California Wildlife Coexistence Act.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effectiveness depends on future legislative appropriations.

California Wildlife Coexistence Act

The California Wildlife Coexistence Act aims to establish a program that helps manage and promote peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife.

What This Bill Does

• States the intent of the Legislature to reestablish and enact a statewide program to manage and promote human and wildlife coexistence.
• Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish the Wildlife Coexistence Program to conduct activities that include maintaining a statewide wildlife incident reporting tool.
• Changes the name of an existing wolf-livestock compensation pilot program to the Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program and requires the department to provide resources to eligible participants for purposes relating to wolves and livestock.
• Establishes the Wildlife Coexistence Technical Advisory Committee upon appropriation by the Legislature, which will provide technical guidance, public input, and programmatic recommendations related to wildlife coexistence efforts.
• Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to include specified information on its internet website by July 1, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Fish and Wildlife in California
• Farmers dealing with wolves
• People who report wildlife incidents

Terms To Know

Wildlife Coexistence Program

A program established to manage and promote peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife.

Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program

A renamed program that provides resources to eligible participants for purposes relating to wolves and livestock.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill requires appropriation by the Legislature to start these programs.
• It is not clear how much it will cost to run these programs.
• The exact details of what information must be put online are not specified in this summary.

Official Summary Text

SB 1135, as amended, Blakespear.
Human and wildlife coexistence.
California Wildlife Coexistence Act.
Existing law establishes the Department of Fish and Wildlife in the Natural Resources Agency. Under existing law, the department has jurisdiction over the conservation, protection, and management of fish, wildlife, native plants, and habitat necessary for biologically sustainable populations of those species.
This bill would
state the intent of the Legislature to reestablish and enact a statewide program to manage and promote human and wildlife coexistence.
require the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish the Wildlife Coexistence Program to manage and promote wildlife coexistence by conducting specified activities, including maintaining a statewide
wildlife incident reporting tool. The bill would rename the California Wolf-Livestock Compensation Pilot Program to the Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program and would require the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish the program to provide resources to eligible participants for purposes relating to wolves and livestock. The bill would authorize the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, including the cost for implementation, to provide resources to wildlife coexistence partners, as defined, to support efforts required for the Wildlife Coexistence Program and the Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program. The bill would require the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish the Wildlife Coexistence Technical Advisory Committee to provide technical guidance, public input, and programmatic recommendations related to the department’s wildlife coexistence efforts. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2028,
to include specified information on its internet website, as provided.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF