The California Wildlife Coexistence Act, a bill promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife in California, was approved by the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee last Tuesday.
The bill, originally proposed by California state Senator Catherine S. Blakespear in February, aims to reduce human-wildlife conflicts through public education, nonlethal deterrents and a wolf-livestock compensation fund for ranchers.
The bill comes after Blondie, a mother black bear of two cubs in Monrovia, was euthanized in March after swiping a woman’s leg, sparking public opposition in Southern California. Over 3,700 Monrovia residents petitioned against Blondie’s euthanasia and marched two miles in honor of her cubs.
Blakespear said she wrote the bill in direct response to a public need to manage and reduce these incidents.
“The idea behind this coexistence program is that people can manage their relationship with wildlife so that the wild stays wild, and people can go about their lives safely,” said Blakespear.
The Wildlife Coexistence Program would focus on limiting human-wildlife conflicts through deterrents such as barriers and noise machines, and start education efforts to inform the public on how to safely interact with bears through strategies such as bear-resistant trash storage, electric fencing and carcass management.
As stated in the bill, the program would also have a statewide hotline dedicated to “managing, tracking and responding to wildlife conflict calls, reports and incident responses.”
Even with support from over 30 organizations, the bill still faces challenges from agriculture groups, including the California Cattlemen’s Association. The group has questioned whether nonlethal strategies are a viable alternative in rural areas, where livestock deaths are serious losses.
Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur said the association is not in direct opposition to the bill, but wants it to reflect the needs of the ranching community.
Wilbur emphasized that those involved in agriculture are equally involved in environmental conservation efforts.
“I’m something of a city boy myself,” he said, referencing that he’s had to learn the rancher’s nuanced perspective in his seven years in this position.
The compensation fund was one of Wilbur’s primary concerns. If everyone in the state were required to include non-lethal deterrence, Wilbur argued, ranchers would face high costs.
The current proposed budget is $48 million, according to Blakespear. She said that $25 million would go to a compensation fund for cattlemen who suffer economic losses due to wolf attacks on cattle.
The century’s first wild wolf sighting in California was reported in 2011, and a pack was sighted in 2015. Before those, no wild wolf sightings were reported for nearly 100 years. The wolf population has steadily increased since then, and with it, the conflict faced by ranchers and their livestock.
Last year, California euthanized four gray wolves after their pack was responsible for 70 total livestock kills. According to the International Wolf Center, any wolf that enters California is protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Blakespear focused on the bill’s clarity.
“I don’t think this is a bill that would really have a risk of becoming just performative because these are very specific things that would be funded,” she said, pointing to the bill’s stated initiative to the Department of Fish and Wildlife to collar wolves for tracking.
Blakespear recognized that Blondie’s euthanasia evoked public concern and demand for increased legislative measures.
“Those cubs should be raised by their mom. Their mom was just trying to protect her babies,” said Blakespear. “But she had become more habituated to being in a human space, and that’s why those types of things happen.”
The bill has been passed on to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.