For more than a century, California’s most iconic animal has existed only as a symbol on the state flag. Now, lawmakers are weighing whether the California grizzly bear could one day roam the Golden State again.
Senate Bill 1305 would require the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop a detailed, science-driven plan outlining what it would take to reintroduce grizzlies to California. The proposal does not authorize releasing bears. Instead, it calls for research, public engagement and consultation with California Native American tribes before any next steps are considered.
Grizzlies once occupied much of California, from coastal valleys to the Sierra Nevada. Early explorers and settlers described enormous bears thriving in places that would later become Yosemite National Park and across the Central Valley. As settlement expanded in the 1800s, hunting and habitat loss drove the subspecies toward extinction. The last confirmed California grizzly was killed in Tulare County in 1924. Despite disappearing from the landscape, the bear remained embedded in the state’s identity.
Under the proposed bill, wildlife scientists would first need to determine whether modern California still offers enough habitat for grizzlies to survive on their own without harming ecosystems or creating major conflicts with people. State officials would also be required to engage tribes and local communities as part of the process.
If approved, the department would complete the feasibility plan and submit it to lawmakers and other state offices by June 30, 2028, setting the stage for a broader conversation about whether California’s long-lost apex predator could ever return.
Thanks Active NorCal
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