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Our Charter

Coyote Coexistence Council Charter

A facilitated forum for developing community coexistence strategies with coyotes — and a public commitment to how we work and what we stand for.

Mission

In Orange County, California, the Coyote Coexistence Council brings residents, city officials, and wildlife experts to one table. Together we build evidence-based safety plans that keep neighborhoods safe and coyotes wild — and we hold ourselves accountable to the results.

Objective

Produce and implement an action plan that meets agreed-upon safety standards while minimizing disruption to ecological balance.

Participants — four tiers

Residents

Citizens grouped by their city of residence, sharing on-the-ground experience and local concerns.

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Residents join grouped by the city they live in. They bring on-the-ground experience and local concerns, take part in the Council's deliberations, and vote on the plans that shape their own neighborhoods — no expertise required; local knowledge is the qualification.

Municipalities

Cities and their officials, who set policy and carry approved plans into practice.

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City staff and officials translate the Council's plans into policy and practice — bringing approved plans to their cities, shaping what's actually workable, and carrying implementation and enforcement on the ground. Voting members of the Council.

Experts & professionals

Subject-matter authorities — wildlife biologists, vets, animal-control, and shelter staff — grounding decisions in evidence and frontline data.

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Wildlife biologists, veterinarians, animal-control, and shelter professionals ground the Council's decisions in evidence and frontline data. They add expertise, challenge assumptions, update their own positions as the data comes in, and vote alongside the other tiers.

Stewards

Admins who keep the dialogue open, respectful, and moving toward action.

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Stewards (admins) keep the conversation open, respectful, and moving toward action — facilitating deliberation, safeguarding the operating principles, and making sure every voice is heard without putting a thumb on the scale.

Advisors. Beyond the voting tiers, the Council draws on an Advisory Board of expertise seats that provides guidance.

Operating principles

  • Keep discussion open and language respectful.
  • Solicit an exhaustive range of perspectives.
  • Build toward a concrete action plan.
  • Implement the plan and monitor its results.
  • Adjust and re-implement based on what the data shows.
  • Repeat until our safety and stewardship goals are met.

How we work

The cycle every Council effort follows, from first concern to handoff. The framework and standards are shared across every city; the plan it produces is each community's own.

  1. 1Members share their experiences, observations, and concerns.
  2. 2Professionals add expertise and evidence.
  3. 3Everyone weighs it together and updates their positions — experts included.
  4. 4The Council shapes an action plan and works toward agreement, with a fair way to settle a deadlock.
  5. 5Municipal representatives bring the plan to their cities for approval.
  6. 6Implementation begins, closely monitored by the Council.
  7. 7Results are evaluated and the plan is adjusted.
  8. 8When the goals are met, the active phase ends and ongoing maintenance passes to the municipalities.

Founding Council

Charter Signatories

The people and cities who put their names to this Charter. We're a new Council — these seats are filling now, and there is room at the table for your city.

Tobin Wazzan

Founder & Steward

Tobin Wazzan

Convener, Coyote Coexistence Council

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As Founder and Convener, Tobin Wazzan started the Council and stewards its process — bringing the tiers (residents, municipalities, and experts & professionals) to one table, keeping the dialogue open and respectful, and drawing out the full range of perspectives. The Convener doesn't override the Council; the role is to keep the work moving, fair, and accountable to results — guiding it from first concern toward a concrete, evidence-based plan, ensuring a fair way to settle a deadlock, and handing ongoing maintenance to the municipalities once the goals are met.

Municipal Representatives

Cities that have committed to bringing Council plans to their communities.

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A Municipal Representative commits their city to the Council's table — bringing Council plans to their city for consideration and approval, sharing local data and constraints, and helping carry approved plans into implementation. Signing the Charter signals a city's intent to participate, not a binding obligation to adopt any particular plan.

Your city here

Be a founding signatory

Your city here

Be a founding signatory

Your city here

Be a founding signatory

Council Members

Experts and community leaders seated on the Council.

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Council Members are seated experts and community leaders who deliberate on plans, weigh the evidence and the perspectives in the room, and vote. They serve voluntarily, engage honestly, update their positions as the data warrants, and uphold the Council's operating principles.

Open seat

Seated by invitation

Open seat

Seated by invitation

Open seat

Seated by invitation

Advisory Board

nine expertise seats

Each seat is modeled on the published work of leading authorities in that discipline. See About for how the advisory board works.

Urban Coyote ScienceSouthern California Field ResearchCoexistence Program DesignMunicipal ImplementationAnimal EthicsConflict Mapping & Citizen ScienceUrban Ecology & Environmental JusticeNon-Lethal Deterrence & Management RealismRisk Communication
Put your name to the Charter

Charter last updated June 21, 2026.