Petition to Delist SWHA by Builders

Thanks to Michael Lopez for the image.

The California Building Industry Association has filed a petition with the California Fish and Game Commission to delist the Swainson's Hawk under the California Endangered Species Act. The Commission is expected to review the petition at its December meeting. It will review a California Department of Fish and Wildlife scientific evaulation of the evidence presented by the BIA for 30 days before the hearing. The public can comment up to December 1..

To find the BIA petition and supporting documentation, go to this link https://fgc.ca.gov/cesa

Here is the link to our Change.org petition to stop the delisting of the Swainson's Hawk.

https://www.change.org/protectswainsonshawk

Link to our petition to protect the Swainson's Hawk

Friends of the Swainson's Hawk is collaborating with other environmental advocates who find the petition unwarranted and the evidence presented to support it unconvincing. There's a lot at stake! The mitigation programs for the Swainson's Hawk save agricultural land and open space, and serve the open space preservation, air quality and other state goals.

James P Pachl, co-founder of Friends of the Swainson's Hawk, says "The survey used to justify the petition found 265 nesting pairs in California in 2018. Through a very suspect modeling exercise, the study authors assert that over 18,000 nesting pairs are present. We know some areas of California are seeing more Swainson's Hawk nesting, but this is a bogus estimate."

Judith Lamare, co-founder of Friends of the Swainson's Hawk, says "The building industry has failed California in not providing a housing product that most buyers can afford. So now they want to scapegoat the Swainson's Hawk for their inability to produce to meet demand. The big barriers to housing are found within the building industry and its investors. To meet the challenges of today, infill development and more efficient practices and products are required. Instead, the industry model targets the removal of protection of the environment, the paving of farmland and using political power to continue their failed business model. Its time for a change.

To help out, please make sure you have signed our petition on Change.org or sign up via our Contact page to receive email alerts from us.

Links:

Media

https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/solano-co-homebuilders-petition-state-to-drop-22369855.php

https://hoodline.com/2026/08/homebuilders-push-to-strip-protection-from-california-s-swainson-s-hawk/

Other Studies

https://scispace.com/pdf/population-and-distribution-of-swainson-s-hawks-buteo-63y8e6d45p.pdf