Coyote breeding season can endanger pets

Diane Sieker Staff Writer

The wily and intelligent coyote is perpetually on the hunt, and pet owners should be aware that increased interaction with coyotes may occur in the coming weeks. While coyote predation is part of living in the country, sometimes attacks on pets and livestock can escalate, especially during the wild canines’ breeding season.

Coyotes pair up and mate December through February. During this time, coyotes may go after smaller dogs that they perceive as potential competitors or possibly as threats to their own offspring. Additionally, increased activity and the need to feed puppies also results in heightened hunting activity and the targeting of pets and livestock as easy prey. Coyotes can and do live in any habitat, including suburbs and cities. These predators are very common in the local mountain communities. The howling and yipping of these wild canines can be heard most evenings. The sound signals coyotes on the hunt, coordinating the killing of prey. Coyotes typically feed on rabbits, rodents, birds and reptiles, as well as carrion and road kill. They will hunt larger prey such as deer, focusing on sick, young, weak or wounded animals.

Poultry, lambs, goats, piglets, cats and dogs can be included on the menu as well. Livestock guardian dogs can protect the farms from these fierce hunters, but owners should be aware that their dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations for diseases, as coyotes carry illnesses that can easily be transmitted to working dogs or family pets and people.

“Coyotes carry rabies,” Jill Holt, a longtime dog expert and trainer, said. “Lately they’re getting very bold and aggressive. Make sure your animals are vaccinated and report any interaction with coyotes to Riverside County Animal Services. If there is any chance that your dogs may come into contact with coyotes, please, please, make sure their distemper, rabies and other vaccinations are

SHEEP from page D-1 and weeds in the Hill St. and Mitchell Road neighborhood. Saturday afternoon found the gentle group of animals inside the library parking lot gates, causing quite a stir.

“It’s sheepish that even sheep can find the library,” Library Associate Chantel Yarrow quipped.

There were concerns that the wooly visitors might get trapped inside the facility when the gates were closed and locked later that afternoon. But the sheep eventually found their way out of the fenced parking lot and off to greener pastures.

“The groundskeepers are working overtime,” Anza resident Vince Belleville said.

The Anza Valley Community Library continues to provide books, services and inspiration to the mountain communities. The facility is a joint-use public library, located inside Hamilton High School, but a completely separate entity. It is part of the Riverside County Library System.

Don’t have a library card? Go to www.rivlib. net to sign up online for free.

For more information, please call the library at 951-763-4216 or visit them at www.facebook. com/AnzaLibrary.

Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com up-to-date. Coyotes carry many diseases.”

Besides rabies, coyotes can also carry canine distemper, toxoplasmosis, Lyme disease, mange, canine hepatitis and leptospirosis, as well as parasites such as mites, ticks, fleas, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and flukes.

Discourage coyotes from hunting around your home by following these suggestions:

Never feed coyotes; even throwing a dead chicken over the fence will attract them to your property. Pick up and securely dispose of garbage. Canine-proof containers are advised.

Keep pets inside your home or barn at night and do not leave pet food and water outside to attract the famously opportunistic hunters.

Deploy net-wire or electric fencing to keep coyotes away from vulnerable livestock such as lambs and birds. These hunters can rip through chain link fences and climb six-foot high fences with ease. Protect farm animals in coyote proof pens or shelters at night when coyotes are most likely to be on the hunt. Remove rabbit and rodent habitat that provides homes to the natural prey of coyotes, such as wood or brush piles.

When hiking or walking, keep dogs on short non-retractable leashes and don’t venture near the edge of brushy areas. Coyotes can lay in wait to snatch a dog.

Coyotes are most active at dawn and dusk. If someone sees a coyote out in the wild, they can make themselves appear larger by waving or yelling. Typically, the coyote will run away. If it doesn’t move away, it may be near its den. If that’s the case, it is advised to keep facing the animal and gradually back away.

Coyotes will face any odds to protect their young and mates. During this sensitive time, take all precautions to protect your furry and feathered friends from coyote predation or attack.

Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com

Caltrans work progressing on startup of safety barriers on State Route 79 in San Jacinto

Motorists on State Route 79, at the beginning of Lamb Canyon leading into Banning from San Jacinto, will find Caltrans crews placing k-rails to safely begin their work constructing a median concrete barrier and rumble strips. Weather permitting.

Their work will take place Monday through Friday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m during the nighttime hours when there is usually less traffic. As it begins, all work will take place in the median behind the k-rails. Crews will perform trench paving operations that will include sawcutting, breaking existing asphalt, and excavating for the installation of a new drainage pipe. CHP will be on site to assist with traffic safety. As a result, there will be occasional intermittent lane closures during the evenings for construction staging purposes.

HEMET Crosstown Electrical and Data Inc. of Irwindale and contracted by Caltrans will soon begin work on a $1.3 million safety project on Florida Ave. in the City of Hemet.

The project will modify and upgrade a traffic signal, reconstruct and upgrade sidewalks, curb ramps and driveways to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards at the intersection of Latham and Florida avenues.

Crews will be working at the intersection with hours of operation Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with intermittent lane closures in each direction taking place daily and possibly changing weekly. There will be no full closures.The project is expected to be completed this spring.

BANNING

Caltrans is working on a $2 million project to rehabilitate existing planting, landscaping, upgrade of irrigation facilities to current water efficient technology and provide erosion control on Interstate 10 at 8th St. in the City of Banning.

The crews continue working on landscaping and irrigation facilities in and near the I-10 from .25 miles west of 8th St. to S. San Gorgonio Ave. Rain may affect work schedules from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Ramps and shoulders may be intermittently closed to ensure the safety of the crew. There also will be occasional intermittent lane closures during evenings for construction staging purposes.

Although most of the work on Route 60 truck lanes going west from Banning through the Badlands to Moreno Valley has been completed by Riverside County Transportation Commission and Caltrans, some night time closures may still take place on the eastbound truck lane and middle lane until Feb. 9 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. It runs from Gilman Springs Road to Jack Rabbit Trail in the Badlands. The closure will allow crews to safely make concrete repairs. Allow extra travel time through this area and possibly in the coming days.

LAKE ELSINORE

Caltrans contractors are still working on State Route 74 that begins in eastern Lake Elsinore from Monte Vista Street at the Riverside County border to the Orange County border. Crews are forming rebar, pouring, excavation and barrier work in various locations throughout the project zone. Weather permitting.

During daytime hours, contractors may be working from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and may require one-way lane closures. The closures will run approximately from The Candy Store on the upper highway to the Orange County line. Signage indicating closure zones will be placed ahead of the work area. A flagging operation will assist in traffic control.

Caltrans advises drivers using the highway to plan their route carefully because there could be long waits and delays due to construction operations. Please wait for the designated flagging operation to guide you through the closure zone. Please obey all posted signs and traffic instructions, including the flagging operations, as CHP will be on location and citing any offenders.

DESERT AREA

Coffman Specialties Inc., in partnership with Caltrans, begins the I-10 Desert Rehab Project. The project includes approximately 13 miles of pavement rehabilitation, the addition of an eastbound truck climbing lane and safety improvements on the highly traveled Interstate 10.

The project parameters are approximately 1.8 miles east of the Dillon Road interchange to two miles east of the Cactus City Rest area.

Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com

Emergency Management Department earns EMAP accreditation, only second in state

RIVERSIDE – Riverside

County’s Emergency Management

Department became the second county emergency management program in the state to earn the highest level of accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. The accreditation from EMAP recognizes the ability of emergency management programs to bring together personnel, resources and communications across disciplines to prepare for and respond to emergencies. The accreditation also evaluates programs’ ability to evaluate and measure their capabilities.

In the EMAP accreditation letter, Chair Angee Morgan said, “We applaud the county of Riverside’s leadership and congratulate you on your commitment to achieve accreditation. More importantly, we recognize the dedication to the safety and security of the residents that it represents.”

The emergency management program uses the accreditation to prove the capabilities of their disaster preparedness and response systems. Accreditation is valid for five years and the program must maintain compliance with EMAP’s standards and is reassessed to maintain accredited status.

“To be one of two local government programs in the state, and one of 43 in the country to achieve EMAP accreditation is a serious accomplishment,” county Board of Supervisors Chair Kevin

Riverside County updates road standards

Joe Naiman

Special to the Valley News

Riverside County road standards had not been updated since November 2007. Two January 2023 Riverside County Board of Supervisors votes updated several sections in the county ordinance relating to county road standards. The introduction and first reading of the ordinance was approved on a 5-0 vote Tuesday, Jan. 24. A 5-0 vote Tuesday, Jan. 31, approved the second reading and adoption of the revised ordinance. The Jan. 24 action also found the changes categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

Riverside County Ordinance

No. 461 establishes county road standards and county standard specifications used for the design, construction and inspection of public roadways in the county’s unincorporated areas. The county’s Transportation Department updated the standards for board consideration. The updates reflect

DOGS from page D-1 guardian dog or LGD for short.

With their ancient protective instincts, these dogs can successfully reduce predation on livestock. Though common elsewhere for centuries, LGDs have only been used consistently in the US since the late 1970s. However, their popularity continues to grow.

The most common LGD breeds are Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd, Komandor, Maremma, Karakachan, Ovtcharka, Karst, Tatra, Kuvasz and Akbash. These dogs have been bred for thousands of years to protect the farmers’ or shepherds’ animals.

Whether against coyotes or packs of marauding dogs, LGDs are the best predator protection available. Guardian dogs reduce advances in technology, implement public safety improvements, ensure compliance with current state and federal regulations and clarify local requirements for the county road system. The updates include improved access for persons with disabilities, improved water quality, reduced energy consumption, reduced road maintenance costs and prolonged service life of the county road system.

The updates change the type of street lights from high-pressure sodium vapor to light-emitting diode to utilize the most recent technologies for the reduction of energy consumption costs. A standard for solar-powered flashing beacons and radar feedback signs was added to take advantage of advances in solar power technology to reduce the costs of installation, maintenance and energy consumption associated with wired equipment. Vehicle detection methods which used vehicle detection loops cut into the pavement have been predation in three main ways: territorial exclusion, disruption and confrontation.

Territorial exclusion is particularly important for protection against other canid predators. Canines, whether wild or domestic, use scent from scent glands, urine and feces, to mark the boundaries of their territory. Other canids, even of different species, recognize these boundaries and tend to seek unoccupied areas rather than risk invading another’s territory. The very presence of LGDs accomplishes this goal, as they mark the ranch or home as theirs.

Disruption is aggressive behavior such as barking and posturing that falls short of direct physical confrontation. LGDs are famous for their deep, menacing replaced with video radar vehicle detection cameras to utilize the latest technologies and to reduce maintenance costs associated with the re-installation of loops after the repair or maintenance of the road pavement. Battery backup to traffic signals was added to improve traffic safety in the event of a power outage.

A series of standard drawings for full trash capture devices designed to remove trash at stormwater catch basins has been added to improve the quality of water which reaches downstream water bodies. Standards for riprap around stormwater facilities were added to reduce soil erosion from impacting downstream water quality and to reduce maintenance costs associated with repairing dirt slopes and cleaning deposited soils from downstream facilities.

Additional information ensures that the county’s pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks and pedestrian signals will meet or exceed the accessibility standards barking. They are warning the neighborhood that they are on patrol and to stay away. Confrontation comes into play when predators are not dissuaded by exclusion or disruption. These dogs are not afraid to engage physically when needed. Properly reared guardian dogs are exposed to livestock from birth. They do not regard livestock animals as competition for territory but rather an extension of their pack. LGDs work best in pairs. A neutered/spayed male-female team works well together. An older dog works well with a younger, less-experienced animal, teaching the pup how to refine its instincts and control the playful behavior that can result in injured or dead livestock.

Jeffries for the First District said.

“Riverside County residents can take comfort in knowing that our emergency management program is among the best in the nation.”

“This was a comprehensive process that the team worked on extensively, all while managing a significant actual disasters, including a pandemic, fires and floods,” Bruce Barton, director of the Emergency Management Department, said. “I’m incredibly proud of our EMD team.” established by the American with Disabilities Act and the California Building Code. The updates also reduced the maximum design slopes of accessible pedestrian routes, including sidewalks and curb ramps, to accommodate construction tolerance; the slope of a curb ramp has been reduced from the state and federal maximum of 8.33% to 7.5% and the cross slope of an accessible pedestrian route has been reduced from the state and federal maximum of 2% to 1.5%. The Case A curb ramp geometry was modified to provide more room for pedestrian access around traffic signal equipment, and other standards were added for curb ramp configurations. The requirement for grooves around the perimeter of a curb ramp was removed to be consistent with updated California Building Code standards which took effect in 2015. A bicycle-safe drainage grate detail was added to improve safety for bicyclists.

A new standard for the safety edge treatment of the outer edge

It is not advised to run two intact females or two intact males together, as there can be breeding and dominance issues.

Denise Squires raises goats, sheep and poultry. Her ranch is a smorgasbord for local predators.

“We have two Great Pyrenees half siblings, a male and a female,” she said. “We had an Anatolian shepherd, she passed away at age 15 a couple of years ago. The Pyrs are about nine months old. They have been reared outside and have never been inside. They have plenty of places out of the weather but prefer to spend their nights patrolling for predators and their days sleeping. While they are friendly and socialized, they are very protective and guard the perimeter fence lines all night. One thing you need to get used to of roadways was added to improve vehicle recovery and traffic safety. The gutter depression of curbopening catch basins was changed from 3 inches to 4 inches to decrease the dip at the outer edge of the roadway to increase road safety. The standard cross gutter width was increased from 10 feet to 12 feet to protect the adjacent asphalt pavement surface from water damage and to reduce maintenance costs.

The accreditation process evaluates compliance in 66 critical areas, including planning, resource management, training, corrective actions, communications and administration. EMAP is the only accreditation process for emergency management programs. For more information on EMAP accreditation, visit https://EMAP. org Submitted by Riverside County.

The intersection geometry for urban, arterial, major and secondary highways was revised by replacing curved transitions with straight transitions on the outer curb alignment, which will provide a wider pavement width for motorists and simplify construction. The changes also updated, clarified and added design requirements for corner sight distance design requirements, street name sign placement and traffic signal equipment.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at jnaiman@reedermedia. com is the barking. In time you learn to tune in to barking that really needs your attention, like when coyotes are slinking around.”

Livestock guardian dogs stay outside with the stock, living, eating and interacting with the herds. They take their jobs very seriously. Recently, these dogs have been in the public eye, found still protecting their wandering flocks after devastating wildfires.

Famous for their loyalty and willingness to take care of the vulnerable animals on the ranch, these dogs are the heroes of the valley, barking their defiance nightly to the hunters slinking about in the dark.

Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com