Governor signs lead ammunition ban!
By Ilana DeBare
Good news for California Condors, Golden Eagles and other raptors — Gov. Jerry Brown has signed AB 711, the Audubon-backed bill that will ban lead ammunition in hunting!
In his signing message released on Friday, Brown said:
“The risks to California’s incredibly diverse wildlife are many. We must manage our state’s wildlife for the use and enjoyment of all Californians. It is time to begin this transition and provide hunters with ammunition that will allow them to continue the conservation heritage of Califorina.”
Lead ammunition is a significant source of mortality for condors and other predators that eat carcasses or prey contaminated by fragments of lead bullets. Elevated levels of lead have also been documented in people who eat wild game.
Audubon and other conservation and health organizations made AB 711 a priority for the 2013 legislative session. But it was strongly opposed by the gun lobby. In a letter to the governor, a group of Republican legislators charged that AB 711 would “effectively destroy a vital component of rural life in California.”
AB 711 will take effect in 2019, providing plenty of time for hunters to switch to other forms of ammunition. Meanwhile, Audubon California Executive Director Bridget McCormick said that Audubon “will work closely with the State Fish and Game Commission to ensure that the new rules are implemented properly.”
Gov. Brown did not sign all of the gun-related bills that were sent to him by the Legislature this year. For instance, he vetoed a bill to classify all semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines as illegal assault weapons, as well as an effort to let Oakland draft its own, stricter gun regulations.
Why did he approve AB 711? Certainly it’s an important bill for wildlife and public health.
But the governor may also have felt the pressure of thousands of Audubon members who wrote and sent emails in support of AB 711.
Did you speak out in support of this measure? THANK YOU for helping make it a reality!
And while we’re on the topic of raptors… join us this coming Thursday October 17 for a presentation in San Francisco by Doug Bell on Golden Eagles of the East Bay.
The East Bay harbors one of the densest nesting populations of Golden Eagles in the world. Yet development is squeezing eagle habitat, and the Altamont Pass wind farms continue to kill eagles at an unsustainable rate. Our Speaker Series for October will provide an overview of the Golden Eagles nesting in the East Bay and discuss efforts to better understand this population and decrease the harm from wind energy production. Doug Bell is the wildlife program manager for the East Bay Regional Park District. His research currently focuses on the sustainability of Golden Eagles and other raptors.
Date: Thursday October 17 Time: 7 pm for refreshments, 7:30 for program Place: Unitarian Universalist Church & Center, 1187 Franklin Street (at Geary) in San Francisco Cost: Free for GGBA members, $5 for non-members