California protects 1,400 mountain lions as threatened species

The California Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved the listing for puma populations in Southern California and the Central Coast, including the Santa Cruz Mountains near San Francisco. The decision covers lions in the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, San Bernardino and Santa Ana mountains, plus the Eastern Peninsular ranges.

“I believe it’s better for us to take action before we get to that point,” Commissioner Erika Zavaleta said during the public meeting, noting the lions aren’t facing immediate extinction.

The protected populations face extinction risks of 16% to 28% over the next 50 years without intervention, according to state wildlife officials. Mountain lions in the Santa Monica and Santa Ana mountains are particularly vulnerable due to habitat fragmentation that prevents genetic mixing between populations.

These cats face multiple threats: vehicle strikes on Bay Area freeways, rat poison exposure, disease outbreaks and loss of genetic diversity from inbreeding in isolated populations. The decision follows a seven-year campaign by the Center for Biological Diversity and Mountain Lion Foundation, which petitioned for protection in 2017.

“Despite these improvements, it’s going to take decades to restore connectivity between the small, isolated genetic populations,” said Daniel Applebee of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “In the meantime, populations are at risk of being wiped out by inbreeding, fierce wildfires and other factors.”

The listing provides legal authority for state agencies to develop recovery plans and requires new developments in mountain lion habitat to consider wildlife impacts. Conservation groups expect the protections could lead to more wildlife crossings like the massive structure under construction over Highway 101.

California hosts roughly 4,172 mountain lions statewide, but not all populations face the same risks. Lions in northwestern coastal areas and the Sierra Nevada were excluded from the listing because those populations remain stable.

The decision drew strong reactions during public comment, with 57 speakers addressing commissioners. Environmental groups including the National Wildlife Federation and Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife supported the measure, pointing to the popularity of famous cats like Los Angeles’ P-22 and the mountain lion that recently walked through San Francisco.

“I felt very lucky to live in a state that cares about the conservation of these animals and that has an opportunity today to further protect them,” one San Francisco resident told commissioners.

Opposition came from agricultural groups including the California Farm Bureau and California Cattlemen’s Association, who argued the protections would complicate efforts to remove lions that threaten livestock and public safety.

Valerie Termini, acting director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, called the decision “overdue” while acknowledging mountain lions remain controversial.

“They evoke strong and varied perceptions” on management approaches, Termini said, “but the segment of the population we’re talking about today is clearly at risk from distinct threats.”

The commission granted temporary protections to these populations in 2020 as candidates for listing. The Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended the threatened designation in December, largely matching the conservation groups’ original petition but excluding southeastern desert areas and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta farmland.

Conservation director Tiffany Yap urged commissioners before the vote: “You have the power to choose coexistence over extinction. You have the power to choose to protect our incredible wildlife and our environment at a time when the federal administration is attacking our environment and rolling back environmental protections.”

While infrastructure projects like wildlife crossings and proposed legislation on rat poison restrictions may help long-term, wildlife officials say these isolated mountain lion populations need immediate protection to survive the coming decades.