Calif bill that would allow museums to mount Cougar road kills for educational purposes-----Will the crazies use this bill(if passed)as an excuse to "off" the Cats?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mountain Lion Foundation <mlf@mountainlion.org>
Date: Thu, Sep 8, 2011 at 4:16 PM
Subject: Action Alert -- Tell Gov. Brown to Pass SB769
To: rick.meril@gmail.com

Pass California Senate Bill 769                                            9/8/2011    Tell Governor Brown to Pass SB 769! Please act now--the bill is on his desk!   Senate Bill 769 allows museums and educational facilities to display deceased lions (lions that have died of natural causes or were killed legally under current California law) to teach the public about this magnificent keystone species.    Background Info  In 1990, California voters passed Proposition 117, making the mountain lion a specially protected mammal under California law.  The trophy hunting of lions was banned, and to help enforce poaching, it also became "unlawful to take, injure, possess, transport, import, or sell any mountain lion or any part or product thereof..."* (Read the full text of Proposition 117).  Museums and educational facilities were still allowed to take in the carcasses of lions that had been killed under legal circumstances, until recently when state officials decided this was prohibited under the law.  As a result, today any lion that is killed for public safety, hit by a car, or even dies of natural causes is tossed in the trash.  What a waste.  Museums, colleges, and nature centers would like the opportunity to work with these specimens to teach students and the public about mountain lions.  SB 769, coauthored by Senator Fuller and Assembly Member Huffman, would allow these deceased lions to help us further understand and protect the species.  SB 769 will not open the door to poaching, and it will preserve both the integrity and the strength of current lion protection laws.    Please contact Governor Brown and urge him to pass SB 769.   Governor Jerry Brown c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173 Sacramento, CA 95814   Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160 To e-mail the Governor, go to his website: http://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php  Enter your contact information, use "Other" for the subject matter, and check off that you would like a reply.  Once you are taken to the message part of the process be sure to include something along the lines of "Please Pass SB 769" in the title.   Sample Letter "Please pass SB 769.  The death of a mountain lion is tragic, but it's even more heartbreaking that lion carcasses are simply dumped in the trash.  So many of our museums and educational facilities would love the opportunity to learn from these specimens.  Please pass SB 769 to help the public better understand and protect this magnificent keystone species.  Thank you." Related Links Text of SB 769 MLF's letter to Governor Brown MLF's California State Page  * Mountain lions may be killed to protect people or domestic animals. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Mountain Lion Foundation follows cougar and wildlife news across the United States. For more information about cougars in your state, visit the Mountain Lion Foundation website.              Email: outreach@mountainlion.org Phone: 916-442-2666 Web: http://www.MountainLion.org

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