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| THE COLONY NEWS | JANUARY 2024 | 3 From the Desk of Pat Kight, Director Happy New Year! As I write this article, it's actually anksgiving weekend and Christmas is just weeks away. is time of year, especially, reminds me of just how much I have to be grateful for. An amazing wife, great kids, grandchildren (and a very cool great grandson) and all healthy and happy. I'm also grateful for our ability to travel the world. I have been so blessed to have visited more than 50 countries on six continents and 49 of the 50 states so far. is year alone we have been to Laos, Cambodia, ailand, Viet Nam, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Portugal and Columbia. I'm in awe when I see the incredible beauty that God has created, but even more so of the people we have met all along the way. It seems no matter where we are, folks are just the same. Friendly, inquisitive, fun loving and always willing to lend a helping hand and point me in the right direction. But as exciting as it is to travel, it's always so nice to return to this wonderful community in which we live. Again, I feel so blessed to be living amongst you all, enjoying the wonderful lifestyle e Colony offers us. So, as we embark on a new year, let's give thanks that we live in this amazing place we call home, where friends helping friends and neighbors helping neighbors is not just a cliché, but a way of life. Let's make 2024 the best year yet! Now, go out and do a random act of kindness. You will have a better day as a result. e Board understands that some of the community may be concerned about the decision to mitigate the rabbit population in e Colony. While this was not an easy decision for the Board, it was determined through research, extensive evaluation and advice from experts that the most effective means of protecting the landscaping in the community is to reduce the rabbit population. e natural predators in the area are not able to control the overpopulation of rabbits, and the landscaping reseeding effort has been significantly impacted. is issue has been discussed, researched, and evaluated by the landscaping advisory committee (LAC) for many years. Over the past year, information has been presented at the Open General Session Board meetings (August and October) and in the Colony News Magazine (December edition). e decision to mitigate the rabbit population was approved by the Board in open session at the Oct. 19 meeting. Aer much discussion, the LAC presented the following multiple options to the Board: Given the cost and effectiveness ($8,600 per year vs. $200,000+ per year), the Board selected a pest control management company to reduce the rabbit population in e Colony. e Board also believes that rabbit mitigation using air rifles is the most humane and environmentally sound option. is option is only intended to cull (e.g., reduce) the number of rabbits. It will not eliminate ALL rabbits in e Colony. Rabbits are nocturnal mammals – active from dusk to dawn. A single female rabbit can have 24 to 36 young in a year. e California Department of Fish & Wildlife defines rabbits as pests and administers a Rabbit Integrated Pest Management Program throughout the state. Further, in accordance with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Attorney General has stated that it is lawful to kill rabbits that are harming landscaping, and that the method can be performed using air powered pellet projectiles (air rifles), as air rifles are not considered firearms. e Murrieta Police Department has approved both the contractor and the method of mitigation approved by the Board. e Colony Rabbit Mitigation Official Communication from e Colony Board of Directors