San Francisco, CA – Noting the harm that single-use plastic grocery bags present to birds and the damage they do to California’s beautiful open spaces and communities, representatives of Audubon California today that the organization is endorsing Proposition 67 on the Nov. 8 statewide ballot. Prop. 67 affirms the statewide ban on plastic grocery bags passed by the California Legislature in 2014.

“The effects of plastics on marine birds are well documented, and we owe it to these beautiful, highly-threatened birds to remove this menace from their ecosystem,” said Audubon California Executive Director Brigid McCormack. “Single-use bags also litter our communities and degrade the quality of our parks, beaches, and other open spaces.”

The effects of plastics on marine birds are well-documented, several studies report that “single-use” bags are among the plastics ingested by birds such as albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, which can mistake the bags for prey. Other birds, such as pelicans and gulls, commonly find themselves entangled in the bags.

“Marine birds already are imperiled, facing threats from overfishing, disturbance, and climate change,” added McCormack. “We owe it to them to remove this threat from the environment.”

As Audubon California has experienced first-hand at sites such as the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles and the Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary in Tiburon, single-use plastic bags litter and degrade public places and reduce visitors’ enjoyment of nature.

About Audubon California 

Audubon California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. With more than 300,000 members and supports in California, Audubon California is a field program of the National Audubon Society.

More information is available at www.ca.audubon.org.

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