers learned from witnesses “that the girl was attacked when she and another child approached a coyote crouching behind a tree, thinking it was a dog,” the CBS report added.

” ‘This could have been much worse — a tragedy,’ if not for the quick action of the child’s uncle to stop the attack, rescue his niece and scare away the coyote,” Tim Kroening, CPW’s Area Wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region, told CBS.

Smith explained that FAC already has launched an initiative to persuade FWC leaders “to look into [the coyote issue] more seriously.”
He would appreciate his colleagues’ support for sending a letter to FAC, he added.

“In Venice,” Commissioner Neunder responded, “we have a coyote issue on the island, but also in my neighborhood.” Just “a few nights ago,” Neunder added, one of his children saw a coyote in the yard; he lives off the island, Neunder noted.

“Seems to be a bigger problem than any of us may have been aware,” he continued. “I didn’t really know until it hit home, and it was at my home,” Neunder said.

He could support sending the letter to FAC, Neunder added.

Commissioner Mast told her colleagues that a coyote has been coming into her yard at night. “I find the evidence every morning,” she said.

“There’s a balance that we really have to work at,” Mast added, referring to dealing with the animals amid worries about potential harm to humans.

“I’m in support of sending a letter,” she told her colleagues.

Moreover, Mast stressed, the commissioners need to encourage residents not to feed coyotes or try to pet them. “They are dangerous animals.”

Further, she noted that Sarasota County has many older residents; she pointed out that coyotes “can affect a very vulnerable population.”

Smith said he would provide his draft letter to the rest of the commissioners at an upcoming meeting.

This is the copy of the letter sent to the Florida Association of Counties. Image courtesy Sarasota County

All 67 Florida counties affected

During the Jan. 15 discussion, Smith pointed out, “As I’ve said in the past, and FWC has confirmed … coyotes aren’t native to Florida.” They first appeared in the state in the Panhandle in the 1970s, he noted. By the 1990s, they had arrived in Sarasota County.

More recently, he continued, they have been documented in all 67 Florida counties.

“To me,” Smith said, “they are an invasive species, like the pythons. They are a danger to our pets and to our children.”
He added, “I believe FWC needs to change their policy. I understand that’s quite a challenge, but a good first step is to get [FAC] behind this effort, and I believe we’ll get [FAC’s support].”

Neunder thanked Smith for his service with FAC. Then he said, “Let’s hope that we get some traction [on this], perhaps in the near future.”

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