PROTECTING HUNTING RIGHTS FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT IMPACT

One of the many bills supported by CWA this past year was AB 2146 – Restrictions on Local Governments Impacting Hunting.

Authored by Assembly Member Joe Canciamilla (D- District 11 – Pittsburg, CA), AB 2146 passed the Assembly Floor in May by a 76-1 vote.

The CWA/COHA sponsored bill, which is intended to keep local governments from interfering with the legal taking of fish and game as well as to increase communication between public agencies and the Fish and Game Commission, would clarify that cities and counties cannot impact hunting and fishing activities within their jurisdictions unless it is for legitimate public safety reasons.

A number of local governments have inappropriately attempted to directly prohibit hunting in the last several years, including the City of Hercules in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, traditional waterfowl hunting grounds such as portions of Tomales Bay have been placed off limits to hunting in the past without meaningful input from affected hunters. AB 2146 would help limit these actions.

In addition to CWA and COHA, AB 2146 is supported by the National Rifle Association, California Rifle and Pistol Association, Safari Club International, Mule Deer Foundation and the Recreational Fishing Alliance. Not surprisingly, AB 2146 is opposed by a number of animal rights groups, including the Animal Protection Institute, Fund for Animals and Animal Switchboard. Although California’s 58 counties never took a position on the measure, the League of Cities also opposed the bill.

Despite garnering overwhelming bipartisan support in the assembly, AB 2146 stalled in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee in June. The Committee did not hear or vote on the measure. The Committee Chair, Senator Sheila Kuehl, wanted more time to analyze the legal ramifications, which we and Assembly Member Canciamilla voluntarily agreed to after she pledged to work with us to refine the measure. Expect to see a new CWA/COHA-sponsored measure during the 2007-08 State Legislative Session.