Bad Response From Senator Pavley

A member has forwarded a response from Senator Pavley regarding sponsoring a ferret legalization bill. It is not good news but perhaps it is the start of a dialogue.
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Thank you for your letter concerning legalizing ferrets in California. The last time the legislature dealt with this topic was in 2004 with Senate Bill 89. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 89 (Alpert), for two reasons. First, he was concerned with the risks of ferrets living in the wild. Second, he wanted to make sure that California’s environmental laws, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), were followed. CEQA requires an environmental study before state actions are taken that could have a significant effect on the environment.

Note: We sent Senator Pavley the preliminary EIR which documents why domestic ferrets cannot establish in the wild.

Current law requires an evaluation by the Department of Fish and Game. Governor Schwarzenegger made this specific point in his veto message of SB 89. To view the veto message you may visit www.sen.ca.gov and type SB 89 into the search engine.

As the chair the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, I am aware of the budget cuts that have been made at the Department of Fish and Game and the strong likelihood that this department will acquire even more cuts in the ongoing legislative session. In this economic downturn, it is unlikely that California can find funds for an environmental impact report on the effects of legalizing ferret ownership.

Note: No one asked for an EIR. The Fish and Game Commission changed their position in 2005 and created a specific policy entitled MISCELLANEOUS POLICIES
INTRODUCTION OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES which does not call for the EIR/CEQA

Thank you again for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact my office for future questions or concerns, (916) 651-4023.


Thank you,



Fran Pavley
State Senator, District 23