Should grizzly bears roam California again?

California's state flag features a grizzly bear, a species extinct in the state for over a century. CalMatters reports that a bill advancing through the legislature would direct the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife to study the feasibility of reintroducing the apex predator. Tribal leaders and environmentalists support the proposal, arguing it would restore ecological balance and revive a cultural connection to the land that was severed when settlers systematically exterminated the species during the Gold Rush. Rural communities, ranchers, and hunting groups oppose the plan, saying it's reckless to introduce aggressive predators to a landscape already strained by conflicts with mountain lions and wolves. The bill now heads to the Assembly.

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