PHOTO: Anthony Trumbo
California lawmakers have passed the California Wildlife Coexistence Act, advancing a statewide approach that puts prevention, science and coexistence at the center of wildlife management. Now the bill heads to Governor Gavin Newsom.
California is one step closer to making wildlife coexistence a formal part of how the state protects both people and wildlife.
The California Legislature has passed SB 1135, the California Wildlife Coexistence Act, sending the bill to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature.
The legislation would establish a statewide Wildlife Coexistence Program within the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, subject to funding by the Legislature. The program would help communities prevent and respond to conflicts involving mountain lions and other wildlife using science-based, proactive and nonlethal approaches.
For mountain lions — and for the people who share their landscapes — that represents an important shift.
Moving From Conflict Response to Conflict Prevention
Too often, wildlife management begins after something has already gone wrong.
A mountain lion encounters livestock. An animal appears repeatedly near homes. A community becomes concerned about wildlife activity. By the time wildlife agencies become involved, options may be limited and the outcome can be lethal for the animal.
SB 1135 recognizes that coexistence can begin much earlier.
Providing communities with reliable information, practical tools and access to expertise can help prevent conflicts before they escalate. That means helping people understand wildlife behavior, reduce attractants, protect livestock and domestic animals, and know how to respond appropriately when wildlife is nearby.
Prevention can make communities safer while allowing wildlife to remain wild.
Building Coexistence Into California Wildlife Policy
SB 1135 would create a more coordinated statewide approach to coexistence.
Among its provisions, the Wildlife Coexistence Program would improve how California tracks and responds to wildlife incidents, expand public education and technical assistance, support community-based efforts to prevent conflict, and establish a statewide wildlife incident reporting system.
Importantly, the legislation would also formally establish safe coexistence between people and wildlife as a goal of California wildlife management.
That matters because coexistence is more than a response to an individual encounter. It is an approach to living with wildlife across increasingly shared landscapes.
As development expands into wildlife habitat and animals move through communities in search of food, water, mates and territory, giving people the knowledge and resources to prevent conflict becomes increasingly important.
What This Means for Mountain Lions
Mountain lions need large, connected landscapes — landscapes that increasingly overlap with the places where people live, work and recreate.
That makes coexistence essential to their future.
Most encounters between people and mountain lions never become conflicts. But when concerns do arise, communities need effective options that protect people and domestic animals without automatically resorting to lethal removal.
Science-based education, livestock protection practices, technical assistance and other nonlethal tools can give communities those options.
SB 1135 would help move those approaches from individual efforts toward a coordinated statewide framework.
It also reflects an important principle: protecting wildlife and protecting communities do not have to be competing goals.
One More Step: Governor Newsom Must Sign SB 1135
Passing the Legislature is a major milestone, but SB 1135 has not yet become law.
Governor Gavin Newsom must now sign the California Wildlife Coexistence Act.
If you live in California, you can help.
Contact Governor Newsom and ask him to sign SB 1135, the California Wildlife Coexistence Act.
A short message is enough:
“Please sign SB 1135. California should lead the nation in science-based, nonlethal approaches that keep people, livestock and wildlife safe.”
You can contact the Governor online through his official contact form, by calling (916) 445-2841, or by writing to:
Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
California has an opportunity to make coexistence a meaningful part of wildlife management across the state.
SB 1135 can help communities prevent conflict before it happens, give people better tools for living alongside wildlife, and help ensure that mountain lions and other wildlife continue to have a place in California’s future.
