Some companies have stepped up to the mark to address an environmental issue that seriously affects the California condor.

Forty-four biologists, researchers and other scientists have signed a “statement of scientific agreement” that the weight of research that condors are poisoned by ingesting lead fragments from the carcasses of wild animals felled by bullets is so strong that a ban on lead ammunition is justified.

 Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, has been leading the charge for the Ridley Tree Condor Preservation Act. The measure aims to bring the condor back from the brink of extinction. On July 1, hunters must use non-lead ammunition within the California condor range. The new law “will create a brighter future for this magnificent bird which has flown over California for thousands of years,” Nava said.

Custom Cartridge in Goleta is one of only eight certified non-lead ammunition manufacturers authorized by the California Department of Fish & Game.

Our hats are off to small businesses like Custom Cartridge who really should get a 21-gun salute for their work.