City of Spanish Fort has approved a new year-long contract extension with federal authorities to trap and remove animals such as coyotes from populated areas.

The extension was approved during a city council meeting Monday, June 15. The contract, which dates back to October 2025, is an agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that will be contracted to capture and euthanize those species.

The new contract will cost the city $16,000 and will last through June 2027.

Spanish Fort Mayor Brad Bass told GCM the city has had issues with coyotes in certain areas such as the Spanish Fort Estates neighborhood, with families having previously spoken to city council about losing pets.

During the city council meeting, only one person spoke about the issue during public comment. The man said he lives in the Spanish Fort Estates area and supported the measure in controlling the coyote issues.

In addition to coyote removal, the contract also covers other nuisance species in the event they become an issue, including beavers, nutria, muskrats and raccoons. Bass said that while they have not had any problems with beavers, the contract does grant the ability to trap and remove them if issues arise such as beaver dams being found on private property.