Bill of the Week: Senate Bill 252 (Wiener) – Bears: Take Prohibition

RCRC has officially opposed Senate Bill 252 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).  SB 252 would ban the hunting of black bears for sport in California.  

RCRC believes there is no scientific basis or practical necessity for SB 252, particularly since black bear hunting is already regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).  In fact, CDFW data demonstrates that the black bear in California is flourishing, while rural communities struggle to control black bear populations to ensure the safety of their residents.  

If SB 252 were to become law, RCRC member counties would be deprived of their only recourse for continual public safety through seasonal population control.  In addition, RCRC member counties would have to navigate an often inefficient bureaucracy for obtaining depredation permits, and relying on insufficient actions by state and federal agencies to do the work that hunters have done capably in rural areas for centuries.   

RCRC’s opposition letter can be accessed here.  For more information, contact Sidd Nag, RCRC Legislative Advocate, at (916) 447-4806 or snag@rcrcnet.org.