Fish And Game Commission Will Add Protections For So Cal, Central Coast Mountain Lions (Update)
The following is courtesy of the Center for Biological Diversity:
California Grants Endangered Species Protections to Imperiled Mountain Lions
Urban Wildlands science director Tiffany Yap reacts to California commission vote.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Fish and Game Commission granted permanent protections today to Southern California and Central Coast mountain lions under the state Endangered Species Act.
The decision recognizes the imperiled status of pumas across a large swath of the state, from the Bay Area to the Mexico border.
“This is a major milestone for a California icon,” said Tiffany Yap, D.Env./Ph.D., urban wildlands science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Mountain lions are a marvel but too many across the Golden State are struggling in the diminished and fractured wild places where they live. This state isn’t willing to stand back and watch our precious wildlife vanish forever. I’m celebrating this vote as a new chapter for pumas and I hold so much hope for their future.”
Today’s decision comes after the Center and Mountain Lion Foundation petitioned the commission seeking protections for six genetic populations of mountain lions. Following a recommendation from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the commission voted today to grant protections to pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Central Coast, Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, Santa Ana Mountains and Eastern Peninsular ranges.
This is the first time California has recognized pumas as a threatened species under the state’s Endangered Species Act. These protections present a legal mandate for all state agencies to protect the six mountain lion populations.
Today’s decision also requires development projects to identify and minimize potential harms to mountain lion habitat and encourages the construction of more wildlife crossings and road improvements to increase safety and wildlife movement. It also pushes for stronger restrictions on the most toxic rat poisons.
Under the California Endangered Species Act, a recovery plan could be enacted to help ensure that mountain lions continue to inspire future generations. These big cats face multiple threats including poorly planned development, widespread rat poison use, vehicle strikes, wildfire and disease.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
UPDATE: Here’s the California Fish and Game press release:
California Fish and Game Commission Finds CESA Protections Warranted for Southern California and Central Coast Mountain Lion
The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) at its Feb. 11-12 meeting approved listing mountain lion populations in parts of southern California and the central coast as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).
The Commission determined that listing this population of mountain lion is warranted due to threats such as habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and isolation of small populations as a result of expanding human infrastructure, all threats reported in a status review of the species by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“This segment of the mountain lion population is clearly at risk from distinct threats,” said President Eric Sklar. “Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation by roads, freeways and housing, and mortality from vehicle strikes, rodenticides and risks of isolation and inbreeding would lead to the extinction of these mountain lions if we remained on the same trajectory.”
The Commission’s decision reflects its statutory responsibility under CESA to rely on the best available scientific information and to evaluate whether a native species faces threats that place it at risk of extinction in a significant portion of its range. The Commission found that the southern and central coast mountain lion populations are demographically and genetically isolated, with limited natural connectivity to other populations, making them particularly vulnerable to cumulative impacts. “This was a complex decision, and we are grateful for the support provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s world-class science team,” said Commissioner Erika Zavaleta, immediate past president.
The Commission also emphasizes that a CESA listing does not eliminate the ability to address public safety concerns. Existing authorities for protecting human life and safety and protecting livestock remain in place, consistent with state law. “Our job is to protect species before they are on the verge of extinction,” said Commissioner Samantha Murray. “The threatened designation exists under CESA to give species a chance to bounce back before there is an absolute crisis, without diminishing the ability to address public safety.” The listing strengthens conservation planning, promotes habitat connectivity and encourages coordinated efforts among state agencies, local governments, transportation authorities and private landowners to reduce long-term risks to the population.
Following the 1974 ban on hunting mountain lion in California, voters approved Proposition 117 in 1990, which established some exemptions for lethal removal of mountain lions to preserve public safety and to protect private property and livestock.
The Commission’s mission is to ensure California’s fish and wildlife resources are sustained for future generations by establishing, through public input and scientific evidence, policies and regulations that protect, restore, and manage these resources, holding them in public trust for all to enjoy.
