California already suffers from the lowest number of game wardens per capita of any state in the USA (or Canada for that matter), with approximately 200 currently patrolling the state.
Still, that number may soon be a nostalgic memory; budget cuts could force a further reduction to only 100 wardens for the entire state.
With California’s financial crisis worsening, the news only gets worse. If employee furloughs to save budget dollars aren’t enough, as many as 45 percent of the state’s already-beleaguered “environmental cops” will be gone.
At that point, there would be only 100 game wardens to police the entire state.
Poachers and idiots already operate in California with a large degree of impunity, and imagine their newfound freedom to operate when the numbers of law enforcement officers falls below the triple-digit mark.
Wildlife is already suffering the impacts, though – sadly – I think we haven’t seen anything yet.
A video production company produced a documentary about the problem, which will hopefully open a few legislator’s eyes:
The Underground has chronicled its admiration for our local “Ghost Warden” Joe Powell and hope he – and his colleagues – aren’t hung out to dry.
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