A proposal that could have opened the door to the eventual return of grizzly bears in California has been shelved by state lawmakers. The Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday declined to advance Senate Bill 1305, legislation from state Sen. Laura Richardson, D-Inglewood. The bill would have directed the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to examine whether grizzly bears could realistically be reintroduced to the state and what conditions would be necessary. The committee did not debate the proposal or hear public testimony before announcing that it would not move forward.
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, who chairs the committee, later said California still has work to do in managing conflicts between people, livestock and large predators. She cited the return of gray wolves and ongoing concerns among ranchers about livestock losses. Grizzly bears were once widespread throughout California, with estimates suggesting thousands lived in the state before the Gold Rush. The animals were eventually hunted and eliminated from California, with the last known wild grizzlies disappearing about a century ago. Despite their extinction in the state, the grizzly remains one of California’s most recognizable symbols and is prominently featured on the state flag.
SB 1305 was backed by two Native American tribes along with environmental and animal welfare organizations. Supporters argued that studying a possible return of the species could help restore ecosystems and address the historical eradication of grizzlies from California. The proposal faced strong opposition from ranchers, hunting organizations and some rural communities. Critics argued that California’s population and development make grizzly reintroduction impractical and could create additional conflicts in areas already dealing with wolves, mountain lions and black bears. The bill would not have authorized the release of grizzly bears. Instead, it called for a study examining whether reintroduction should be considered. No state funding was specifically included to conduct the study. With the committee’s decision, the proposal will not advance further this legislative session.
Why would you bring something back when the population cannot deal with it? I am glad good sense prevailed here. The population is expanding “as we are constantly reminded of the housing crises”, although I have a different opinion on it that is not important here. It”s like bringing wolves back to ranching country…. what a stupid idea. That only has led to dead wolves at the end of a barrel. Like it or not the invasive species wins…..”yeah, that’s humans”.
Well…. that’s really too bad…. Grizzly Bears were the answer.
Black Bears are just way too timid to be of any help controlling the overpopulation of Hippy hikers running loose in our National Forests.
Too bad.
They would have been a wonderful addition to Oakland and Vallejo.
California needs more wildlife and many fewer people(including worthless politicians).
What it really would have done is establish an extra body of government devoted to protecting and monitoring the bears. It would have been a great excuse to close forest areas and add more surveillance.