Scientists and local programs stress nonlethal measures, technology pilots and community outreach

Scientists, regional managers and NGOs used the Assembly hearing to press for proactive, science‑based prevention as the most durable path to coexistence.

Kevin Thomas described Tahoe’s trap‑tag‑haze pilot: regional staff collect DNA at incidents, collar and haze identified problem bears, and use a coordinated interagency approach (Tahoe Interagency Bear Team) to target repeat offenders. Thomas said DNA evidence indicates that a small family line — three generations in one example — accounted for an outsized share of conflict in a particular area, allowing targeted interventions to reduce broad harm to the population.

Kaggie Oreck of the UC Berkeley California Wolf Project presented modeling that projects widespread suitable wolf habitat across California and higher depredation risk where native prey are scarce; she recommended co‑designed, locally tailored prevention programs, stable funding for adaptive management and more GPS collaring and monitoring. Dr. Najera (UC Davis Wildlife Health Center) summarized field trials of motion‑activated deterrents and camera‑linked AI prototypes, reporting a 64 percent success rate in a Southern California pilot for certain device combinations but noting the problem of habituation and the need for husbandry and site‑specific plans.

Speakers across the panel argued nonlethal measures are more cost‑effective over time, but require sustained staffing, training, and community coordination. Sheriff Mike Fisher and other local officials said they will deploy trained hazing and less‑lethal tools when properly trained and resourced, and CDFW said it is working on hazing training programs and county liaison pilots.

Experts asked the Legislature to fund permanent coexistence staff and programs, expand research and evaluation of deterrents, and increase outreach to build trust — particularly by investing in local extension, NGO partnerships and technology that can amplify scarce staff capacity.