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October 22, 2009 No. 2009-18 |
Pro-Hunting Amendments Adopted Into Law
During the 2009 State Legislative Session, COHA was successful in inserting several pro-hunting amendments into AB 1442 (Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee). The bill was ultimately signed into law on October 11th. The COHA-drafted language will do the following:
1) Authorize the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) to secure voluntary easements on private land to create public access for recreational activities, such as hunting and fishing opportunities; 2) Require WCB, in acquiring land for hunting and fishing purposes, to consider those areas of the state in which public access and opportunity for those activities is most needed; 3) Make technical changes to provisions of law relating to shooting near roads and other ways open to the public to ensure that hunting can continue to safely and legally occur in those areas: 4) Make it a crime to remove the collar of a hunting dog without the written permission of the owner; and 5) Reduce penalties for hunters who have been cited for not having their hunting license in the field but can produce the license in court.
A separate provision in AB 1442 that was supported by COHA creates a voluntary stamp that may be purchased at Fish and Game license offices to support California Game Wardens.
COHA appreciates the willingness of Assembly Member Jared Huffman and the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee to include these important provisions in AB 1442. |
Conservation Bills Signed
Two other wildlife conservation bills supported by COHA were also recently signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.
AB 94 (Evans) extends the "Natural Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Act" for five years and deletes the monetary limit on the award of tax credits pursuant to the Act. The bill maintains important financial incentives offered through the Act for private property owners to voluntarily contribute lands to the State of California, local governments or nonprofits at a reduced cost to the public. Such lands not only have significant wildlife conservation values, but may also provide much-needed recreational opportunities for the public, including hunting and fishing.
SB 448 (Pavley) creates the "California Safe Harbor Agreement Program Act" to encourage private landowners to voluntarily manage their property for the benefit of threatened and endangered species without being subject to additional regulatory restrictions. This is an appropriate legal approach in COHA's view, since additional take regulations would hinder conservation efforts in many cases by compelling landowners to not participate in habitat protection programs. By ensuring that the program creates a "net conservation benefit" without jeopardizing the continued existence of a particular species, COHA believes the bill will improve land management practices in a landowner-friendly manner.
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Handgun Ammunition Registration Bill Signed by Governor
After working closely with the National Riffle Association and the California Riffle and Pistol Association to oppose AB 962 (De Leon), COHA is extremely disappointed that the Governor ultimately signed the bill into law. AB 962 is a bill that will, as of February 1, 2011, effectively ban mail order and internet sales of handgun ammunition and require purchasers of handgun ammunition to provide detailed personal information, including their thumbprint, name, address, driver's license number, and amount of ammunition purchased.
COHA believes AB 962 will create a serious disincentive for law abiding members of the public to purchase handgun ammunition and therefore participate in certain types of hunting (e.g. bear, wild pig and deer) where handguns are lawfully authorized, as well as engage in other legal shooting activities. Additionally, AB 962 will force sportsmen and women to rely entirely on local ammunition dealers who may charge higher prices or not have available all handgun ammunition calibers and types. |
