#MiddletownRI recently enlisted help from the US Department of Agriculture to assist with managing coyotes in the community. Local leaders agree more active, ongoing management and education is needed to help avoid issues in the future.
COYOTE MANAGEMENT HAVING POSITIVE IMPACT
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (NOVEMBER 6, 2024) – The Town of Middletown is working with the US Department of Agriculture to better manage the local coyote population.
At a recent meeting, Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown and Deputy Police Chief Jason Ryan said over the past few weeks, the partnership has already yielded positive, productive results.
So much so, Ryan said, that Newport and Portsmouth officials have reached out for information to see if the arrangement would work in their communities too.
The focus of the USDA’s work in Middletown has been to provide more information and education about limiting easy food sources and identifying problem coyotes for trapping and relocation.
Animal Control Officer Olivia Garcia has also posted lawn signs in areas where coyotes are known to frequent, urging people not to provide them food.
Anyone with questions or concerns about coyotes was asked to visit https://mdl.town/Coyotes online or contact Garcia at 846-1144, ext. 7101 or ogarcia@middletownri.gov via email.
“(The Police Department) really (has) done a stellar job in coordinating with the USDA as well as the neighborhoods and coming up with a respectful program and a professional program,” Brown said. “A lot of that goes back to Olivia and the relationship she’s created with the neighbors and people that are very concerned about the coyotes."
Going back close to two decades, the coyote population has been an on and off again concern in Middletown.
Most recently, a group of neighbors approached the Town Council over the summer, saying coyotes were infringing too much on their quality of life.
Led by President Paul M. Rodrigues, the council agreed the community needed to do more to help actively manage the local coyote population so there were fewer issues moving forward.
Out of that conversation, the town investigated suitable options and decided to contract in late October with the USDA, which has true expertise in the field. The town also decided against hiring an independent coyote hunter.
Briefing the council, Ryan opened his remarks complimenting Garcia and her efforts to date, which have helped answer a lot of questions. Ryan noted Garcia has been tracking and keeping records on every contact with Middletown Police so there’s real time data about coyotes in Middletown.
He continued that since the town first started its formal relationship with USDA, they’ve baited two traps in high traffic coyote areas to gather information about the local population. Garcia has also worked with the town’s Building Department to try to eliminate easy food sources for coyotes.
And she’s been pushing the coyote management message through the town’s website and other platforms to get the word out.
Ryan said the Police Department was working on scheduling a coyote forum with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management next month to provide more details.
“We all appreciate this because we’re all still getting emails and phone calls asking about what’s going on with the coyotes…” Rodrigues said. “I’ve responded and said ‘We need to be patient because it’s something that’s going to take some time to address.’”
Both Rodrigues and Ryan agreed moving forward, that Middletown would do more to actively manage coyotes. That way, the issue could hopefully stay at a reasonable level instead of having it rise to the surface every few years as the local population gets more bold with the public.
Ryan and Garcia said the working relationship with USDA has been outstanding and they expected to renew their contract with that department.
“This is something that has to be ongoing,” Rodrigues said. “It’s not going to go away unless we stay on top of it and manage it properly.”
“The management of (coyotes) is going to be essential going forward,” Ryan said. “Coyotes are here and I don’t think they’re going anywhere.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Coyote-Management
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
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