Earlier this month, area Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) saw her Senate Bill 1397 clear the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, delivering a major win for rural communities across Senate District 4 and strengthening protections for people statewide against dangerous mountain lion conflicts.

The bill requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to maintain, enhance, and expand its Human-Mountain Lion Conflict Program with a clear focus on nonlethal deterrence, scientific research, public education, and proactive response to keep families, livestock, and pets safe. It mandates regular engagement with high-conflict counties, annual legislative updates, and a full report to lawmakers in 2031.

Post-wildfire habitat changes and expanding wildland-urban interfaces have only intensified the threat to rural families and ranchers.

“This bill is a critical step forward for the families I represent in rural Senate District 4, who live every day with the reality of mountain lion encounters,” said Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil. “By strengthening nonlethal tools, research, and community partnerships, SB 1397 protects public safety without compromising our state’s conservation values, and it delivers solutions that will benefit every Californian as these conflicts spread beyond the Sierra foothills.”

SB 1397 now heads to Appropriations.