By Lou Galgani, Membership Coordinator

What does it take to protect wildlife? Below are just a few of the steps the Mountain Lion Foundation has recently taken to stand up for California’s native carnivores. During the 2025 legislative season California’s District 4 State Senator, Alvarado-Gil introduced Senate Bill 818 (SB 818) that would require the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to sell a permit to houndspersons to chase mountain lions in El Dorado County. This legislation illegally violates Proposition 117, which protects mountain lions from this type of harassment. SB 818 was proposed as a public safety and human-wildlife conflict bill, but the proposed bill would do nothing to improve either. The practice of proactively hazing mountain lions to reduce conflict with humans or domestic animals is not supported by any research.  

SB 818 was authored due to concerns over mountain lion coexistence in El Dorado County, with tensions reaching a tipping point after the tragic mountain lion attack on Taylen and Wyatt Brooks in 2024. Unfortunately, legislation like SB 818 won’t improve wildlife conflict in places like El Dorado County and could even make them worse. The Mountain Lion Foundation believes Californians deserve wildlife coexistence solutions that work—not SB 818.  

The Mountain Lion Foundation launched a campaign to oppose SB 818. We worked alongside other non-profits to develop educational materials, meet with legislators and press, wrote letters and analysis to the legislature, circulated a petition signed by more than 800 Californians, supplied expert testimony against the bill, and gathered supporters to stand up for mountain lions on the day of the hearing.  

 On April 17, 2025, the Mountain Lion Foundation hand delivered our petition—signed by more than 800 Californians—in opposition to SB 818. The Mountain Lion Foundation gathered mountain lion supporters to stand in opposition to SB 818 for the bill’s hearing before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources on Water on Earth Day. Mountain lion supporters arrived, clad in green, to testify against the unlawful, unscientific, and dangerous bill, SB 818. Supporters of SB 818 gathered as well, with matching red shirts and photos of Taylen and Wyatt Brooks in their hands.    

SB 818 author, Senator Alvarado-Gil, of the bill and their expert witnesses, El Dorado County Agricultural Commissioner—LeeAnne Mila, and the uncle of Taylen and Wyatt Brooks, were first to speak.  Their testimony was filled with pain over the tragedy in their community, concerns over mountain lions, and a belief that current wildlife protections were to blame—with hounding providing the solutions they looked for. Witnesses claimed that this type of hounding was supported by research, despite the fact there is no evidence. Claims about altered mountain lion behavior were also made, contrary to all current research. (Read more about the science of chasing mountain lions with dogs here).    The testimony also downplayed the real risks that hound teams would pose to mountain lions and their kittens, the dogs themselves, other wildlife, and public safety.  

According to the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) Journal, there were 63 fatal dog attacks on humans in 2024 in California. “Hound teams in other states have attacked pets and farm animals, and endangered wildlife, even injured people,”. Josh Rosenau, Mountain Lion Foundation Director of Policy and Advocacy. Many state parks have restrictions on dogs because research has shown that dogs off leash can harass or kill wildlife and damage ecosystems.  

After the witnesses for SB818 gave their testimony, individuals in support of the bill were encouraged to line up and give their name, hometown, and state their support. Many residents from rural Counties offered support, along with notable carnivore hunting organizations such as Safari Club International.  

Opposition to SB 818 was allowed two expert witnesses. The first was Roger Trout, a 35-year resident of El Dorado County and former El Dorado County Planning Director. Roger spoke before the committee stating,  The perception that lion behavior has changed is not because they are less afraid of humans…one significant factor is the 2021 Caldor fire…A scientific study proved that lions do not return to burned areas after a fire, likely because the taller vegetation has not grown back.” Roger continued, “There are also unintended public safety consequences that SB 818 would cause: hounds would be pursuing lions through private residential properties, putting people, pets, and livestock at risk.” Roger cited new coordination efforts by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the County Fish and Wildlife Commission that have resulted in fewer losses to depredation and an ordinance making it illegal to feed deer in El Dorado County. Reducing attractants to lion and other wildlife populations is a known solution for human-wildlife conflicts. “SB 818 would also interfere with the Sierra Nevada Foothills Mountain Lion Study that is currently evaluating effectiveness of non-lethal lion deterrents, including hazing…I found the proposed amendments in the bill analysis to be much more effective at addressing the issue,” concluded Roger. 

The next opposition witness was Sharon Negri, co-founder of the Mountain Lion Foundation and current Director of Strategic Partnerships. She understood the Brooks family’s concern for public safety after their tragic loss. “Unfortunately, this bill not only falls short–by actually increasing the risk to both the public and livestock–it is also illegal. We obtained two independent legal opinions, one from Greenfire Law and another from the co-author of Proposition 117. 35 years ago, California voters passed Proposition 117 prohibiting the take of mountain lions. These legal analyses concluded that using hounds to hunt, harass, or catch mountain lions is an illegal take and is a direct violation of Prop 117. Selling permits to recreationally hound mountain lions is exactly what California voters outlawed in 1990.” Sharon continued, “For decades the Foundation has provided safety education and helped livestock owners implement scientifically proven tools. We’ve built pen enclosures and fences and installed electronic deterrents. The people of El Dorado County deserve solutions that actually work. This bill will not do that.” 

After Roger and Sharon finished their testimony, opponents of SB818 were encouraged to voice their opposition. California residents from across the state and representatives from wildlife organizations lined up and spoke against SB 818. Following tense debate among Committee members and the supporters of SB 818, Committee Chair Limón moved to support the bill with amendments. These amendments included the formation of a grant program to support coexistence and further research on human conflict with mountain lions in El Dorado County. These amendments removed all mention of a hound pursuit program.   The Brooks family and Senator Alvarado-Gil rejected amendments, and without a quorum in the committee to finalize a vote, we all left uncertain about the future of SB 818. We did know one thing for certain—the mountain lions in El Dorado County were no longer at risk from recreational hound pursuit.  

After the hearing, the Mountain Lion Foundation invited attendees to a debriefing at our offices. Coffee and snacks were served to support guests who had travelled to the California State Capitol to stand up for mountain lions and sound wildlife policies. Roger Trout, Paige Munson, Science and Policy Coordinator of the Mountain Lion Foundation and Korinna Domingo of the Cougar Conservancy were present to meet everyone and answer their questions about the bill, El Dorado County, and mountain lion science. This time allowed for dedicated mountain lion supporters to connect, share, and decompress after a tense hearing. Some had never testified at the Capitol before but felt motivated to do so to protect the mountain lions they love. 

Attendees took the time to share their own personal stories. One individual had the fortune of witnessing a pair of kittens playing in the middle of the road on his way home from work, two nights in a row.  The kittens ran off the road when they saw his car lights. Others shared their passion about protecting wildlife from unwarranted persecution. Several mentioned they couldn’t imagine not making the trek to the Capitol to stand up for science, and coexistence with our mountain lions. Many were saddened that the tragedy of a human attack had been part of the fuel behind a bill as harmful as SB 818, even after Californians voted to protect mountain lions. Endurance athletes shared their experiences hiking and running in lion country, never having seen one in the wild, but “knowing they were there too.”  

Later, the Committee was able to reach quorum, ultimately deciding to pass SB 818 with amendments to the Appropriations Committee. We will continue to monitor the progress of SB 818 and remain grateful that the Committee voted to remove the language that threatened California mountain lions.  

The Mountain Lion Foundation is so grateful to all who took the time to sign the petition, inform others, write letters to your legislators, attend the hearing, and stand up for our lions. These dedicated people are the reason we were able to present a unified response to SB 818 and continue mountain lion protections in California.