Legis
Environment
SB 1135, Chapter 820, Statutes of 2026 · Tuesday 29 September 2026

California Wildlife Coexistence Act

California creates a statewide wildlife-coexistence framework and expands support for nonlethal wolf-livestock conflict prevention.

The law directs the state toward preventing and responding to human-wildlife conflicts while making wolf-loss assistance contingent in many cases on practical nonlethal measures. It also makes wildlife-conflict data and program spending more public.

What the law does ​

  • Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife, if funded, to create a Wildlife Coexistence Program for incident response, nonlethal conflict prevention, investigations, reporting, technical assistance, and public education.
  • Requires a statewide wildlife-incident reporting tool and public annual online reporting beginning by July 1, 2028, covering conflicts, depredation permits, resources provided, and wolf-program outcomes.
  • Renames and, if funded, establishes the California Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program for nonlethal deterrence resources and compensation for verified wolf-caused livestock losses and indirect wolf impacts.
  • Reserves at least half of wolf-program funding for proactive nonlethal deterrence when the program balance is at least $1 million, with lower set-asides as the balance declines.
  • Conditions compensation in wolf pack territory or wolf-activity areas on practicable use of approved, ongoing nonlethal measures, with similar conditions after two compensated losses outside those areas.
  • Requires a funded technical advisory committee to provide recommendations on conflict reduction, data, funding equity, and coordination.
  • Allows dogs guarding livestock or crops to pursue wolves on their owner's owned, leased, or rented property when the dogs remain with and reasonably close to the animals or crops they protect.

Who it affects ​

  • Livestock owners and operators seeking wolf-deterrence resources or compensation.
  • People and communities reporting or experiencing wildlife conflicts.
  • Tribal, local, state, federal, nonprofit, academic, and other wildlife-coexistence partners.
  • Dog owners using dogs to guard livestock or crops.

Context ​

Most program requirements depend on legislative appropriations.