[env-trinity] Governor's 2018 Budget: CDFW

lrlake at aol.com lrlake at aol.com
Mon Jan 15 14:45:28 PST 2018


Swell.  
$19M for critical programs and $31M for out-reach and feel-good BS.  Something is wrong with this picture.  Looks like a job security program for too many DFGW drones to me...


Amazing how a term like 'stakeholders' can make budget BS seem OK...


Lawrence Lake, RPF
Redding, CA




-----Original Message-----
From: Sari Sommarstrom <sari at sisqtel.net>
To: 'Env-trinity' <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
Sent: Mon, Jan 15, 2018 1:25 pm
Subject: [env-trinity] Governor's 2018 Budget: CDFW



https://www.scribd.com/document/368857170/California-Budget-Summary-2018-19#from_embed
 
Department of Fish and Wildlife
 
The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant
resources, and the habitats upon which they depend for their ecological value and for their use
and enjoyment by the public. While other state agencies’ missions cover conservation, the
Department is the state’s trustee agency specifically charged with protecting and conserving
fish and wildlife habitat. The Budget includes $609.7 million($93.9 million General Fund) and
2,171.8 positions for the Department.
 
Since the completion of the California Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision report to the Legislature
in 2012, the Department has worked with stakeholders to review policies to improve and
enhance the Department’s capacity and effectiveness in fulfilling its core mission. Since that
time, the Department has also pursued numerous efforts to align its fees and costs, including
the establishment of regional conservation investment strategies, mitigation banking, California
Endangered Species Act permitting fees, revenues for timber harvest plan review, a scientific
collecting permit fee, a lands pass program, indexing fees to account for inflation, and
increasing commercial fishing fees.
 
Subsequently, the 2017 Budget Act required the Department to reconvene its stakeholder
group to provide the Legislature with an update on progress toward meeting the 2012 report’s
recommended actions. The Department released this update in October 2017 showing
numerous accomplishments in meeting the original goals identified in the 2012 report. This
past fall, the Department also produced a new plan in collaboration with the stakeholder group
that outlines a future vision for the Department that is only achievable with long-term
sustainable funding.
 
Significant Adjustment:
•Sustainable Funding for Fish and Wildlife—$50.6 million of ongoing funding ($6.6 million
General Fund, $18 million Motor Vehicle Account and $26 million Tire Recycling
Management Fund) to address the structural imbalance in the Fish and Game Preservation
Fund and to support the future vision detailed by the Department and stakeholder
group. This integrated and sustainable funding proposal supports the four elements
identified this fall with the Department’s stakeholders: (1) expanding conservation efforts,
(2) improving hunting and fishing and increased participation, (3) connecting more
Californians to the outdoors, and, (4) increasing stability and services for the public and
private partners of the Department. Specifically, the proposal consists of two components
described below.
 
CONTINUING CRITICAL PROGRAMS ($19.6 MILLION)
The first funding component provides $19.6 million to allow the Department to continue
critical programs supported by the Fish and Game Preservation Fund that are threatened by
the long-running structural imbalance. While revenues in this Fund have remained relatively
stable over the last decade, the expansion of statutory requirements have resulted in
additional costs. This component avoids funding reductions to the current level of service or
loss of entire program elements. These activities span all Department functions, and
include:
·         Recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters and anglers.
·         Communication with hunters and anglers to provide timely information on hunting and
fishing opportunities throughout the state.
·         Preserve fisheries management in support of fish stocking in California waterways.
·         Address human-wildlife interaction.
·         Maintain law enforcement capacity to prevent the illegal take of fish and wildlife, thereby
maximizing fishing and hunting opportunities for law abiding license holders.
·         Continue native and game fisheries monitoring.
·         Manage lands for the improvement of wildlife related outdoor recreation.
·         Upgrade and modernize marine fisheries data management systems.
·         Address emerging management needs relating to commercial fisheries, including
permitting, licensing, and environmental review.
 
EXPANDED PROGRAM ACTIVITIES ($31 million)
The second component is a $31 million augmentation to implement specific priorities
identified through the stakeholder process and detailed in the future vision for the
Department, including:
·         Expanding conservation efforts on land, in rivers and streams, and in the ocean to benefit
iconic species like salmon.
·         Increasing efforts to recover key declining and endangered species.
·         Increasing hatchery production through scientific and production support for inland
fisheries.
·         Supporting voluntary conservation programs for local governments, private landowners,
and conservation organizations across California.
·         Increasing efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and expansion of marine enforcement.
In addition, the Department will be working collaboratively with CalHR to explore options
for improving recruitment and retention of wardens.
·         Exploring new approaches to ensure sustainable marine fisheries in the face of a
changing climate, including responding to challenges like whale entanglements.
·         Updating the joint Caltrans and Department assessment “Essential Connectivity” that
describes the most important wildlife and fisheries connectivity areas throughout
California and will assist with the wildlife and fishery sensitive approach to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 investments.

_______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20180115/59f9b23d/attachment.html>


More information about the env-trinity mailing list