Introduces a crucial update to California’s black bear management strategy, ensuring it’s grounded in current science and proven conservation practices. The bill requires the long-overdue update of the state’s Bear Management Plan to confirm growing bear populations and sets the stage for allowing dogs to pursue bears. Under strictly regulated guidelines, this will reestablish nonlethal pursuit as a vital tool, reduce dangerous human-bear encounters, and relieve pressure on other wildlife species like deer and mountain lions that suffer when black bears become overpopulated.
