California Lawmakers Kill Grizzly Bear Reintroduction Bill
The proposal would have required a state roadmap on whether reintroduction is feasible and advisable, but lawmakers said it lacked funding.
- On Thursday, The Assembly Appropriations Committee spiked Senate Bill 1305, a proposal that would have required the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to evaluate reintroducing grizzly bears to the state.
- Lawmakers rejected the study despite the grizzly's historical significance as California's state symbol, which dates to the 1846 Bear Flag Republic, even though the species was eradicated by the 1920s.
- Proponents, including Native Americans, argued reintroduction would restore ecological balance; opponents such as ranchers and rural communities contended the state is too populated for an apex predator.
- Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks announced the decision without public discussion or testimony, as is typical for the committee, effectively halting the measure that lacked dedicated funding.
- Reintroducing grizzlies to 21st-century California involves massive challenges, including land use pressures and genetic connectivity needs, as the state is no longer the wilderness of the 19th century.
21 Articles
21 Articles
California Committee Kills Grizzly Bear Reintroduction Proposal
California lawmakers have rejected a proposal that would have required the state to study the possibility of reintroducing grizzly bears, effectively ending the measure for the current legislative session. The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted Thursday against Senate Bill 1305, which called for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to evaluate whether grizzlies could be returned to the state.The proposal drew support from Native A…
The Plan to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears to California Dies Quietly
There has been plenty of hype around the idea of reintroducing grizzly bears to California. There is a griz on the state’s flag, after all. But there’s not enough support to advance a proposed bill that would have been the first step toward putting grizzlies back on the landscape. Senate Bill 1305, the California Grizzly Restoration Act, died August 13 when the Assembly Appropriations Committee declined to pass it. The bill would have required t…
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