MANAGING & PROTECTING DIVERSITY Comments sought before lead ammo ban takes effect by Charlton H . Bonham California Department of Fish & Wildlife Director By 1982, the number of California wildlife managers, as condors in the wild had dwindled of 2012, 36 states had to 22, an entire species — whose established regulations wingspans can reach nine feet or more prohibiting the use of lead — nearly wiped out. These birds are ammunition in various the last surviving members of a species areas or for specific that date back to the Pleistocene. species beyond the Studies conducted for decades show federal requirements for that threats to these birds included waterfowl hunting. Nonlead predation, starvation, collisions with ammunition alternatives are powerlines, loss of habitat from fires, also being more regularly poaching, and poisoning from leadnoted for their performance and based ammunition. effectiveness by professional hunters, Researchers eventually concluded and the U.S. military has recently that the scavenging birds were ingesting changed to nonlead for 7.62mm lead and it was a significant factor bullets. It switched to nonlead for contributing to their decline. Today, 5.56mm bullets in 2010. On the federal the state’s captive breeding program wildlife front, in 1991, the U.S. Fish has grown the bird’s population nearly and Wildlife Service required the use twenty-fold, to 433, and well over half of nonlead shotgun shot for hunting are living in the wild. Yet, a leading waterfowl and subsequently extended cause of death and illness for the that requirement for all bird hunting condors is still lead poisoning, and it on many National Wildlife Refuges. takes intensive care to keep some birds But, no state has taken the step that alive and free-flying. The California California recently took to protect Department of Fish and Wildlife wildlife. (CDFW) and others will continue to Last year, Gov. Edmund G. Brown, pursue science focusing on condors Jr. signed AB 711 into law. Previously, and the risks to the birds from lead in 2007, the California Legislature through ammunition as well as from prohibited the use of lead ammunition other sources in the condor’s range. for hunting in the seven deer zones But, there are no two ways about that encompass parts of 14 counties, it: ingested lead is harmful for humans which is the Condor Zone in the state, and wildlife. The Centers for Disease to prevent further losses of these Control and Prevention have numerous birds. Now, AB 711, is found in section publications on their website (www. 3004.5 of the Fish and Game Code. It cdc.gov/nceh/lead/publications/) requires the complete phase out of lead reporting problems with children ammunition for the killing of wildlife ingesting lead paint from homes by hunting or depredation statewide by painted before approximately 1978 and July 1, 2019. more recently lead paint on toys. The law also requires the Fish and The first reported cases of wildlife Game Commission to adopt a phasemortality from lead ingestion show up in regulation by July 1, 2015, which in the wildlife science literature from will implement the full prohibition as the late 1800s. In 1876, in a publication soon as practicable in a manner least called The Field, H.S. Calvert published disruptive for California’s hunters, “Pheasants Poisoned by Swallowing but in no event later than July 1, Shot.” 2019. The law is focused on use of According to the Wildlife Society, lead ammunition for killing wildlife the professional organization for statewide and not on shooting sports. 100 California Cattleman July • August 2014
CDFW has the important mission to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public. At the same time, CDFW’s constituency includes groups and organizations that both support and oppose phasing out the use of lead ammunition for hunting, as the law now requires. During last year’s legislative session, CDFW worked to mitigate the impacts of AB 711 for many of CDFW’s constituents, including requesting that the implementation would take place by July 1, 2019 rather than 2016, and the regulations by the Commission would take place by July 1 2015, not 2014, giving a full five years to plan and effectuate the prohibition. As directed by the governor’s signing message (gov.ca.gov/docs/ AB_711_2013_Signing_Message.pdf), CDFW is seeking to implement the law in the least disruptive manner possible. In 2014, CDFW has been conducting a series of public workshops and outreach in an effort to develop the regulation in a manner that will impose the least burden on California’s hunters and landowners suffering depredation while still implementing the intent of the law. In December 2014, CDFW intends to recommend a regulatory package to the Commission for adoption that fulfills both the phase-in approach, and the requirement that it be the least disruptive implementation possible.