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| Each year, COHA must fight to defeat dozens of bills and proposed regulations which would impact the future of your hunting heritage. |
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| "Our Association believes that it is no longer enough to simply conserve and improve habitat, we must also get involved with the 'Decision Makers' that are determining the use of this valuable, renewable resource." |
Andy Wood,
President of the California Deer Association |
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Sacramento Valley National Wildlife Refuge/State Wildlife Area Hunt Programs
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COHA, in coordination with CWA, continues to work with Sacramento NWR Complex and DFG Region 2 staff on their hunt programs in the Sacramento Valley. Recently, COHA with me with the DFG Region 2 manager discuss the results of hunter surveys and enforcement issues. We were pleased that, due to less hunter conflict in the field and greater regulatory compliance, the Regional Manager is not proposing any new restrictions for hunters during the upcoming waterfowl/pheasant season at either Gray Lodge WA, Yolo WA or the Upper Butte Basin WA. We also met in late April with the Sacramento NWR Complex to discuss proposed changes to the USFWS’s Sacramento Valley hunt program, particularly at Sutter and Delevan NWRs.
COHA’s goal in working on with both the USFWS and DFG is to avoid any new restrictions on hunters, to the extent possible, on state and federal lands and to ensure a balance of hunting opportunities (both in terms of quality and quantity) between free roam, assign pond and blind users. |
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Governor Appoints New DFG Director
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On April 16, 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Donald Koch Director of the California Department of Fish and Game (Department) – the agency tasked with managing California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, their habitats, and the hunting, fishing other recreational programs provided on Department and many other publicly owned and managed lands.
Mr. Koch recently retired from the Department after a distinguished career of over 30 years. During his long tenure with the Department, Mr. Koch served in a number of capacities. Most recently, he was advisor to the Director, representing the Department in Klamath River negotiations. Previously, he served the Department as Northern California-North Coast (Region 1) Regional Manager from 1998 to 2007.
"In the 30 plus years I have done work to protect and preserve California’s resources, I have learned that to accomplish the challenges that lie ahead, we must maintain good working relationships with like-minded organizations. I look forward to working with the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance, along with other organizations, to manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend," stated Mr. Koch.
In recent years, COHA staff have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Koch on a number of key issues important to wildlife and the hunting community in northern California. Now that Mr. Koch will be leading the Department of Fish and Game, COHA staff looks also looks forward to continuing to work with him on many of the significant challenges facing the Department. For the Governor’s press release on Mr. Koch go to: Governor's Press Rekease |
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Governor Announces F&G Commission Appointment
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On February 14, 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the appointment of Mr. Daniel Richards to the California Fish and Game Commission. Mr. Richards is the founder of Coldwell Banker Commercial-Inland Empire and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. A life-long hunter and angler, Mr. Richards also currently serves as chair of the San Bernardino County Fish and Game Commission. The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance, California Waterfowl Association and other conservation organizations were pleased to support Mr. Richard’s appointment to the Commission.
The California Fish and Game Commission is a five member regulatory body that, among other things, determines seasons, bag limits, and methods of take for game animals and sport fish.
Governor's Press Release |
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COHA Support Letter |
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Executive Order Recognizes Hunter-Conservation Connection
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Executive Order Recognizes Hunter-Conservation Connection
In August, President George Bush signed an Executive Order entitled “Facilitation of Hunting and Wildlife Conservation” that directs federal agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, to increase public hunting opportunities and habitat enhancement efforts on federal lands.
See: Executive Order
In response to the order, the USFWS asked COHA and other hunting/conservation groups in California to provide input as to how federal agencies could best carry out the President’s directive. COHA provided a number of suggestions, including the following:
• Provide funding for California’s private land hunting access program, the Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Program.
• Encourage the California Department of Fish and Game to administer a “mentored hunting program” in California (as now being done in several other states) which encourages youth and adults to hunt.
• Providing dove hunting opportunities on USFWS lands. Currently, most California NWRS lands do not allow dove hunting.
• Unless required by federal law (i.e. purchased with federal Duck Stamp funds), abandon “60% Closed/40% Open” policies which limit NWRS refuges to a maximum of 40% open to hunting and 60% to be set aside as sanctuary/non-hunting areas.
• Considering allowing hunting for migratory birds to extend to ½ hour after sunset, should biological information support such a change.
• Urge states for which a migratory game bird season has been authorized (i.e. doves, swans, cranes) to, in fact, provide that opportunity to its citizens.
• Encourage the National Park Service and other federal resource agencies, where possible, to use hunting as a wildlife management tool. |
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CWA and COHA Joint Press Release |
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Funding for Mosquito Control
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COHA and the California Waterfowl Association have teamed-up with the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California, and the California Rice Commission to help Assembly Member Lois Wolk (D/8th–Davis) secure an additional $500,000 in the Department of Fish and Game's FY 2007/2008 budget to support the continued application of Best Management Practices (BMPs) (i.e. ecological-based mosquito controls) to reduce mosquito populations on Gray Lodge, Mendota, Upper Butte Basin, Los Banos and North Grasslands Wildlife Areas.
In recent years, the same partners worked together to help the Department obtain one-time supplemental funding for the development of BMPs. Since then, the BMP program has reduced the West Nile virus risk, pesticide load in the environment, and annual mosquito control expense of the Department and many private wetland managers, while encouraging the conservation of wetlands critical to waterfowl and other wildlife. This year’s augmentation is particularly critical, given that all prior funding we helped to obtain has been full
expended.
Governor's Press Release |
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Joint Letter of Support |
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Salton Sea Restoration
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In 2004, California Resources Secretary, Mike Chrisman, appointed the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) to the Salton Sea Advisory committee, which is tasked with a lead role in helping the State and federal governments determine the Salton Sea's future – including formulating policy on how to deal with the Sea's increasing salinity, and the impact on the Sea's fishery and its surrounding wetlands. This committee, which is chaired by Mr. Chrisman, is now meeting on a monthly basis. In addition to our lead role on the Advisory Committee, COHA staff is also taking part in several subcommittees involving habitat and alternative Sea configurations on behalf of CWA. Our primary goal in participating on these committees is to ensure that the Salton Sea Restoration Plan maximizes waterfowl benefits and hunting opportunity throughout the Salton Sea region.
COHA staff have teamed-up with the Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, and other conservation partners to support the Salton Sea Advisory Committee’s preferred alternative, which greatly improves and increases waterfowl habitat in and around the Salton Sea. The Legislature is currently scrutinizing the Salton Sea restoration plan and should act in the next few weeks. |
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SHARE Pilot Program
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Despite Limited Funding, Support for SHARE Program Grows in Year Two
The Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Program has once again proven successful, demonstrating that a private lands access program can indeed work in California. In its second year, the program—which was implemented by California Waterfowl Association (CWA) and California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) staff as well as CWA’s North Coast Chapter—expanded to include 3 additional properties available for public hunting and received significantly greater hunter demand. No hunting accidents or vandalism were reported this season, and feedback from both landowners and hunters was again positive overall.
Although private grant funding was substantially limited this year to implement SHARE, landowners participating in the program agreed to accept lower payments while hunters were willing to pay daily access fees similar to what is required to hunt Type A Wildlife Areas and National Wildlife Refuges.
Fortunately, the Fish and Game Commission also voted 3-0 to direct the Department of Fish and Game to dedicate $100,000 to support the Program in subsequent years. COHA staff recently met with the Director of Fish and Game to help determine an appropriate source of funding from DFG’s budget, and the Department is currently finalizing that effort.
The SHARE Program was authorized in 2003 through CWA-sponsored legislation, AB 396 (Harman). As required by the legislation, a pilot program was implemented to determine overall landowner and hunter interest. With the pilot program now approved by the California Fish and Game Commission and funding in the process of being secured, the Department of Fish and Game will eventually be required to implement the program on a statewide basis.
At least 18 other states have voluntary private land access programs, and literally millions of acres of private lands have been opened to public hunting. The main objective of California’s program is offer low-cost private land hunting opportunities in an effort to retain existing hunters and encourage other individuals to take up hunting for the first time. Other goals include fostering improved relations between hunters and landowners, financially supporting farmers and other landowners who provide public access for hunting and encouraging responsible hunter behavior in the field.
Hunting opportunities through SHARE are currently limited to waterfowl and upland game birds only, but could be expanded in the future to include any game species, including deer, wild pigs and other big game species.
While hunting success this season appeared slightly lower than last year, particularly during the special late season north coast Aleutian goose hunt, many hunters participating in the program again expressed strong support for continuing SHARE. In fact, demand for hunting opportunities has grown so quickly that ensuring a reasonable chance of a hunter being drawn for the program while avoiding overcrowding issues will likely be a major challenge facing SHARE in the future.
It should also be noted that many landowners have once again commented that the program has helped to achieve their depredation control or financial objectives, and that they would like to enroll their lands into the SHARE Program for the 2008-09 hunting season. |
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