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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04272004 - C46 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ' Cor�-tra FROM: FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE ''Costa DATE: April 27, 2004 County SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION OF SPENDING FROM FISH AND WILDLFIE PROPAGATION FUND SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)& BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS AUTHORIZE the Fish and Wildlife Committee to transfer up to $5,000 to the Community Development Department to design, print and distribute brochures that inform County residents about how to deal with wildlife in urban settings. FINANCIAL IMPACT No impact to the general fund. $5,000 will be released from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND A portion of the fines collected from violations of fish and game regulations in the County is deposited in the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. State law defines how money in this fund may be spent, but the Board of Supervisors is responsible for authorizing specific expenditures. The proposed brochure project by the Fish and Wildlife Committee is consistent with the expenditure criteria established by State Law because it relates to public education on fish and wildlife resources. 4411. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: orlon Becker Chair, Fish&Wildlife Committee e-,-RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE ,'APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE (S): i ACTION OF BO ON April 27, 2004 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS X UNANIMOUS{ABSENT Nme 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND AYES: NOES: CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact: John Kopchik (925)335-1227 ATTESTED April 27, 2004 cc: Community Development Department JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE County Administrator's Office BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND Clerk of the Board .. COUNTY AD INISTRTOR Auditor-Controller y BY:i # � , PUTY Appropriation from Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund April 27, 2004 Page 2 of 2 Can 'March 17, 2004, the County Fish and Wildlife Committee unanimously agreed to recommend that the County Board of Supervisors authorize the expenditure of up to $5,000 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund to fund the brochure project that the Committee has been working on for many months. The Committee identified the need for creating a brochure that informs homeowners in the County on how to deal with wildlife in urban settings. (Many houses are built very near the nature areas. Wildlife sometimes encroaches to the human community. Some County residents have problems with raccoons living in their attics or deer eating their flowers and vegetables from their back yards. They often contact the County Fish and Wildlife Committee, County Animal Services Department, Lindsay Wildlife Museum or a writer from the Contra Costa Times who has a weekly column section in the newspaper that is designated for teaching readers on how to care wildlife. Some of these organizations have literature to give away, but not all of them have such resources, and no comprehensive information resource exists in distributable format. The Committee concluded that it is very important to create a brochure that people can bring home and refer to when they encounter problems with wildlife. The proposed brochure is about 12 pages long and 17 by 11 inches in size, stapled in the middle (8 ill by 11 inches finished). It would include numerous pictures of wild animals accompanied by easy-to-read text describing what to do to deal with them. If approved by the Board,the brochure could be designed and published by the summer of 2044. The Committee plans to design and print 5,000 brochures. It also plans to place these brochures in public places, when and where permission is granted, including County Animal Services Department, East Bay Municipal Utility District's visitor center at their reservoir, at local or regional parks, and the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. Also planned is to send the brochures to homeowners in new subdivisions that are located near the nature area or open space. ATTACHMENTS: • Draft brochure text REVISED Brochure Language(January 21, 2004) COVER [Cover photo or montage of animal/animals] WILDLIFE! In Your Backyard! A Guide to Living with Wild Animals in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties PAGE 1 One of Contra Costa County's greatest assets is its abundance of woodland,grassland,and wetland habitats.Many wildlife species using these areas are in close proximity to their human neighbors as housing development expands in our region. We invite you to take a few minutes to read about some of the common wildlife species found in the county and several things you can do to get along with these original "residents" of your neighborhood. How to Be Wildlife-Friendly There are a few important steps to take to keep a healthy distance between your family and wildlife in the neighborhood. Following these tips help make welcome guests of wild animals rather than pests. • Deep garbage in tightly-covered containers and pick up fallen fruit from fruit trees.Without the smells associated with foodstuffs from our houses and gardens,animals are much less likely to create nuisances in our yards. * Do not leave pet food or water out in your yard,and close pet doors at night to keep wild animals out. * Keeping cats indoors will protect them from disease and predators, as well as help conserve native songbirds,lizards, salamanders, and other small animals. Free-roaming cats have devastating effects on native animals. • Close or screen entrances to attics, vents, and crawl spaces,and areas under sheds or decks, so animals cannot use those areas to sleep or breed. * If deer are a problem in your area,plant"deer resistant" plants recommended by your local nursery. • If raccoons or skunks are digging in your lawn you may have a grub(insect larvae that eat grass roots)problem. Watering the lawn in the morning rather than the evening will make the lawn more difficult to dig and keep the grubs deeper in the soil during the evening hours.Heavy grub infestations should be treated with the minimum amount of toxic substances that can be recommended by your local nursery. * Let native wildlife stay wild,Although well-intentioned,feeding wildlife disrupts natural behaviors and can reduce long-term survival. * Don't handle wildlife. This can harm animals and expose you to disease. Our Ferry,Feathered,and Scaly Friends The following are some of the more common local animal residents in the county.The recommendations noted for each species can help us keep a harmonious relationship with them. Raccoons(Procyon lotor). These black-masked,dexterous mammals are active mostly at night and eat an extremely wide variety of foods. So that raccoons remain only occasional visitors to your yard,follow the general tips above,particularly regarding screening attics and areas under houses and decks, and grub infestations. Also,if needed: • Wrap.metal guards, 18 inches or wider, around tree trunks five or six feet above the ground to keep raccoons from climbing trees to get to roof tops.Also,trim bushes and tree branches three feet back from the roof line. • To protect fish in a pond, submerge a wire mesh horizontally around the edge,leaving the center open.Raccoons can't reach past the wire and won't stand on it because it is unstable. Songbirds. In the U.S.,cats kill millions,perhaps hundreds of millions,of birds every year. The American Bird Conservancy,the National Audubon Society, and the Humane Society urge owners to keep cats confined and controlled to protect birds. If your cat injures a bird, place the bird in a small container such as a paper bag or paper towel-lined box. Do not feed it or give it water. Call the Lindsay Wildlife Museum. 1 REVISED Brochure Language (January 21, 2004) If you choose to keep a bird feeder,keep it clean. Dirty feeders spread disease to birds. Once a week., wash your feeder with soapy water,rinse and soak in a dilute solution of bleach(1 part bleach to 32 parts water).Always use fresh, high quality seed.If the seed gets wet from winter rains,replace it with dry seed immediately before it gets moldy. Black-tailed deer(Odocoileus hemivnus columbianus). Deer eat a variety of plants and seem particularly attracted to many of the trees,bushes and perennials commonly used in our yards.While eight to ten foot high fencing is the only sure method of preventing deer from eating your plants,an alternative is to erect screens or other barriers around individual plants to protect them. Your local nursery can help you find plants less likely to be grazed by deer. Striped skunks(Mephitis mephitis). The common skunk is another creature of the night that, like the raccoon,eats a wide variety of foods. A skunk typically won't use its most famous feature,its odor,unless provoked. Keeping garbage and pet food inaccessible is especially important,as well as screening vents and crawl spaces. As with raccoons, skunks digging in your lawn may indicate a serious grub infestation that should be addressed as described above. If you or your pet is sprayed by a skunk, mix together: I qt. hydrogen peroxide 1/4 cup baking soda I tsp dish detergent Apply immediately,keeping it out of the animal's eyes,nose and mouth. Leave for several minutes and rinse with water. This amount is enough for a small dog. Double it for medium sized dogs and triple for large dogs.Also,there are excellent commercial products available at pet stores. Opossums(Didelphis marsupialis). The opossum is the only marsupial native to North America. It is active at night, and is known to "play dead" when startled or confronted. It generally is not aggressive or destructive,but may try to bluff its attacker by hissing, salivating and opening its mouth wide to show its 50 teeth. Opossums will be less likely to linger if garbage cans are well sealed and pet food is not left out. Coyotes(Canis latrans).Coyotes are found throughout California in a variety of habitats, including urban areas. They resemble a small German shepherd dog with the exception of the long snout and bushy,black-tipped tail.Feeding coyotes, whether deliberately or not,puts you, your pets and your neighbors at risk. Feed pets indoors or promptly remove outdoor dishes when your pet is finished. Store kibbled pet food in trash cans with tight lids that prevent spilling if the can is tipped over.Clear brush and dense weeds from around your home to make the area less attractive to rodents(a favored prey item for coyotes). Never leave small children unattended in areas known to be frequented by coyotes.Protect your pets by keeping small animals indoors. Coyotes may seek cats in residential areas. Bring dogs indoors at night and never allow them to run loose. Snakes. The Bay Area is home to many different species of snakes, including the gopher snake,kingsnake and rattlesnake. The only venomous snake in the Bay Area is the Northern Pacific rattlesnake. Gopher snakes are more common than rattlesnakes in the Bay Area, and are often mistaken for rattlesnakes.A gopher snake has a pointed tail; a rattlesnake will have rattles on its tail, or if it is young it may have a rounded tail,but will never have a pointed tail. Snakes are beneficial because they eat many animals we consider to be pests, like mice and rats.Clearing or thinning dense brush and weeds from around your house will make it less attractive to rodents(a favored prey for snakes). .Keeping Pets Safe Keeping cats 'indoors will help keep cats safe from disease,coyotes and other predators.Free-roaming cats and small dogs can become part of the food chain, with consequences for both pets and wildlife.(Indoor cats live an average of five years longer than free-roaming cats!)Dogs should be kept in fenced yards,on leash,or under direct control to minimize these consequences. Keep vaccinations for dogs and cats current to minimize the risk of disease transmission between domestic and wild animals, and people. Rabies is present throughout Contra Costa and Alameda counties. Your veterinarian can give you more information about keeping pets and wildlife apart. And,Finally... We hope that this guide shows that living with wildlife isn't much of a burden. Most of what works to keep wildlife populations healthy is common sense.Please help! Keep creeks clean! If you are aware of pollutants such as oil,pesticides,pool water,yard clippings or other man-made 2 REVISED Brochure Language (January 21, 2004) pollutants entering local creeps,inform your public works department, the Contra Costa County Clean Water Program, or the Office of Emergency Services(1-800-NODUMPING). * Save water!Reducing residential and business water use relieves the intense pressure on our water resources posed by our growing population. For example,use native plants that don't require heavy watering, and use a broom instead of the hose when sweeping around your home or work. • Visit local parks and creeks! There is probably high quality wildlife habitat not far from your home.Getting to know the region's animals is a pleasure and shows the value of our efforts to conserve and restore wildlife. The following organizations have information you can get by contacting these groups on-line or by phone or mail. For more information about local For help with mosquito,tick, To pick up stray, dead, wildlife, including care of sick and yellow jacket,or skunk control or injured animals in, injured animals, in Contra Costa County, in Contra Costa County, Lindsay Wildlife Museum Mosquito&Vector Control Contra Costa Animal Services 1931 First Avenue 155 Mason Circle 4849 Imhoff Dr. Walnut Creek,CA 94597 Concord,CA 94520-1277 Martinez, CA.94553 (925)935-1978 (925) 685-9301 Central CCC(925)646-2995 www.wildlife-museum.org www.ccmvcd.dst.ca.us West CCC (510) 374-3966 For more information on pest in Alameda County, in Alameda County, identification and control or exclusion methods, Alameda Vector District Alameda Animal Services (510) 567-6800 (510) 667-7763 Contra Costa County Dept.of Agriculture (925)646-5250 in Alameda County, Alameda County Dept. of Agriculture (510)670-5232 This guide was developed and funded by the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee and the Alameda County Fish and Wildlife Committee 3