ban on bullets containing lead

[Guy M]

Quoted from SCI:

"Despite the strong opposition of SCI and other sporting groups, the California Fish and Game Commission expanded a statutory ban on the use of lead ammunition in condor "range" in central and southern California (about a 1/3 to 1/4 of the State). Lead ammunition is now prohibited in condor range for all big game (e.g., deer, elk, bear, wild pig) and non-game birds and mammals (e.g., crow, coyote, ground squirrels). While the legislative ban recently passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger did not include non-game bird and mammals (other than coyote) and did not cover rimfire firearms, the regulatory ban covers all of these. Most troubling, the regulatory ban covers .22 caliber rimfire rifles, used mainly for small game. Currently, no nonlead ammunition exists for this firearm. In addition, the State's environmental review concluded that nongame bird and mammal carcasses do not represent a significant threat to the condor. The regulatory ban tracks the statutory ban's definition of condor "range" to include large areas of historic range where no condors currently exist. Consistent with SCI's comments, the Commission did define nonlead ammunition as allowing up to 1% lead, as currently available nonlead ammunition contains trace amounts of lead. Under the statute, the Commission must establish procedures to certify nonlead ammunition and a coupon reimbursement program if private funds can be found. Finally, the Commission established that mere possession of uncertified (i.e., leaded) ammunition and a firearm capable of discharging it in condor "range" is a violation of the law punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail. The lead ammunition ban goes into effect on July 1, 2008. "

Looks like Barnes and Nosler are well set to take this market... Sure would stink to be a southern-California hunter with a great lead/conventional bullet load or a mess of ammunition and not be able to use it. Hopefully this madness won't spread to the rest of the state or surrounding states...

FWIW, Guy

 

[Mule]

Better leave your Chicom jewlery at home--- it contains on average 4 % lead and also leave the Chicom toys at home---- they contain on average 1 % lead.

Wouldn't want those condor ingesting any of those itmes now would we


Mule

 

[whitely]

Not to sound like an *** (but I can't help myself), but those condors are finished. Thanks for playing the game of evolution, you lost! This idiotic creature is a throwback to the stone age, when its diet consisted of rotting dinosaur corpses. Guess what, there aren't lots of rotting dead things all over the place anymore (aside from the skwerls in my backyard). At present, over 50% of the condors diet is provided by fish-and-game in the form of rotting cattle/deer. Banning lead isn't going to help those birds at all, and they don't have one single piece of data to support their claim that lead has any role in the 40 or so birds that have died, but then again this is california.

 

[Buffalobob]

The journal referenced is a well respected peer reviewed journal.

CBSE News: Molecular fingerprinting leads to culprit in condor lead poisoning

Lead poisoning in birds, particularly waterfowl is very well documented. There have been several studies of birds such as robins which nested and ate worms along highways were leaded gasoline was used and the effects and mortality rates from that diet. I personally have used several of those studies when determining if a piece of contaminated property is hazardous to the animals and needs to be remediated. If an engineer is skillful (even if he sometimes mispells a word) it is possible to perform a very decent risk analysis for a wide variety of animals for a wide variety of contaminants.

Evolution is a slow process whereas overpopulation removing critical habitat is a much faster process and lead poisoning still faster yet.

 

[diderr]

Well, what do you expect? It is California, they are basically their own country now they are so f'd up in the heads.

 

[TheSollyLama]

Well along with most people, I barely consider CA part of the US anymore.

My concern is that what starts in CA and NY ends up happening everywhere. Especially if certain anti-gun types end up getting elected. Frankly, no one from NY represents me in the least.

But it's that same old slippery slope. Let it pas in one state, then let politicians from that state into the fed and suddenly we're all subject to some silly law.

Too bad politicians from both sides simply ignore any science that contradicts their pet dogma.

 

[CaliforniaGirl]

Wow...some how this one got by me. You had this information way back when...the trouble is that even though websites have information about the ban, it really wasn't out there in print or on television as much as it should have been. People have lives...dealing with day to day issues...this kind of thing gets by us. I think the law makers take advantage of that fact!

 

[CaliforniaGirl]

Well, what do you expect? It is California, they are basically their own country now they are so f'd up in the heads.

I just had a V8 moment! light bulb What was I thinking? You are soooo right, Diderr! I FORGOT! We aren't California any more...We are California! Thanks for reminding me. (I think I'll move to Deadwood...)
gun)