On Friday, August 30, the California Senate Appropriations Committee voted 5-2 to pass legislation that would require the use of non-lead ammunition for the taking of all wildlife, including game mammals and birds, with a firearm. If passed by the full Senate and signed by California Governor Jerry Brown, Assembly Bill 711 would effectively expand the state’s existing lead ammunition ban from solely the California condor range to the entire state.
During the Senate Appropriations hearing, the Committee adopted an amendment proposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) that will delay implementation of the lead ban until July 1, 2019. This amendment will provide the CDFW Director with the authority to postpone the ban outside the condor range for certain calibers in which non-lead alternatives are unavailable due to federal prohibitions related to armor-piercing ammunition. During Friday’s Appropriations Committee hearing, California Outdoor Sporting Caucus member Senator Ted Gaines voted against the bill along with Senator Mimi Walters.
To read more about lead ammunition bans and their impact on sportsmen and women, click here.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
