On Tuesday, April 9th, the California Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife will consider AB 1788, a bill to protect wild animals including bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, owls and hawks from anticoagulant rodenticides (rat poison), which destroy ecosystems and indiscriminately poison native wildlife who eat poisoned rodents. The Committee will also hear AB 1254, legislation to ban cruel and senseless bobcat trophy hunting in the state. Your voice is needed to pass these important bills, which would set new standards for wildlife protection for the nation.
Please act today—urge the Committee to vote YES on AB 1788 and AB 1254. We also urge you to attend the hearing. Details below.
Contact your Assembly Member if he/she sits on the Committee
Below is a list of Assembly Members who sit on the Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee. Go here to see if one of these Assembly Members represents your district. If they do, please write and call them. You can simply say, “As a constituent of yours, I ask you to please protect California’s wildlife by supporting AB 1788 and AB 1254.
Chair Eduardo Garcia: (916) 319-2056; email him at assemblymember.eduardogarcia@assembly.ca.gov
Asm. James Gallagher: (916) 319-2003; submit written comments here
Asm. Frank Bigelow: (916) 319-2005; submit written comments here
Asm. Steven Choi: (916) 319-2068; submit written comments here
Asm. Kansen Chu: (916) 319-2025; submit written comments here
Asm. Brian Dahle: (916) 319-2001; submit written comments here
Asm. Laura Friedman: (916) 319-2043; submit written comments here
Asm. Cristina Garcia: (916) 319-2058; submit written comments here
Asm. Todd Gloria: (916) 319-2078; submit written comments here
Asm. Ash Kalra: (916) 319-2027; submit written comments here
Asm. Marc Levine: (916) 319-2010; submit written comments here
Asm. Blanca Rubio: (916) 319-2048; submit written comments here
Asm. Rudy Salas: (916) 319-2032; submit written comments here
Asm. Jim Wood: (916) 319-2002; submit written comments here
Contact the Committee Chair
Even if you do not live in a Committee member’s district, you can still contact Committee Chair Eduardo Garcia. Please make a brief, polite call to Chair Garcia at (916) 319-2056 and email him at assemblymember.eduardogarcia@assembly.ca.gov. You can simply say, “As a California resident, I ask you to please protect California’s wildlife by supporting AB 1788 and AB 1254.” Be sure to include your full contact information in your written comments so they’re included in the official record.
Talking Points for AB 1788 (Rodenticide Ban):
- This bill would abolish the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) in California, with exceptions for agricultural activities and public health situations. It would also ban first generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) on state-owned lands.
- Anticoagulant rodenticides have widespread and detrimental impacts on the very carnivores who help regulate rodent populations – including bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, hawks, eagles, and owls. Rodenticides are counterproductive to long-term pest management solutions for rodent control because they destroy the health of California’s ecosystems by indiscriminately poisoning, harming and killing native wildlife who eat poisoned rodents.
- Rodenticides can cause a slow, agonizing death for the animals who ingest them.
- In addition to harming wildlife, anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs and FGARs) pose a dangerous risk to children who may accidentally ingest these highly toxic poisons. Between 1999 and 2009, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received reports of an average of 17,000 human exposures to rodenticides each year, and roughly 15,000 of those exposures occurred in children less than 6 years of age.
- Rodenticides are one of the top ten pet toxins.
- Multiple cities and jurisdictions have already banned or severely restricted the use of rodenticides in California including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu, and Marin County. AB 1788 would extend these restrictions statewide.
- There are more humane alternatives to deadly rat poison (see RATS website for more information).
Talking Points for AB 1254 (Bobcat Trophy Hunting Ban):
- This legislation would ban the cruel and unnecessary trophy hunting of bobcats in California.
- Californians do not support trophy hunting of the state’s native carnivores. In 1990, Californians voted to ban the hunting of mountain lions. In 2012, the legislature abolished the use of hounds to hunt bobcats and in 2015 the Fish and Game Commission prohibited bobcat trapping in the state.
- Bobcats are not killed for human sustenance and are solely hunted for sport and trophies.
- Bobcats are a beloved, iconic species in California. Viewing wildlife, including bobcats, in their wild state provides significantly more financial revenue to California than revenue brought in by hunting permits.
- Bobcats are a keystone species that play an important role in the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. For example, bobcats keep rodent populations under control, which benefits our communities and farmers.
- Even without trophy hunting, bobcats are already under significant stress from human development, droughts, wildfires, and exposure to human toxins including deadly rodenticides.
Please join us on Tuesday, April 9th in Sacramento!
Your presence speaks volumes—please attend to show your support for AB 1788 and AB 1254. Simply appear and say, “I support AB 1788 and AB 1254.” Every voice counts!
What: Hearing on AB 1788 and AB 1254 by Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife
Where: State Capitol, 10th and L Streets, Room 444, Sacramento, CA
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Time: 9:00 AM (we recommend arriving at 8:30 AM)
Thank you for speaking up for California’s wildlife!
Camilla Fox
Founder & Executive Director