SACRAMENTO — A new law that takes effect Jan. 1, 2020 allows for the take and consumption of roadkill, but the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is warning people not to make any plans just yet, however delicious the prospect may seem.
The Wildlife Traffic Safety Act that was signed into law this year by Gov. Gavin Newsom allows for the take but there needs to be a program in place for “salvageable wild game meat” through the CDFW.
“Such a program is not in place yet,” the department said in a news release this week.
“Many Californians think it will be legal to possess and utilize roadkill on Jan. 1, which is the technical effective date of the Wildlife Traffic Safety Act, but that’s not the case,” said David Bess, CDFW deputy director and chief of the law enforcement division, in the release. “There is no collection or utilization program in place. We are trying to avoid any confusion by misinformed citizens who think it is lawful to collect roadkill animals.”
In order to take and possess the roadkill, a permit is required under the new law. And that is what needs development.
Capt. Patrick Foy, with the CDFW’s law enforcement division, said it is the state Fish and Game Commission that will be tasked with putting together the program, which CDFW will then run.
“When you have a system with a lot of refined details, they will task a commission (to iron out how the program works),” Foy told the Times-Standard.
He said it typically takes about a year for a program to be launched, and the Fish and Game Commission will get the authority on Jan. 1 to begin to process. But, at this point, nothing is started so he was hesitant to provide a timeline.
“Each year it is estimated that over 20,000 deer alone are hit by motor vehicles on California’s roadways,” the bill notes. “This potentially translates into hundreds of thousands of pounds of healthy meat that could be used to feed those in need.”
The bill, authored by state Sen. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), will take effect Jan. 1, 2020, but the pilot program could be up to two years away with a launch date no later than Jan. 1, 2022. That means there could be a two-year wait for roadkill edibles to be legal.
The bill also authorizes CDFW to create a roadkill reporting database that helps identify the spots with wildlife-vehicle crashes are most common.
“Data from such a reporting system could support wildlife conservation efforts conducted through regional conservation investment strategies,” the CDFW said in its release. “That program is also not yet in place.”
There is a similar program in place through the University of California, Davis, called the California Roadkill Observation System. Accessible at https://www.wildlifecrossing.net/california/, the system allows for the uploading of data and photos by users and does not require those who add to it to be registered users.
Foy said the state database would likely have a lot of similarities with the UC Davis one already in place.
Interestingly, prior to the passage of this bill, it was legal to strike and kill a wild animal, it was illegal to eat its remains. It remains legal to inadvertently strike and kill animals, but the take process is a ways off.
Ruth Schneider can be reached at 707-441-0520.
