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SACRAMENTO — Ventura County Assemblyman Pedro Nava, who three years ago authored a landmark law that barred the use of lead bullets by those hunting deer in areas where condors are known to forage, introduced new legislation Wednesday that would ban the use of lead shot by those hunting pheasant, quail, doves and other birds in California wildlife areas.
Nava said his measure is modeled after the long-standing federal ban on lead shot in the hunting of ducks, geese and other waterfowl. That ban was enacted in 1991.
“It has demonstrably improved the health of waterfowl,” Nava said. “But there are 37 other species besides waterfowl that are also known to suffer from lead poisoning.”
He cited golden eagles and wild turkeys as two examples.
Nava, D-Santa Barbara, was joined at a Capitol news conference by representatives of the Audubon Society and Defenders of Wildlife.
Dan Taylor of Audubon California said the state’s 627,000 acres of designated wildlife areas constitute some of the state’s most important wildlife habitats.
“We remain very concerned that lead continues to be a threat to wildlife,” he said. “Our effort is to address an environmental poison. This is not an attack on or a threat to hunting.”
When shots are fired, the pellets that don’t hit the target fall to the ground. The lead pellets can then be ingested by birds and other wildlife.
Taylor said the wildlife areas provide some of the state’s best hunting and fishing opportunities, and protecting the wildlife in those areas will help ensure that those opportunities continue into the future.
The proposal was assailed, however, by Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, who said alternatives to lead shot are “two to three times more expensive.”
Paredes said hunters stalking pheasant and quail use different ammunition, with smaller pellets, than that used by duck hunters, who must use nonlead shot that consists of larger pellets. “Pheasants are a completely different animal,” he said.
The proposal also drew the ire of Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murietta, an avid hunter.
“The liberal majority is at it again, using their questionable science in an attempt to shut down sports hunting in California,” Hollingsworth said in a prepared statement.
Paredes called Nava’s bill “a publicity stunt for his race for attorney general. He wants the radical environmentalists to be in his camp.”
He noted that Nava, one of six Democrats seeking the nomination for attorney general, earlier this week received the endorsement of Sierra Club California.
Among the arguments against the bill that banned the use of lead ammunition by deer hunters in condor territory was that such a law would discourage hunters. That law took effect in July 2008.
Since then, Taylor said, the Department of Fish and Game has reported that compliance among deer hunters has been very high and there are preliminary indications that the level of lead poisoning detected in blood tests of California condors in Southern California has declined. He cautioned, however, that it too early to make a conclusion as to whether the ban has significantly helped to reduce the risk of lead poisoning among condors.
Nava said his measure is modeled after the long-standing federal ban on lead shot in the hunting of ducks, geese and other waterfowl. That ban was enacted in 1991.
“It has demonstrably improved the health of waterfowl,” Nava said. “But there are 37 other species besides waterfowl that are also known to suffer from lead poisoning.”
He cited golden eagles and wild turkeys as two examples.
Nava, D-Santa Barbara, was joined at a Capitol news conference by representatives of the Audubon Society and Defenders of Wildlife.
Dan Taylor of Audubon California said the state’s 627,000 acres of designated wildlife areas constitute some of the state’s most important wildlife habitats.
“We remain very concerned that lead continues to be a threat to wildlife,” he said. “Our effort is to address an environmental poison. This is not an attack on or a threat to hunting.”
When shots are fired, the pellets that don’t hit the target fall to the ground. The lead pellets can then be ingested by birds and other wildlife.
Taylor said the wildlife areas provide some of the state’s best hunting and fishing opportunities, and protecting the wildlife in those areas will help ensure that those opportunities continue into the future.
The proposal was assailed, however, by Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, who said alternatives to lead shot are “two to three times more expensive.”
Paredes said hunters stalking pheasant and quail use different ammunition, with smaller pellets, than that used by duck hunters, who must use nonlead shot that consists of larger pellets. “Pheasants are a completely different animal,” he said.
The proposal also drew the ire of Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murietta, an avid hunter.
“The liberal majority is at it again, using their questionable science in an attempt to shut down sports hunting in California,” Hollingsworth said in a prepared statement.
Paredes called Nava’s bill “a publicity stunt for his race for attorney general. He wants the radical environmentalists to be in his camp.”
He noted that Nava, one of six Democrats seeking the nomination for attorney general, earlier this week received the endorsement of Sierra Club California.
Among the arguments against the bill that banned the use of lead ammunition by deer hunters in condor territory was that such a law would discourage hunters. That law took effect in July 2008.
Since then, Taylor said, the Department of Fish and Game has reported that compliance among deer hunters has been very high and there are preliminary indications that the level of lead poisoning detected in blood tests of California condors in Southern California has declined. He cautioned, however, that it too early to make a conclusion as to whether the ban has significantly helped to reduce the risk of lead poisoning among condors.
This last year we went from $8 /box lead shot to $16 / box because the landowner East Bay MUD demanded it. OK, I can live with that.
If this goes thru I'll have to get $ 75/ box nontoxic. This will double the price of hunting.
So much for the common folk hunting.
Liberal Facisim at it's finest.
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