Tuesday, April 05 2011
Williams Leads Legislators to Protect Black Bears Featured
SACRAMENTO — Nearly 20 state legislators have joined Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) in opposing a proposal before the California Fish and Game Commission to increase the annual quota of black bears allowed to be killed annually by nearly 20 percent.
Yesterday the legislators sent their letter to the Commission condemning the proposed increase to bear hunting.
“These new regulations are in no way justified or fiscally prudent” Williams said. “This annual cycle of unjustified expansions will chew up constituent and Department staff time.”
For the past three years expansion proposals have been shelved after vigorous opposition.
In February, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) unveiled a proposal that would raise the annual quota of black bears to be harvested from 1,700 to 2,000 bears. The majority of those bears killed are through the use of hound hunting, which involves using packs of dogs to chase bears to exhaustion so they can be shot when they are helpless of escape. The dogs’ collars are fitted with transmitters so that the hunter does not have to actively pursue the prey during the chase. California is among 17 states that allow hound hunting of the 30 states that allow bear hunting.
Joining Assemblyman Williams in a letter to the Commission rejecting the increase are Assembly Members Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), Jim Jim Jim Beall, Jr. (D-San Jose), Marty Block (D-San Diego), Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley), Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), Isadore Hall (D-Los Angeles), Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge), Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana), Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward), Mariko Yamada (D-Davis) and Senators Ron Calderon (D-Montebello), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), Ted Lieu (D-Long Beach), Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and Fran Pavley (D-Santa Monica).
The commission is expected to discuss this issue at its regular scheduled meeting Thursday, April 7.
Website for Assemblymember Das Williams: http://assembly.ca.gov/Williams
Contact: James Joyce III 805.483.9808
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