Human dimensions of California condor recovery

California condor reintroduction at Pinnacles National Monument, within the central coastal mountains of California, is received by the community with both great support and wariness. Although condors do not conflict with ranching and hunting activities directly, fear exists that condors will attract unwanted governmental interference on private lands and legal regulations for lead ammunition. One of the major causes of condor fatalities is from lead poisoning due to ingestion of spent ammunition. The surrounding lands are a minefield of carcasses possibly ladened with lead bullet fragments. Part of the solution for condor survival relies not just on science, but on the human dimension. Following the successful community outreach program for California condors in Arizona, Pinnacles National Monument and the Institute for Wildlife Studies are helping lead a similar collaborative effort among governmental agencies, wildlife conservation organizations and sport gun clubs in California to lessen preventable threats to condor health through communication exchange and innovative programs.