A new push from California lawmakers could see one of the most lethal predators on the planet return to the Golden State.
CA State Senator Laura Richardson introduced Senate Bill 1305, a proposal for legislation that would direct the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to create a “roadmap” for how the massive bear species could be brought back to the state by June 30, 2028.
The bill states grizzlies “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 bill would require some serious work from CDFW, and would not just open the gates for bears to be brought into the state.
California lawmakers are pondering whether to re-introduce the grizzly bear after more than a century of being extinct in the state. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The department would need to make “a scientific determination regarding the biological and ecological viability of establishing a self-sustaining grizzly population in the state, and a consultation with California Native American tribes and engagement with communities.”
As for the “roadmap,” the bill demands CDFW lists a number of elements on its website to be publicly available, including, but not limited to:
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-”A scientific assessment based on the best available data, including habitat suitability, population modeling, long-term viability thresholds, and potential ecological impacts.”
The legislation promotes the ecological and cultural benefits of bringing the bear back. Corbis via Getty Images
-”Consultation with California Native American tribes, with priority given to tribes whose ancestral territories are encompassed by proposed reintroduction areas, and in coordination with the University of California, local governments, residents, landowners, stakeholders, and other experts in wildlife conservation and grizzly bear reintroduction.”
-”Independent peer review drawing on the most qualified individuals, including tribal representatives, individuals from appropriate institutions within the state and from within the University of California system, and other qualified experts.”
-”A framework for incorporating cultural, spiritual, and ecological values of California Native American tribes, including recognition of the grizzly bear’s significance to tribal traditions and land stewardship.”
The roadmap would need to include a scientific assessment of the viability of bringing the bears back and a consultation with California Native American tribes. VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
-”Identification of potential relocation areas based on ecological criteria, land ownership, habitat connectivity, and the risk of human-wildlife conflict.”
Richardson mentions California’s Native American tribes throughout the legislation, stating that the bears hold “enduring cultural, religious, spiritual, and ceremonial significance for many California Native American tribes.”
Grizzlies are solidified in California history despite being absent for many generations. The grizzly bear is on the California state flag.
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Despite living in California for thousands of years, the bears were labeled extinct in 1924. Richardson’s bill blames “widespread killing of grizzly bears by settlers, miners, ranchers, and government agents led to the complete extirpation of the species” following the Gold Rush.
“Their removal from California ecosystems contributed to cascading ecological effects that altered landscape structure, shifted species composition, and contributed to an overall loss of biodiversity in the state,” the bill adds.
An April 2025 study found that a “well-planned, well-resourced and well-managed reintroduction and recovery program could, however, likely establish a sustainable California grizzly population in one or more recovery areas over several decades.”
A “well-resourced” recovery would involve funding up to $3 million a year for the first decade of the program, the study said.
But there’s some doubt around the viability of returning the massive bears to the state. Outside of their large and intimidating presence, there’s many questions to be answered about them.
“Recovering grizzly bears in California is a choice,” Alex McInturff, co-editor of the study and assistant unit leader of U.S. Geological Survey’s Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, told the Los Angeles Times.
“We can choose to do it by making necessary investments and creating the necessary partnerships to make it possible. There’s habitat available. A number of questions can be answered. But it’s a choice,” he added.