SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – California Senate Bill 1305, known as the California Grizzly Restoration Act, was introduced in February 2026 to explore reintroducing the extinct California grizzly bear. If passed, the bill directs the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to create a feasibility “roadmap” by June 30, 2028, focusing on scientific assessment and community impact, rather than immediate reintroduction.
Sponsored by Senators Richardson and Weber Pierson, and co-sponsored by the Yurok and Tejon Tribes, the bill emphasizes incorporating indigenous knowledge regarding bear management.
The last grizzly bear in California was shot in 1924, and they have not been seen in the state since then. Grizzly bears were hunted to extinction in California primarily to protect expanding livestock ranching operations, for commercial meat and sport, and due to fears regarding their dangerous nature. Following the 1849 Gold Rush, rapid settlement, unregulated hunting, and poisoning nearly wiped them out by the early 20th century.
The bill states that “grizzly bears promote biodiversity and ecosystem heterogeneity by modifying vegetation composition and structure, regulating trophic dynamics, accelerating geomorphic processes, enriching soils with marine and terrestrial nutrients, dispersing seeds, and initiating secondary ecological processes.”
The assemblymember for District 1, which includes South Lake Tahoe, Heather Hadwick, is against this bill and asks those who want their voices heard to make comments. The bill passed the Senate Natural Resources and Water committee this week by a vote of 5-2, and moves on to the Senate Committee on Appropriations next. Submit letters to the committee via this portal link: https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/.
“Our communities are already facing the impacts of growing predator populations, including wolves, and the strain they place on livestock, public safety, and local economies,” said Hadwick. “State agencies are stretched thin, response times are long, and existing compensation and management programs are falling short.”
Hadwick also represents northeastern California, where wolves have been taking cattle growing rates, specifically Lassen, Plumas, Siskiyou, Tehama, Shasta, Modoc, and Sierra counties.
“Reintroducing another apex predator without first addressing these challenges would place additional pressure on a system that is already struggling to keep up,” added Hadwick.
Several counties, including Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, and Shasta, have declared local emergencies or intensified monitoring due to livestock losses. Hadwick said that before considering reintroduction, there needs to be clear plans for management, public safety, and long-term resources to ensure both communities and wildlife are protected.
The California grizzly bear is the state animal and is a centerpiece of the state’s flag and other state symbols. Male grizzly bears may be as heavy as 1,000 pounds (before hibernation), and stand 3 – 4 feet at the shoulder and as tall as 8 – 9 feet on their hind legs. It is the largest brown bear, and grizzly bears are omnivores and can prey on large mammals when available. Around the time of the California Gold Rush, there was an estimated population of approximately 10,000 grizzly bears in California.
“Reintroduction aligns with the state’s policy to maintain and restore healthy natural ecosystems that sustain communities, support the economy, provide for recreation, and preserve California’s history, culture, and traditions, while addressing the historic harms inflicted on wildlife, natural systems, and indigenous peoples. Committing to its return reaffirms the state’s natural heritage and strengthens the connection between California’s ecological past and its conservation future,” states the Bill.
To read SB-1305, visit HERE.