(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Authorized research project” means a research project involving mountain lions subject to a Scientific Collecting Permit issued in accordance with this section.
(2) “Permitholder” means a person to whom the department has issued a Scientific Collecting Permit in accordance with this section.
(3) “Scientific Collecting Permit” or “permit” means a permit issued pursuant to Section 1002 for a research project involving mountain lions in accordance with this section.
(b) The department may authorize qualified individuals, educational institutions, governmental agencies, or nongovernmental organizations to conduct scientific research involving mountain lions pursuant to a Scientific Collecting Permit as provided in Section 1002.
(c) The department may authorize a permitholder to pursue, capture, temporarily possess, temporarily injure, mark, surgically implant a monitoring or recognition device in or attach such a device to, provide veterinary care to, and transport, a mountain lion or a product of a mountain lion.
(d) In addition to the requirements in Section 1002, an authorized research project shall be designed to do the following:
(1) Contribute to the knowledge of natural wildlife ecosystems.
(2) Minimize disruptions in the lives and movements of mountain lions and other wildlife, as well as impacts to mountain lion or other wildlife habitat, while maintaining the permitholder’s research objectives.
(3) Directly or indirectly support the sustainability and survival of mountain lion populations and healthy ecosystems.
(4) Prevent the permanent injury or killing of a mountain lion.
(e) An authorized research project shall be governed by the Scientific Collecting Permit. The permit shall include, at a minimum, proposed research methods and recordkeeping procedures that address the following:
(1) The capture of, anesthetization of, collection of diagnostic samples from, and transport of, a mountain lion or a product of a mountain lion.
(2) Attaching monitoring or recognization devices to, surgically implanting those devices in, or marking, animals affected by the research project.
(3) Providing veterinary care as required for the health, safety, and humane treatment of animals affected by the research project.
(4) The recording of the adverse effects of authorized research procedures on mountain lions and other wildlife.
(5) The qualifications of onsite personnel necessary for carrying out authorized research procedures. A permit applicant shall submit verifiable documentation demonstrating that at least one onsite staff person has at least one year of experience in proposed research methods that involve activities described in subdivision (c).
(6) Annual and final reports to the department.
(f) The department shall notify the public at least 30 days prior to the issuance of a permit, and, upon request, shall make available to the public copies of the permit and annual and final reports.
(g) The department shall handle mortality or permanent injury to a mountain lion as a result of research authorized pursuant to this section in a manner consistent with the reporting and processing requirements imposed in Section 4807.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 154, Sec. 76. (AB 1527) Effective January 1, 2016.)