KQED/QUEST wrote an article on Sen. John Dunlap of California, the man who wrote and supported California law that protected Mountain Lions. It was the first legislation in the U.S. to protect mountain lions from hunting. The article is timely as it also mentions
Fish and Game Commission President Dan Richards, who recently won notoriety by traveling to another state to kill a mountain lion.
Richards bagged his trophy in Idaho, where such kills are legal and so, his defenders insist, no big deal. Had he killed a lion in California, he could have been fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to a year in jail.
Not the role model we want for head of the Fish and Game Commission.
Read the article at The Man Who Made California Safe for Mountain Lions | KQED QUEST.
Natural History Wanderings 
I don’t see any reason to celebrate removing any effective controls of the mountain lion population in California. The linked article shows a politician grandstanding during a photo op with two “tame” mountain lions. Dunlap admits to being nervous at that event. So was I when I ran across one while hiking. However, the one that I encountered wasn’t on a leash like his were. Fortunately, I saw it before it saw me. Why don’t we bring back the grizzly bear while we’re at it?
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By: Jimbo on June 14, 2012
at 6:36 PM
Although I’m not a hunter and feel that hunting for sport, or for “bagging a trophy”, is a sign of spiritual impoverishment, I don’t agree that Richards’ actions show he’s unfit for his post. Whether the F&G Commission as a whole adds any value to Californians is another question.
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By: John W. on June 10, 2012
at 7:09 AM