June 24, 2026 – As Laguna Woods and other communities across California continue to experience increased aggressive and overly habituated coyote behavior resulting in the loss of pets and human injury, it is critically important to draw upon best practices for wildlife management. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has deep technical expertise regarding effective and ecologically appropriate wildlife interventions, but insufficient resources to respond to what has become a statewide public safety issue.
Senator Catherine Blakespear has introduced California Senate Bill 1135 (“SB 1135”) to reduce, minimize, and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. SB 1135 would support several efforts, including the establishment of a Wildlife Coexistence Program to allow the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with cities and other entities to respond to human-wildlife conflicts and proactively prevent their occurrence. A Wildlife Coexistence Technical Advisory Committee would also be established to provide technical guidance, public input, and programmatic recommendations related to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wildlife coexistence efforts.
SB 1135 passed the California State Senate with bipartisan support and is now awaiting a hearing by the California State Assembly’s Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife.
The Laguna Woods City Council supports SB 1135.
Individuals who would like to learn more about SB 1135 are encouraged to visit Senator Blakespear’s website at https://sd38.senate.ca.gov/Legislation.
Letters of support or opposition to SB 1135 can be submitted using the California State Legislature’s Position Letter Portal at https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates. Individuals who need assistance using the Position Letter Portal may contact Laguna Woods City Hall at (949) 639-0500 or cityhall@lagunawoods.gov.
