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<h1><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Wildlife fund loan could
cost state millions in federal money<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h3 id="story_creditline"><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="mailto:mweiser@sacbee.com">mweiser@sacbee.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h4><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Published Thursday, Feb. 12,
2009<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>State officials have been
warned that California could lose millions in federal funds if they shift
revenues out of the Department of Fish and Game to ease the state budget
crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Schwarzenegger
administration has proposed borrowing $30 million from the Fish and Game
Preservation Fund, which comes from hunting and fishing license fees, as one of
many measures to balance a huge state budget deficit. The money would be paid
back to the fund by 2013, with interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>That money is supposed to be
used for wildlife and law enforcement programs at the Department of Fish and
Game, not the state general fund. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In a Jan. 27 letter to the
state, the regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said
California could lose another $30 million in federal matching funds for
wildlife programs if such a loan takes place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"We are deeply concerned
about any proposal to remove hunting and fishing license revenues from the
Department of Fish and Game Preservation Fund," Ren Lohoefener wrote in
the letter, which was triggered by The Bee's Jan. 17 story on the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Lohoefener's letter was
addressed to California Department of Fish and Game Director Don Koch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>He explained that
California's ability to receive federal wildlife matching funds depends on
honoring legal agreements between the two agencies. Those agreements forbid
using state and federal hunting and fishing license money for non-wildlife
expenses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>H.D. Palmer, deputy director
of the state Department of Finance, said the administration has not yet
responded to the letter and hopes to discuss it with the Fish and Wildlife
Service.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>He said the administration
believes that because the money would be paid back and because it is claimed to
have no immediate impact on Fish and Game programs, it would not violate the
legal agreements.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"It's not a diminution
of any program, and that's why we want to talk to the Fish and Wildlife
Service," Palmer said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The money is a relatively
small sum compared with the state's overall deficit, about $40 billion by June
2010 without major revenue and spending fixes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Yet it's a lot of money for
state wildlife programs, which have suffered regular program cuts for many
years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The subject came up at last
week's meeting in Sacramento of the Fish and Game Commission, a panel appointed
by the governor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Game wardens, who number just
200 in the field for the entire state, were not given the same exemption to
furloughs that the governor granted to California Highway Patrol officers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The commission called this
unacceptable and voted to write a letter to the governor urging him to exempt
wardens from furloughs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"We desperately need to
protect our wild environment and our critters out there, and I would be very
disappointed if our wardens were cut in any way," said Commissioner
Richard Rogers of Carpinteria.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The commission also took
steps to trim its own expenses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Monthly meetings normally
rotate around the state so people in different regions can attend. The two-day
meetings normally occur on Thursday and Friday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>This year, the commission
will meet on Wednesday and Thursday to avoid conflict with state employee
furloughs. And all its meetings will be held in the Sacramento region.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>It estimates
these changes will save the state $50,000 to $100,000 this year</span><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker, JcT</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends
of Trinity River</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>PO Box 2327</span></i><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Mill Valley, CA
94942-2327</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810
land</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810
cell</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net"><span style='color:blue'>bwl3@comcast.net</span></a></span></i></b><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><span style='color:blue'>bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</span></a>
</span></i></b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>(secondary)</span></i><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="http://fotr.org/"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.fotr.org</span></a>
</span></i></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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