The Spanish Fort City Council voted on Monday to approve a contract with federal authorities to remove wildlife such as coyotes, beavers, muskrats and nutria in the area.

The resolution, which was introduced last month, is an estimated $4,000 agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), that will be contracted to capture and euthanize those species. Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan said residents have complained about beaver dams and there have been reports of coyotes killing pets in the area.

The contract is similar to an agreement between APHIS and Dauphin Island, which calls for the removal of red foxes from the island’s West End Nature Preserve among other species. The agreement has created controversy among Dauphin Island locals and is currently being legally challenged in Mobile County Circuit Court, where a judge recently issued a temporary restraining order halting any removal or disturbance of the foxes until the matter can be heard in court.

Similar concerns were brought up in Spanish Fort over certain species that could be affected, including concerns from the local advocacy group ARC, short for Awakening Respect and Compassion for All Sentient Beings. The group has previously written to the mayor and city council urging them to reconsider voting on the resolution.

“It’s our understanding that the city is primarily experiencing conflicts with coyotes, so a mandate to contract with the federal government to kill multiple species who aren’t causing issues is overly broad and will result in the senseless killing of beneficial wildlife,” Tracey Winter Glover, executive director of ARC, said during Monday’s meeting.

Even some of Spanish Fort’s own city leaders weren’t completely on board with the resolution. Council member Mary Brabner changed her mind on the proposal when she was informed that it was illegal in the state of Alabama to relocate live animals, even if done by a federal agency. She thought the resolution simply relocated the animals.

When asked if the city has explored any other options, Mayor McMillan said they spoke with people who have done programs in other cities and said they have done the same program with the USDA. He said the coyotes are “not scared of humans anymore” and action needs to be taken eventually.

“We know we have a problem,” McMillan said. “We’ve seen cats and dogs that’ve been mutilated and chickens I’m sure. There’s a problem. [...] It’s not everywhere but it is certainly spreading.”

After the discussion, city leaders voted to adopt the resolution by a vote of 4-2, with council members Shane Perry and Mary Brabner being the two dissenting votes.

City officials clarified that they do not intend to cover the entirety of Spanish Fort, and they will only target specific areas where these species have raised the most concerns, such as residential neighborhoods like Spanish Fort Estates.