Wildlife habitat areas: use of anticoagulants.

Existing law regulates the use of pesticides and authorizes the Director of Pesticide Regulation to adopt regulations to govern the possession, sale, or use of any pesticide, as prescribed. Existing law requires the use of any pesticide by any person to be in such a manner as to prevent substantial drift to nontarget areas. Existing law requires public property where public exposure is foreseeable to be posted with warning signs prior to pesticide applications, as specified. Existing law requires the director, and each county agricultural commissioner under the direction and supervision of the director, to enforce the provisions regulating the use of pesticides. A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. This bill would prohibit, except as specified, the use of any pesticide that contains one or more of specified anticoagulants, including brodifacoum and bromadiolone, in wildlife habitat areas, as defined. The bill would direct state agencies to encourage federal agencies to comply with this prohibition. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on county agricultural commissioners, and because a violation of this provision would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.