County commissioners again address community-wide concerns
During a March 11 report to his colleagues, as part of their regular meeting that day, held in Venice, Commissioner Mark Smith said he believes that the best opportunity for dealing with the growing concerns about coyotes in Florida is to seek help from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In the past, Smith has pointed out that representatives of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have not been willing to make any efforts to prevent coyotes from encroaching on populated areas. Instead, Smith has noted, FWC staff has provided recommendations only in regard to how people can co-exist with coyotes found in communities.
During his March 11 update, Smith discussed his recent visit to Washington, D.C., to participate in the conference hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo). He serves on that organization’s Environment, Energy & Land Use Policy Steering Committee, he noted.
In advance of his trip, he said, he tried to set up a meeting with a representative of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to discuss whether that federal agency could provide assistance in residents’ contending with coyotes in Sarasota County.
The county’s federal lobbyist, Amanda Wood, received the following statement from USFWS, Smith added:
“I don’t believe the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has any national, regional or local jurisdiction related to coyote management in Sarasota County.”
“And then they attached a list of things they do do,” Smith told his colleagues. What he found interesting in the opening paragraph, he continued, is “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cooperates with other agencies, organizations and stakeholders to control nuisance wildlife species through various methods aimed at managing, preventing and mitigating negative impacts on ecosystems, human health and safety.”
Smith pointed out, “They made that statement after saying they didn’t think they had any interest in helping us in Sarasota County. … They do say that they have an invasive species program and a permitting regulation and also a conflict-of-resolution mitigation, all having to do with invasive species,” he noted, “but somehow couldn’t find the time to talk with me.”
Smith added, “I do believe we may need the governor’s efforts in this, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife [Conservation Commission].”
He is not going to give up on his effort to obtain assistance in countering the coyote problem, Smith told his colleagues.
He reminded the rest of the board members that he also serves on the Florida Association of Counties’ Water, Environmental and Sustainability Committee, during whose meetings the topic of coyote problems continues to arise.
Smith said he is “hoping to get some headway” when he attends the Florida Association of Counties Legislative Conference this spring.
Commissioner Tom Knight noted that he recently had seen “a big coyote” in his yard. Fortunately, he added, he had his dog on a leash at the time.
“Are we seeing more of a population [of coyotes] now?” Knight asked Smith, or is it a matter of perception? “Are they repopulating after the [2024] storms?”
Smith responded that he had not observed coyotes on the Key in the numbers that he noted before Hurricanes Helene and Milton sent storm surges across the barrier island last fall.
Nonetheless, Smith continued, “They’re coming back.” In fact, Smith said, he and his wife were awakened by a pack of coyotes yelping around 6 a.m. on Feb. 7. He played his colleagues an audio recording of the sounds that he had made on his cell phone.
The pack either must have been “on Beach Road or at Siesta Beach,” Smith added, as he lives in Siesta Isles, which is across Beach Road from the beach park.
Smith also told his colleagues, “I understand birding on Siesta Key is gone,” because of the presence of coyotes.
He was referring to the fact that in years past, Siesta used to be host to numerous pairs of nesting snowy plovers, which are endangered, as well as nesting least terns, on parts of Siesta Beach.
Smith further explained, “If you drive through Siesta Key, especially on Midnight Pass Road,” persons can see that the 2024 hurricanes destroyed so much of the foliage that vistas have been opened up. “[Coyotes’] nesting areas aren’t so prevalent,” he added.
Nonetheless, Smith continued, he still is hearing reports about people losing their pets, with the suspicion that that coyotes have been responsible for that.
He reported about one incident that occurred on the mainland. A small pet dog was on a screened-in porch when a coyote approached the home, Smith said. The dog moved to the side of the porch that was most distant from the coyote, he added. Yet, the coyote ended up breaking through the screen and grabbing the dog, Smith added.
“They’re incredibly intelligent and aggressive,” he pointed out of coyotes. “It’s an issue throughout Florida.”
“Sooner or later,” Smith told his colleagues, “somebody’s going to get hurt.”
That is all the more reason, Smith stressed, that the commissioners need to be able to take action instead of just reacting to the problem.