Feral Pig Bill Clears Senate Committee, Moves Forward

SAN RAMON, CA — Legislation intended to help control California’s wild pig population and reduce damage caused by them is moving forward.

Senate Bill 856 on Tuesday unanimously cleared the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, a key panel. The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The proposed legislation may help San Ramon residents who for years have been dealing with the costly damage the feral pigs cause. In 2021, San Ramon resident Ted Hunting shared his struggles with the pigs who tore up his lawn and dug holes in the ground.

The bill would lift remaining restrictions on the hunting of wild pigs in hopes of protecting the environment, private property and agriculture.

Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) proposed the bill in January.

“We’re a step closer to controlling these destructive, non-native animals, which are endangering sensitive habitats, farms, and other animals,” Dodd said in a news release.

Patch Editor Dan Hampton reported on the damage the pigs cause and how unmanageable herds of them tear up working lands.

Interbreeding has caused the feral pig population to skyrocket, which proponents of the bill argued is out of control.

Wildlife officials and farmers, among other groups, supported the bill, Dodd's office said.

“They are not native and are a real challenge to many native species. We need to take a broad approach to reducing the feral pig population and I am grateful to Sen. Dodd for his efforts on this issue," said Eric Sklar, a member of the California Fish and Game Commission.

The committee also cleared another bill from Dodd that would increase the age for a junior hunting license in California.

SB 856 was amended Wednesday after a second reading in the Senate.