Santa Rosa Island Hunting Bill Pushed Through
September 29, 2006 - Despite a previous federal court ruling to the contrary, deer and elk trophy hunts will continue on Santa Rosa Island off the Santa Barbara coast, under a measure that San Diego-area Congressman Duncan Hunter (D-Alpine) inserted into a defense spending bill. The appropriations bill has been agreed upon by House and Senate negotiators, meaning it will likely become law. Hunter has said he wants Santa Rosa Island to become a hunting preserve for disabled military veterans, but veterans' groups say the island terrain is too rough for people in wheel chairs. The deer and elk are not native to the island and were scheduled to be removed. Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) has been fighting Hunter, with support from California US Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.