SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A growing political battle over restricting lead hunting ammunition has claimed a high-profile victim with the resignation of Judd Hanna from the California Fish and Game Commission.
Hanna submitted his resignation to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday. Hanna said he was told to leave by the Schwarzenegger administration following pressure from the National Rifle Association.
The commission has been debating whether to restrict lead hunting ammunition to protect the endangered California condor and other wildlife. The NRA has been a leading opponent, claiming such limits could prevent some people from hunting and open the door to additional ammo restrictions.
The Sacramento Bee reported Thursday that 34 Republican legislators wrote Schwarzenegger on Monday, urging him to remove Hanna from the commission. They claim he was “not being impartial” in the ammo debate.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the condor, and it’s about the NRA hijacking the system,” said Hanna, 66. “And it’s a shame because I’m not only a hunter, I’m a Republican.”
Bullets and shotgun pellets made of lead are believed to be responsible for poisoning and killing numerous rare California condors. Birds ingest the projectiles when they feed on carcasses and entrails left behind or lost by hunters.
In July, 45 leading condor scientists and toxicologists signed a statement asserting that a “robust chain of evidence” indicates lead ammunition poisons condors.
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