California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)

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California Department of Fish and Wildlife logo [1]

Overview

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protects the state's fish, wildlife, plant and native habitats. CDFW divides the State of California into seven management regions and is responsible for managing recreational, commercial, scientific and educational uses. It also works to prevent illegal poaching.

History in California

1915- Commission employees unload trout fingerlings from a rail car to be stocked in California streams [2]
1958- Two game wardens check nets to ensure they meet commercial fishing regulations [3]

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has a long history in California: [1]

  • Pre 1851 - Spanish and Mexican game and fish laws applied
  • 1850s - California's first official fish and game laws established to protect species such as oysters elk, deer, salmon and quail. Game laws are extended to all counties in California
  • 1860s - First closed seasons for trout fishing established
  • 1870s - Board of Fish Commissioners is established, two of the first full-time game wardens are appointed, and the Fish Commission authority is expanded to include game
  • 1885 - First California fish and game laws published.
  • 1901 - Authority is expanded and game bag limits are set.
  • 1909 - Name changed to Fish and Game Commission following a greater emphasis placed on game laws.
  • 1913 - First year that fishing licenses are required. New law prevents sea otter take.
  • 1920s - Reorganization of the Commission creates 3 new departments: fish culture, commercial fisheries, and patrol. Duties of the Fish and Game Commission taken over by the Division of Fish and Game (DFG).
  • 1945 - A state constitutional amendment gives the Commission authority to make regulations for sport fishing and hunting.
  • 1950s - Five regional offices established. New branches include: Bureaus of Game, Conservation, Inland Fisheries, Patrol and Marine Research. The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act is enacted requiring consideration of DFG resources by state agencies when planning federal projects. Creation of The Water Projects Branch to monitor impacts of land use and water development projects on water quality.
  • 1960s - DFG becomes part of the Resources of California agency. The Davis-Dolwig Act enables DFG to be more influential to the State Water Project planning. A DFG water quality laboratory approved by legislature to work on projects affecting fish and wildlife. Anadromous fish hatchery established.
  • 1970s - The Endangered Species Act requires DFG to inventory the state's threatened or endangered species. Multiple species' populations are inventoried including sea otters and mountain lions. Drought in the late 1970s require DFG to rescue and relocate threatened fish species. DFG releases new deer management limits in response to state legislation enacted to manage deer herds.
  • 1980s - CalTIP is created to enable citizens to report illegal taking of fish and game. DFGs wildlife education program begins to be taught in schools. An automated commercial fish tax system is started to monitor compliance. A randomized hunting tag system is started to divide up game tags distributed each year.
  • 1990s - Aquaculture industry in California is placed first worldwide. First time a domesticated white sturgeon is spawned(federally listed). DFG becomes involved with oil spill response and prevention. Captive bred condors are released. DFG teams up with timber companies to restore fisheries and watershed resources. After the legislature passes the Marine Life Management Act, the DFG is required to set new commercial fishing regulations.
  • 2013 - The California Department of Fish and Game changes its name to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) January 1, 2013 in order to better encompass changes to their responsibilities. Game wardens are now called wildlife officers.[2]

Management Responsibilities

Regulations and Permitting

  • Recreational Fishing
  • Commercial Fishing
  • Hunting
  • Game Breeding
  • Fur Dealing

Outreach

  • Education

Conservation

  • Species Management
  • Habitat Conservation
  • Conservation Easements and Banks
  • Environmental Review
    • Cannabis Program
  • 286 Protected Areas statewide
    • 83 Wildlife Areas
    • 102 Ecological Reserves
    • 101 Marine Protected Areas

Recreational Fishing

Fly fisherman fishing the Kern River, CA [4]

CDFW is responsible for setting catch limits and publishing annual recreational fishing regulations. Separate regulations are available for ocean sport fishing [3], freshwater fishing [4], and sport fishing in Marine Protected Areas [5].

California Recreational Fisheries Surveys (CRFS) and Recreational Fisheries Data (recFIN)[6] are programs created to collect data on recreational fishing catches. This information is used to estimate catch rates and effort on a year-to-year basis, and can be used to update or change fishing regulations.

Commercial Fishing

CDFW issues the state's commercial fisherman with the proper licensing and permits needed to harvest within state waters. The department partners with multiple agencies, universities, stakeholders and fisherman to help monitor and regulate California's commercial fishing industry. By partnering with these groups, the CDFW has created a list of management programs and projects to protect and enhance California's ocean fisheries [7]. The CDFW enforcement division plays a key role in patrolling state waters and ensuring regulations are followed.

Hunting

Ring-necked Pheasant (Upland game bird) [5]

Hunting regulations and laws are implemented and regulated by the CDFW. Each year a new list of regulations is created to keep hunters up to date with new hunting laws, restrictions and hunting seasons [8]. Hunting opportunities in the state are separated into categories:

  • Small game - rabbit, coyote, squirrel, etc.
  • Large game - deer, elk, bear, bighorn sheep, etc.
  • Waterfowl - duck, geese and migratory game birds
  • Upland birds - quail, pheasant, ruffed grouse, etc.


The agency also keeps track of all public and federal lands that are available to hunters, along with resources on all California game species [9]. CDFW manages multiple programs to help develop hunting opportunities and promote land management to enhance habitat for game species:

  • Private Lands Management- This program provides incentives for landowners to manage their property for the benefit of wildlife, creating healthier populations of game species [10].
  • Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement- CDFW partners with private landowners to provide access to private lands for hunters, incentivizing the landowners with payment and liability protection[11].

Education

Hunters Education Program

In 1954, California's first law requiring hunter safety courses was established [12]. Since then, CDFW requires all hunters to pass a hunter safety course that focuses on hunting regulations, firearm safety and responsible hunting.

Outreach

Classroom Aquarium Education Program[13] Also known as "Trout in the Classroom," this program introduces students to salmonids. Each classroom raises a batch of fish eggs while learning about salmonid ecology, aquatic habitats and fisheries management. The program ends with a field trip where the fingerlings are released.

Trout in the Classroom program [6]

California National Archery in the Schools Program[14]

Fishing in the City[15] Since 1993, CDFW has hosted fishing workshops in the metropolitan areas of Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The program was developed to get people interested in fishing who may otherwise lack the skills necessary to enjoy fishing or be unaware of fishing opportunities in their communities.

California Fishing Passport program[16]Participants in this program are given a "fishing passport" and stamps to catch and check off more than 150 sport fish species while exploring the states many fishing locations.

Invasive Species[17] CDFW regularly updates lists of invasive species in the state and manages multiple online pages with information and resources on how to identify and stop the spread of invasive species.

Law Enforcement Division

CDFW Warden checking fishing licenses [7]

CDFW law enforcement officers (Wildlife Officers) are tasked with a wide range of responsibilities. These duties include [18]:

  • Enforcement of hunting and fishing laws
  • Teaching and organizing hunter education programs
  • Protecting waterways and natural habitats from:
    • Pollution
    • Illegal dumping
    • Unregulated habitat destruction/alteration
  • Responding to natural disasters


CDFW officers have the authority to enforce all federal fish and game laws, as well as all California laws [18]. CDFW Wildlife Officers responsibilities are separated into four districts:

Regional Divisions

The Department of Fish and Wildlife divides the State of California into seven management regions. The Marine Region includes the entire coastline of California. The six terrestrial regions are delimited by county boundaries with the exception of the North Central Region and Bay Delta Region (Sacramento, Yolo, and San Joaquin counties are split between the two).

  • Northern Region: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties.
  • North Central Region: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties.
  • Bay Delta Region: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
  • Central Region: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.
  • South Coast Region: Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
  • Inland Deserts Region: Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

CEQA Project involvement

In response to the January 1, 1970 passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Assembly created the Assembly Select Committee on Environmental Quality to study the possibility of supplementing NEPA on a state level. The California State Assembly passed the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in 1970. CDFW jurisdiction covers conservation, wildlife management, native plants management, and maintaining habitat for to keep populations sustainable. CDFW provides the necessary expertise for environmental reviews and makes comments on potential project impacts.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
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