Wildlife Committee
Mission:
The Sierra Club California Wildlife Committee works on issues related to the protection of all wildlife and their habitats as well as the protection of marine mammals in ocean waters offshore of California.
We develop and carry out Sierra Club campaigns to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat in California.
Our major goals are to provide safe wildlife migration routes, protect wildlife habitat, stop the killing of wildlife and educate elected and appointed officials on the importance of wildife protection.
We work with local and state agencies to achieve the highest possible protection for all wildlife in California. We meet with various elected and appointed officials and speak out at public hearings related to wildlife protection.
Our committee is the Sierra Club voice for the voiceless wildlife in California.
Chair
Jim Hines (Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter)
Members
Wildlife advocates from throughout the Sierra Club chapters within the CNRCC region.
In 2026 join us in our advocacy efforts to:
Stop the proposed closure of national wildlife refuges in California including several designed to protect endangered California Condors in Ventura County California
Attend CA Fish and Game Commission meeting on February 12, 2026 regarding final adoption of "threatened" species status for southern California and central coast mountain lion populations and their critical habitat.
Protest to the Office of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior regarding his decision to suspend federal endangered species act protections for whales and other marine mammals off the California Coast to facilitate new offshore oil drilling.
Express concerns to the U.S. Space Force regarding the increase in heavy duty Space X Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in northern Santa Barbara county. The approved incidental take/kill permit allows for up to 15,000 marine mammals to be harassed, harmed or killed from ocean splash downs of heavy Falcon 9 rockets.
Work to ban the use of deadly wildlife killing rodenticides such as d-con which is available to homeowners, HOAs, and commercial companies to kill rats and when mountain lion eats dead rat, mountain lion dies.
Work to educate the general public on the dangers of home garden pesticide use and its deadly impacts on monarch butterflies.
Work with Sierra Club California legislative office to monitor state legislation regarding wildlife and oppose or support as needed.
2025 Wildlife Committee actions included:
Advocating for gray wolf protection both at the state government level and at the federal level.
Attending meetings of the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife and the CA Fish and Game Commission.
Advancing critically needed wildlife overpasses and underpasses over and under state highways and freeways.
Supporting the state of California central coast and southern California populations of mountain lion threatened species designation.
Advocating for a ban on nylon cords which anchor lobster and crab traps to the ocean floor, these small nylon nets entangle marine mammals.
Making comments on various local, state and federal land use plans which have an impact on wildlife habitat.
Supporting the designation of the Big Berry Manzanita as the official California state shrub.
Lobbying in Washington DC with the Office of the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding wildlife issues on national wildlife refuges in California.
