In my opinion:

As of this writing AB821 Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act. passed out of the Assembly and is sitting on the Governor's desk. Whichever way Governor Schwarzenegger goes on this lets look at what this Act is all about.

This is the Act that bans the use of lead centerfire rifle and pistol ammunition when taking big game and coyote within specified areas. Just so that you know what areas we’re talking about the bill spells it out as; “those areas being hunting zone A South, excluding Santa Cruz, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and San Joaquin Counties, areas west of Highway 101 within Santa Clara County, and areas between Highway 5 and Highway 99 within Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern Counties, and within zones D7, D8, D9, D10, D11, and D13.”

The Act would require the Fish & Game commission to establish, by regulation, by January 1, 2008, a public process to certify centerfire rifle and pistol ammunition as nonlead ammunition, and to define nonlead ammunition by regulation. The Act would also require the commission, to the extent funding is available, to provide hunters in these areas with nonlead ammunition at no or reduced charge through a coupon program.

So if I read this correctly the state will be providing bullets for hunters at a reduced charge…That is of course if they choose to fund the program because remember the provision is “to the extent funding is available” and I just don’t see that happening. It also doesn’t address just how they intend to enforce the nonlead bullet act with regards to hand loaded ammunition. We have a shortage of Game Wardens in the state and now we are going to ask them to enforce this bill, and what are they going to do run around with a tool to cut into bullets to make sure there isn’t any lead?  Yes I guess that is just what they are going to have to do.

Under the Act, a person who violates those requirements would be guilty of an infraction punishable by a $500 fine for the first offense. Because the act would create a new crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The act would also declare the Legislature's intent to protect vulnerable wildlife species, including the California condor, from the ongoing threat of lead poisoning.

This Act effects centerfire ammunition, nothing is mentioned about rimfire or ammunition used for recreational shooting. So it looks as if shooting ranges are exempt, at least for now. Also I find it interesting that the Act reads “centerfire rifle and pistol ammunition” there isn’t anything about shotgun shells for non waterfowl hunting…maybe I shouldn’t point that out!

There is quite a bit of information posted on both sides of the issue and I took the time to read a few of the studies that brought this bill up and again we have to look at the information provided and figure out how it supports the finding that the condor is endangered by lead poisoning. As far as I’m concerned the evidence isn't conclusive. The USA Today reported on a study in the journal of Environmental Science & Technology. “The study identified a lead isotope in bullets bought at retail outlets in condor country and then match it to lead found in condor blood. Twenty of 26 condors sampled had high lead levels, and many exceeded levels toxic to humans.” If you have been reading my rants you know that I have a very difficult time believing statistics and this is just another one of those where I go “what”…  The condor population has grown from just 22 birds in 1982 to 289 reported in 2006; 135 are in the wild and more are released every year. If I was to believe this reported statistic that would have over 80% of the birds with toxic levels of lead in their blood. If that was the case we wouldn’t have a population of condors that are increasing in the wild now would we.