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| State | Federal |
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The California State Legislature is currently finishing up its first round of policy committee hearings on bills introduced in 2008. While there are many different bills which would impact the hunting community and wildlife conservation efforts, COHA is pleased to report that two COHA-sponsored measures, AB 2132 and SB 1172, have thus far received bipartisan support without a single “no” vote. Below is the summary for those measures and other bills of note that COHA staff are working.
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SENATOR DUTTON PARTNERS WITH COHA TO PROTECT HUNTING LICENSE STAMP AND TAG REVENUE
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Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) has introduced SB 1172, a bill that would help ensure that hunting license stamp and tag monies fully benefit the game species and habitats that they were intended to support. The measure is sponsored by the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA).
“It only makes common sense that when hunting tags or stamps are purchased that the money raised from those sales goes back towards funding the conservation of those species pursued by sportsmen,” said Senator Dutton.
“Hunters are tired of paying into a system that doesn’t provide a reasonable assurance that the money generated is truly benefiting the intended wildlife species,” said Bob Osborne, an avid hunter who owns and manages wildlife habitat in Riverside County. “This bill would provide sportsmen and women with the assurances they deserve for their long standing commitment to California’s natural resources.”
SB 1172 would establish separate fiscal accounts for revenues derived from hunting license stamp or tag sales—specifically those for wild pigs, antelope, bighorn sheep, bear, elk, upland game birds and deer—so that the public can better track and account for them. Where existing law is insufficient, the measure would also mandate that such revenues can only be used for certain game species-related purposes. The bill would further create the opportunity for sportsmen’s organizations to provide input to the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) as to the types of projects or activities approved for funding from the accounts, while allowing such groups to assist with much-needed conservation efforts.
In addition, SB 1172 would mandate that any land that is purchased by the state with specified hunting license stamp or tag revenue be open for public hunting opportunities.
Of particular note to waterfowl and pheasant hunters who rely on Type A and Type B public areas, the measure would require that revenues derived from hunting applications and seasonal and daily use passes (which totaled almost $2 million in 2006) are used for gamebird habitat and hunting program purposes on those lands.
SB 1172 is largely modeled on existing state law that specifically governs the annual use of state duck stamp revenues. In 2006, that law helped ensure that approximately 99% of such revenues were, in fact, used for waterfowl programs. Conversely, only about 62% of monies derived from the sale of deer tags, for example, were expended that year to benefit deer and their habitat.
“This long-overdue measure would help curtail the misuse of sportsmen’s dollars within state government, and ensure that more money is available on the ground for game species habitat enhancement, population monitoring and hunting opportunity,” stated Mark Hennelly, Vice-President of COHA.
UPDATE: SB 1172 passed its first committee on April 8th by a vote of 8-0. The measure will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Hunters and other concerned sportsmen are urged to send letters of support to their respective Senator and Assembly Member as soon as possible. To find your legislator, please go to Find Your State Legislator |
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Bill Text SB 1172 |
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Sample Support Letter |
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COHA PARTNERS WITH HOUNDSMEN TO PROTECT HUNTING DOGS
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COHA has teamed-up with the California Houndsmen for Conservation to sponsor AB 2132 (Houston) a measure that seeks to ensure the safety of hunting dogs, prevent trespass, and provide the Fish and Game Commission with additional flexibility regarding the use of dogs during archery deer season.
First, AB 2132 would make it a crime to remove the collar of a hunting dog with the intent to prevent the owner of the dog from recovering it. There have been several recent cases in California as well as in other states of members of the public removing the collars of hunting dogs while they are in the field without the dog owners’ authorization, which has threatened the safety and well being of the dogs. In response, several states, including West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, have passed laws making such action a crime. AB 2132 would adopt language very similar to the recently passed Virginia law.
Further, AB 2132 seeks to clarify Fish and Game Code Section 2016, which requires hunters to receive written permission from landowners in order to hunt their property if the property is under cultivation, fenced or posted with at least three signs (of any size) per mile along all exterior boundaries. While it is relatively easy for hunters to identify property that is either farmed or enclosed by a fence, it can be more difficult for them to determine which non-agricultural or unfenced lands are so restricted. AB 2132 would help prevent trespass by requiring non-agricultural or unfenced lands to be posted with one sign at least 8 ½ by 11 inches in size per one-third mile along all exterior boundaries, so that hunters can better identify restricted lands.
And finally, AB 2132 would require the Fish and Game Commission to consider adopting regulations permitting the use of one dog per hunter, during archery deer season, to aid in the recovery of deer. This provision is very similar to current Fish and Game Commission regulations that allow deer hunters, during rifle season, to use one dog while hunting.
On May 8, 2008, AB 2132 passed off the Assembly Floor with a vote of 75-0. We are encouraging individuals to submit letters of support to their respective Senator and Assembly Member as soon as possible. To find your legislator, please go to Find Your State Legislator |
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Bill Text AB 2132 |
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AB 334 (Levine) Failure to Report Lost or Stolen Handgun - OPPOSE
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AB 334 would make it a crime to fail to report within 5 days a lost or stolen handgun to local law enforcement authorities. COHA opposes this measure because it would unreasonably increase the criminal liability of some hunters who take wild pigs, deer and bear with handguns without providing significant public safety benefits. The bill also wrongfully penalizes innocent victims of crime.
At the March 27th Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing, COHA staff argued that requiring an individual to report handgun theft or loss within 5 working days is not always practical in cases where travel, work responsibilities or other time constraints are involved. We also noted that in cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley where similar handgun regulation schemes have been tried, virtually no arrests or convictions of criminals have arisen as a result. In addition, no formal studies have yet been conducted to assess their effectiveness.
AB 334 is currently on the Inactive File of the Senate Floor. |
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AB 362 (De Leon) Ammunition Sales Restrictions – OPPOSE
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AB 362 would, among other things, essentially ban mail order and internet sales of handgun ammunition, and require purchasers of handgun ammunition to provide detailed personal information, including name, address, driver’s license number, and amount of ammunition purchased. In addition, AB 362 imposes a “user fee”, yet to be determined, on handgun ammunition purchasers to fund background checks.
Due in large part to intense opposition by COHA, NRA, and several other conservation and sporting firearms organizations, AB 362 was completely gutted in the Senate Public Safety Committee on July 10th. The measure now requires the Attorney General to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of licensing or registering handgun ammunition sales.
AB 362 has been held in the Senate Committee on Appropriations. |
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AB 815 (Berryhill) Prohibition on Local Governments Regulating Hunting and Fishing Activities - SUPPORT
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COHA is again sponsoring legislation which is intended to keep local governments from interfering with the otherwise legal taking of fish and game. AB 815 would clarify that cities and counties cannot impact hunting and fishing activities within their jurisdictions unless it is for legitimate public safety reasons only. In addition, it would specify that the Fish and Game Commission is the only state entity which may promulgate regulations regarding the taking of fish and game, while requiring the Commission and all other public resource agencies to protect the hunting and fishing rights inherent to public navigable water areas.
In May, AB 815 was overwhelmingly approved by the State Assembly by a vote of 72-3. However, the bill stalled in the Senate Natural Resources Committee after the bill’s author and COHA refused to accept additional amendments that would have unnecessarily water downed the bill’s hunting and fishing protection provisions, which are derived from existing State Attorney General Opinions and case law.
The bill will likely be heard again in June of 2008. |
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Bill Text AB 815: Restrictions on Local Governments |
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AB 912 (Parra) Mentored Hunting Program - SUPPORT
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COHA Sponsored Legislation
COHA – in partnership with the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and the California Waterfowl Association – continues to work closely with the Department of Fish and Game and numerous hunter education instructors on legislation which would create a voluntary mentored hunting program in California. Specifically, this bill would allow individuals – prior to passing the mandatory ten hour hunter safety course – to hunt small game, upland game birds and waterfowl for a limited time while under the immediate and direct supervision of a qualified mentor. COHA and its partners are committed to establishing a mentored hunting program that is not an alternative, but rather an incentive, to enroll in the traditional ten hour hunter safety education course.
Hunting has long been one of the safest outdoor recreational pursuits, thanks in large part to hunter education. However, there is always room for improvement. According to a study published by the National Wild Turkey Federation, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation titled, Families Afield: An initiative for the future of hunting, those who hunt under the direct supervision of a mentor are the safest of all hunters. COHA and its partners strongly believe a mentored hunting program that provides hands-on, practical experience prior to taking the required hunter safety education course will ultimately produce more competent and safe sportsmen.
AB 912 will not be taken-up in 2008. However, COHA, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, and the California Waterfowl Association will continue to build support for this important measure and look to reintroduce it in the near future. |
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Bill Text: AB 912 Mentor Hunting |
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AB 923 (Wolk) California Wildlife Action Plan – SUPPORT
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| AB 923 directs the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to implement the recently completed California Wildlife Action Plan. In 2000, Congress passed a law requiring all states that accepted federal State Wildlife Grant Program funding to complete a comprehensive state wildlife conservation strategy by the end of 2005. Congress intended that these state wildlife conservation strategies provide a blueprint for state fish and game departments’ management of non-game wildlife. However, California’s Plan would also help to implement some of the habitat goals and objectives of the Central Valley Joint Venture—a critically important public/private, non-regulatory conservation effort for waterfowl and other migratory birds that is authorized through the federal North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Both COHA and many of its conservation partners, including the California Waterfowl Association, participate on the Joint Venture and strongly support its habitat conservation work. AB 923 easily passed the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee in April but was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee. |
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AB 1634 (Levine) Mandatory Spay and Neuter for Dogs – OPPOSE
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COHA has teamed up with the California Cattlemen’s Association and California Farm Bureau to oppose AB 1634, which would require all dogs and cats under 6 months to be neutered or spayed unless the owner has been issued an “intact permit” from a local jurisdiction. Although there are exemptions provided in the bill that would cover certain classes of dogs, owners or buyers of dogs used for sporting or other legitimate working purposes would still be significantly impacted. In particular, breeders who improve the lines of working dogs could be forced to pay intact fees which could run into the hundreds of dollars; and the hunting public could expect a significant decline in both the quantity and quality of puppies available.
COHA met with the author’s office and several members of the State Legislature pointing out that hunters and their dogs are not part of the “pet overpopulation” problem the author identifies. We also argued that the bill discriminates against lower income Californians, is a disincentive for pet owners to seek veterinary treatment for their intact animals and is unnecessary, as local jurisdictions can already pass their own spay and neuter requirements. Finally, we pointed out that the 6 month spay and neuter requirement does not take into consideration the age at which sporting dogs are determined to be fit for breeding.
In response to our efforts and those of literally hundreds of other concerned groups, as well as opposition from thousands of individuals, AB 1634 was not voted upon in the Senate Local Government Committee.
The bill will not likely be acted upon again until June. COHA staff are planning to join with other opposition groups to launch a major grassroots letter writing campaign against the measure just prior to the expected vote. |
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AB 2062 (De Leon) Ammunition Sales Restrictions - OPPOSE
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AB 2062 is nearly identical to another Assembly Member De Leon bill, AB 362 (2007). AB 2062 would, among other things, effectively ban mail order and internet sales of handgun ammunition and require purchasers of handgun ammunition to provide detailed personal information, including their name, address, drivers license number, thumbprint, and amount of ammunition purchased.
Although well-intended, AB 2062 would create a serious disincentive for law abiding members of the public to purchase handgun ammunition and therefore participate in hunting and other legal shooting activities. By essentially banning mail order and internet sales of handgun ammunition (given that all transactions must be completed “face-to-face”), AB 2062 forces sportsmen and women to rely entirely on local ammunition dealers who often charge higher prices or may not have available all handgun ammunition calibers and types. In addition, AB 2062 unnecessarily requires individuals to submit personal information simply to buy commonly used sporting ammunition given that current law already mandates an extensive background check with each firearm purchase.
AB 2062 is currently in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. |
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AB 2291 (Mendoza) and AB 1938 (Plescia) – Incentives to Spay/Neuter Dogs - SUPPORT
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Two separate measures have been introduced to encourage dog owners through financial incentives to voluntarily spay/neuter their pets. AB 2291, by Assembly Member Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), would create the Low Cost/Free Spay-Neuter Fund by allowing taxpayers to designate a contribution to the Fund on their tax returns. AB 1938, by Assembly Member George Plescia (R-San Diego) would authorize a tax credit in an amount equal to 25% of the aggregate amount paid or incurred by a taxpayer for spay and neuter services.
COHA supports these measures as non-regulatory alternatives to mandatory spay/neuter programs, such as that provided under AB 1634 (Levine), which would wrongly force dog owners, including hunters and other owners of working dogs, who are not contributing to the pet over population problem to spay/neuter their animals under threat of penalty.
AB 2291 passed its first committee with bipartisan support and is currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 1938 will be heard in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee in May. |
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AB 2502 (Wolk) – North Delta Islands Acquisition/Restoration - WATCH
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A bill that would have significant impacts on local, unattached waterfowl hunters is AB 2502, by Assembly Member Lois Wolk (D-Davis), which would authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation to acquire and restore 3 islands in the north Delta—specifically Prospect Island, Liberty Island and Little Holand Tract. These islands currently offer waterfowl habitat of varying quality, and are at times used heavily by both waterfowl hunters and fishermen.
While COHA supports state ownership of these islands (all of which are currently either owned by the federal government or were acquired with public money) and believes that restoration activities could improve their waterfowl habitat values, we also have concerns about the impact of the legislation on both local hunters and neighboring landowners. In particular, we are asking the author of the bill to take amendments which would: 1) ensure a role for the Department of Fish and Game in managing the islands, particularly as it relates to any hunting program; 2) ensure that both waterfowl and upland game bird (i.e. pheasants and doves) hunting would be allowed; and 3) make hunting and fishing “priority uses” so that other recreational uses would not significantly impact those activities.
While the sponsor of the bill, Ducks Unlimited, is supportive of our amendments, it is still unclear whether the author will take them, as proposed.
AB 2502 is currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. |
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AB 2566 (Hancock) – Local Regulation of Handgun Possession – OPPOSE
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A bill that COHA and other sporting groups were recently successful in defeating is AB 2566, by Assembly Member Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), which would allow local governments to adopt their own regulations over the possession of handguns.
As with hunting laws/regulations, COHA believes that state preemption should apply to the regulation of all firearms, whether it be their possession, use, transfer or sale; and, that local government restrictions in these cases are both unnecessary and threaten to conflict with state regulations. In particular, AB 2566’s provisions would make it exceedingly difficult for hunters moving between jurisdictions to lawfully pursue game species, including deer, wild pigs and bear, for which handgun hunting is currently permitted by state Fish and Game Commission regulations. Furthermore, this measure would pose significant problems for hunters in rural areas where county boundaries are typically unmarked or unclear.
AB 2566 currently sits in the Assembly Public Safety Committee and is dead for this year. |
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AB 2602 (Smyth) Ban on University Support of Hunting/Trapping – OPPOSE
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AB 2602, by Assembly Member Cameron Smyth (R-Santa Clarita), would make it the Legislature's intent to bar colleges and universities from funding, facilitating or otherwise supporting any hunting or trapping activities.
This measure would inhibit the necessary monitoring or research of diseases that can be carried and transmitted by game bird and mammal species. For instance, monitoring of the deadly Avian Influenza virus is currently facilitated in cooperation with the University of California through the sampling of migratory waterfowl taken by hunters throughout the state. The academic study of other harmful game diseases, such as trichinosis in wild pigs and bear or chronic wasting disease in deer, can also rely on hunting or trapping activities and therefore would be adversely impacted by this bill.
In addition, AB 2602 would potentially hinder the use of hunting and trapping as much-needed wildlife management tools to benefit native species. For example, the protection of endangered California clapper rail populations currently depends on the trapping and removal on non-native red foxes from their coastal wetland habitats. Recognizing the very limited budgets currently available to the Department of Fish and Game and many other conservation agencies, COHA believes that AB 2602 would wrongly leave wildlife managers with fewer outside resources and less assistance at a time when they need them most.
It should be noted that AB 2602 arbitrarily targets only hunting and trapping activities, while still allowing college and university support of the lethal take of wildlife through any other legal means. In this regard, it is clear that the author’s intent is anti-hunting in nature, and that the measure is not based in sound science or fact.
Fortunately, strong opposition from COHA and many hunters who contacted the author’s office was enough to compel Assembly Member Smyth to abandon AB 2602. The measure currently sits in the Assembly Higher Education Committee, where it is dead for this year. |
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AB 2785 (Ruskin) – Identification of Wildlife Corridors – SUPPORT
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AB 2785 (Ruskin) would require the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to investigate, study and identify areas of the state that are most essential as wildlife corridors and habitat linkages.
COHA supports this measure because it would help identify and map some of the state’s most ecologically valuable lands, including those used by game species. Over the last several decades, roads, housing and other development have fragmented key habitat areas of California. In particular, traditional migratory routes for deer and other game species have been significantly compromised, resulting both in increased mortality and genetic isolation of certain wildlife populations. AB 2785 would help to identify these valuable corridors using the best available biological data, so that the state can take the appropriate steps to protect and conserve them over the long-term.
It should be noted that AB 2785 is very similar to AB 828 (Ruskin), which was vetoed last year by the Governor. COHA is currently working with supporters of AB 2785 to ensure that it addresses the issues raised by Governor’s veto message.
AB 2785 passed its first committee 9-4. It is currently located on the Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File. |
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AJR 41 (Lieu) Polar Bear ESA Listing – OPPOSE
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COHA is opposing a resolution by Assembly Member Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) which would urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list polar bears under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in response to presumed impacts to their populations from global climate change.
Recognizing the adverse impact of an ESA listing on American hunters who travel to Canada to pursue polar bears and then transport their hides/parts back to the U.S., COHA provided testimony against AJR 41 at the April 1st Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife hearing. We pointed out that an ESA listing would actually harm polar bears by reducing hunting license associated revenues for polar bear conservation. We also reminded the committee that the listing of any species under the ESA should be based as much as possible on the best available biological data, and the State Legislature does not have the necessary scientific expertise to make that important determination.
COHA also noted that, according to the World Conservation Union, only 7 of the 19 subpopulations of polar bears are declining and that global populations of polar bears have actually increased from about 5,000 in the 1970s to approximately 25,000 in 2007. In addition, several international and national conservation strategies for polar bears are already in place, including the 1973 International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears (which includes the five countries that currently contain polar bear habitat—the United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark and Russia) and the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act—raising serious questions as to whether it is, in fact, necessary to additionally list them under the federal ESA.
AJR 41 passed the committee on a partisan vote and subsequently cleared the Assembly Floor. It will next be heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. |
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AJR 46 (Benoit) The Right to Keep and Bear Arms – SUPPORT
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COHA is supporting AJR 46, a resolution that seeks to memorialize the California State Legislature’s support of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and two recent United States Appellate Court decisions that interpreted the Second Amendment to guarantee the individual the private right to keep and bear arms.
Even though resolutions have no legal authority, the passage of AJR 46 would be significant given the leftward leaning political makeup of the California State Legislature. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that struck down a ban on the possession of a handgun in the home.
COHA staff will continue to support AJR 46 and keep a watchful eye on the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming months. |
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SB 1108 (Machado) Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Program – SUPPORT
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SB 1108 would establish the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Program, to be administered by the California Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy), for the purpose of restoring, enhancing, and protecting the unique agricultural, recreational, and wildlife habitat values of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta consists of nearly 500,000 acres of rivers, sloughs, levees, and farmland meandering through five counties: Solano, Yolo, Sacramento, San Joaquin and Contra Costa. These waterways and adjacent uplands provide essential habitat for many aquatic species and year-round, as well as, seasonal habitat for hundreds of other species including many that are rare and endangered. Additionally, the Delta is an extremely popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, particularly fishermen and hunters.
By creating the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Program and associated fund, the Conservancy will be able to undertake projects and award grants to public agencies and qualified nonprofit organizations to promote wildlife friendly farming, protect farmland, enhance wildlife habitat, and ensure additional public access and recreational opportunities, including hunting, in the Delta.
SB 1108 passed out of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water on April 8, 2008. The measure is currently in the Senate Committee on Appropriations on the Suspense File. |
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SB 1256 (Ducheny) Salton Sea Restoration Council - SUPPORT
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Over the past several years, COHA has worked closely with the Defenders of Wildlife, Pacific Institute, Audubon California, and others to advocate for restoring the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea ecosystem provides critical habitat for more than 400 bird species, including waterfowl, and several threatened and endangered species.
SB 1256 sets forth the implementing structure for the Salton Sea restoration effort and would move the restoration process forward by creating a governance structure, housed within the Resources Agency and staffed by the Department of Fish and Game and Department of Water Resources. This governance structure, known as the Salton Sea Restoration Council, would be charged with implementing the critical Phase 1 habitat and air quality components of the Restoration Plan (also known as “Early Start” projects) as well as the next steps in implementing the Restoration Project’s Preferred Alternative, consistent with the habitat, air, and water quality objectives. Funding for this effort will be provided by the funds currently within the Salton Sea Restoration Fund, additional bond funding earmarked for the Salton Sea, and federal Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) funds specifically targeted for Salton Sea restoration.
With strong support from our coalition, SB 1256 passed out of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water on March 25, 2008. The measure is currently in the Senate Committee on Appropriations and should be heard in the coming weeks. |
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FY 2008/2009 DFG and WCB Budget
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is preparing to release his “May Revise” of the FY 2008/09 Budget proposal he submitted to the State Legislature back in January. Thus far, the grim budget predictions from the Legislative Analyst’s Office have proven to be accurate. Fortunately for California’s sportsmen and woman, the Department of Fish and Game and the Wildlife Conservation Board faired pretty well considering the State’s $14.5 billion budget deficit. However, the Governor has eliminated 38 Warden positions and cut $1.2 million from the Hunting, Fishing, and Public Use Program which includes avian influenza monitoring.
COHA staff will continue to monitor the Department of Fish and Game and Wildlife Conservation Board’s budget as the Governor releases his “May Revise” and the Legislature continues to provide their input. |
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FY 2008/2009 State Parks Budget
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| COHA has teamed-up with the California State Parks Foundation and the California Council of Land Trusts to fight the Governor’s budget proposal to close 48 State Park properties. COHA does not typically get involved with State Parks’ budget issues since hunting is not allowed in State Parks and the conservation of game species is seldom a priority. However, the Governor’s closure proposal includes Picacho State Recreation Area (SRA), in Imperial County, and Woodson Bridge SRA, in Tehama County, both of which provide, or facilitate access to, waterfowl and upland game bird hunting opportunity. As this proposal moves through the Legislature, COHA staff will continue to pressure lawmakers to find solutions to keep these Recreation Areas open to public use. |
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$100 Million for Central Valley Wetlands Included in Bond Measure
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In response to requests by COHA and our wildlife conservation partners, including the California Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited and Grasslands Water District, Senator Don Perata (D-Oakland) recently amended his water bond measure, SB 2x, to include at least $100 million in funding for the purchase of water rights and water conveyance infrastructure to benefit state and federally managed wetlands under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA). If ultimately approved by the State Legislature and the California electorate, the funding would help increase and enhance migratory waterfowl use of National Wildlife Refuges, State Wildlife Areas and private wetlands within the Grasslands Water District. As such, the quality and quantity of public and private waterfowl hunting opportunities throughout the Central Valley would be increased. SB 2x is currently on the Senate Floor.
While bond negotiations have recently stalled between the Governor and Legislative leadership, efforts are also underway to gather signatures to place an alternative bond measure(s) before the voters. COHA and its partners were recently successful in including the $100 million CVPIA wetlands provision into such a bond measure, which supporters have until July 14th to gather the requisite number of signatures in order to place it on the statewide ballot. For full text, see http://ag.ca.gov/cms_attachments/initiatives/pdfs/i763_07-0092_initiative.pdf |
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COHA Political Action Committee (PAC)
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The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance -- Political Action Committee (COHA PAC) held its inaugural fundraising dinner on April 10, 2008 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple in Sacramento. The event -- which was widely attended by hunters, shooters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts -- was a smashing success, raising substantial funding to promote the campaigns of pro-hunting and angling candidates for California statewide office.
Prompted by the increasing frequency of attacks on hunting, angling, shooting sports, and science-based wildlife conservation in California, in 2007 the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) formally established COHA PAC -- a political action committee, or PAC, which contributes funds to state political candidates and elected officials that support the traditional outdoor legacy of California’s sportsmen and women. Now, more than ever, there is a need to ensure that California outdoor interests are well represented at the State Capitol by COHA – the professionals who are working to protect our hunting, wildlife conservation, and shooting traditions. COHA and COHA PAC are working together to ensure a strong future for California’s wildlife and fisheries and those who have a passion for the outdoors. |
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COHA Presents Senator Harman With Leadership Award
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The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA)—the state’s most comprehensive association of hunting and wildlife conservation advocates—has selected Senator Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) for its Leadership in Conservation Award. This award recognizes Senator Harman’s support of hunting and science-based wildlife conservation during the 2007 State Legislative Session.
Mark Hennelly, Vice President of COHA, stated, “Senator Harman well understood the hunting community’s concerns and was an active opponent of anti-sportsmen legislative measures; in addition, he was highly supportive of our efforts to secure funding for wildlife conservation activities during the water bond negotiations."
“I am truly honored to be recognized and bestowed such an award by one of our state’s largest pro-hunter and conservation associations,” commented Harman. “When I was first elected in 2000, I was shocked at the lack of outdoor enthusiasts here at the State Capitol. I quickly learned that when it came to guns or the outdoors, there was a vacuum of knowledge and only a select few of us here in Sacramento have consistently held the line against the ongoing assaults on hunters, fisherman, and 2nd Amendment rights,” further commented Harman.
Legislation identified for the award that was opposed by Harman included Assembly Bill AB 1634, mandatory spaying/neutering of dogs; AB 1471, mandatory micro-stamping of ammunition; AB 821, ban on the use of lead ammunition; AB 334, mandatory reporting of stolen/lost firearms: AB 362, ammunition sales restrictions. Each of these measures would not only restrict hunting or gun ownership rights, but would result in considerably less public funding available for wildlife conservation efforts though reduced hunting license sales or federal Pittman-Robertson Act monies.
Bill Gaines, President of COHA, commented during the award ceremony, “Very few proposals flow out of California’s Legislature that fairly balance conservation, the public’s ability to hunt and the right to purchase and possess firearms. Senator Harman works closely with our Alliance and our member groups on a daily basis to positively promote wildlife conservation and protect the interests of California’s outdoor community in what is arguably our nation’s toughest theater.” |
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Turkey Tag - COHA-Sponsored Legislation under Consideration
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COHA is currently working with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to evaluate the benefits, downfalls, and hunting community response to offering a turkey tag in California. Wild turkeys are a very popular game bird in California. However, the Department of Fish and Game does not collect basic information needed to better manage wild turkeys and increase hunter opportunity in the state. A special turkey tag could provide this valuable information.
How will a turkey tag help? The answer is simple. Carefully written turkey tag legislation would provide funding and information. For example, revenues from a turkey tag could help fund more turkey habitat improvement projects, provide additional hunting opportunity, and fund much-needed wild turkey research in the state. In addition, a California turkey tag could provide critically needed information on the number of turkey hunters in our state, population trends, and the geographic extent of current turkey populations. This is information we currently do not have and is necessary for future management of wild turkeys in the state. If COHA and NWTF determine that a turkey tag is supported by NWTF members, state legislation would be introduced in January 2008. |
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COHA is proactively working with our national conservation partners on several legislative issues on the federal front that are of interest to our membership. Below is a brief summary of just some of the items we are currently working on the federal stage: |
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2007 Farm Bill
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Throughout much of 2007, COHA and CWA’s primary focus on Capitol Hill was on the 2007 Farm Bill – massive federal legislation that will outline federal farm policy through 2012. COHA and CWA worked closely with many partners – including Wildlife Mississippi, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Pheasants Forever and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership – to ensure the availability of several important programs under the bill’s Conservation Title. Top priorities include reauthorizing, fixes the appraisal process and fully funding the Wetlands Reserve Program, establishing a program which supports spring and summer water for waterfowl broods and listed species, and creating a program which would provide funding for more public hunting opportunity in California and throughout the nation. Promising progress was made on each of these fronts when, in the summer of 2007 and in late December, of the same year the House and Senate, respectively, each passed their versions of the bill which included much of the desired programs and funding targeted by our partnership. Final agreement on the bill will be reached in House/Senate conference committee, which will take place in early 2008. Once all of Congress has reached final agreement on the bills’ provisions, the measure will heads to the President’s desk for his consideration. But, with 2008 being an election year, what normally may be an easy path for the Farm Bill could have many unexpected twists and turns.
Spring and Summer Water – “Water Bank” Program
Until the mid-1990s, private landowners who were interested in applying spring and summer water on their wetlands had the option of enrolling in the federal Water Bank Program – a program which paid a small incentive per acre to offset water and management costs. When that program “sunsetted” in 1995, COHA staff – while with the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) – worked with the Grasslands Water District to successfully obtain changes in USDA administrative rules that allowed some expiring Water Bank Program contracts to maintain their benefits under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Unfortunately, many expiring Water Bank lands could not re-enroll under CRP due to their inability to qualify under the program’s guidelines or the poor timing of their 10 year Water Bank contract expiration. In the 2007 Farm Bill, our goal is to address this need under a dual approach.
First, we are working with Wildlife Mississippi (WM) to secure amendments in the statutory language of the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) which would allow USDA to make incentive payments to landowners enrolled in the program. Although the House version of the 2007 Farm Bill passed off of the House Floor without our desired language, the needed amendment was successfully inserted in the Senate version of the bill. COHA and CWA must now work with WM and other partners to secure the needed language in the final measure of the bill agreed to by the House and Senate in conference committee in 2008. Success on the legislative front does not, however, guarantee that the targeted spring/summer water incentive program will be implemented on the ground as desired. COHA and CWA must supplement our legislative effort by also working with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to ensure their administrative guidelines (i.e., the rule) allow and promote incentive payments for spring and summer water irrigations.
We are also working with WM in an effort to make the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) available to address our spring and summer wetland water needs. Although no statutory language is needed in the Farm Bill to implement such a program under EQIP, administrative rule changes and USDA support are necessary. In 2008, COHA and CWA will continue to work to secure this program support.
Wetlands Reserve Program
Early versions of the House bill, H.R. 2419, failed to offer necessary WRP funding, and fix the appraisal process raising concerns that the future of the program could be in serious jeopardy. However, many of these concerns were put to rest in July with the release of revised language in the 2007 Farm Bill which proposed additional funding and acreage for the critical waterfowl program. Panic over WRP was largely resolved in July 2007 when the House Agriculture Committee unanimously approved a new Farm Bill which provided funding to reestablish a baseline and extend the program through 2012. The bill also proposed additional acreage for the WRP program, and directed USDA to determine the fair market value when evaluating appraisals that are used for payment offers. The bill, largely as marked up by the House Agriculture Committee, passed off of the Floor of the House in late July. After some similar “scares” on the Senate side, that body finally followed suit by passing a bill which also included a strong WRP provision.
WRP is a highly successful federal waterfowl habitat program that has restored over 100,000 acres of wetlands in California, and more than two million acres nationwide since 1992. WRP is a voluntary, non-regulatory, incentive-based program that assists private landowners and farmers with removing marginal farmlands from production and restoring, enhancing and protecting wetlands on their lands.
Public Access – Hunting Opportunity
Following the lead of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), COHA and CWA worked to include an unprecedented provision in the new Farm Bill which would provide $20 million per year in grants to fund state-managed voluntary access programs, with the monies specifically earmarked for enhanced of wildlife management and improved recreational opportunities on land enrolled in Farm Bill conservation programs. We are pleased to state that this unprecedented provision was successfully included in both the Senate and House versions of the bill, ensuring its presence in the final measure, if and when it is signed into law.
The state access program example most often used by partners when seeking congressional support for this provision was the Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Program created by CWA-sponsored state legislation, AB 396 (Harman), in 2003. The main objective of this California program is to offer the public 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. With the inclusion of the important funding provision in the 2007 Farm Bill, the SHARE Program should now receive strong funding through 2012. |
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H.R. 1495 – The “Water Resources Development Act of 2007”
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| In November, over five years of effort by COHA, CWA, the Suisun Resources Conservation District (SRCD) and U.S. Representative Mike Thompson (D-1st/CA) paid dividends when the House and Senate voted to override the President’s veto of H.R. 1495 – the “Water Resources Development Act of 2007”, or “WRDA”. Among other things, the measure authorizes significant funding for habitat restoration and enhancement in the Suisun Marsh. H.R. 1495 includes language which requires the Secretary of the Army to conduct a comprehensive study to determine the feasibility of opportunities for restoring, preserving and protecting the Suisun Marsh. The measure also authorizes the Secretary to participate in critical restoration programs that will produce immediate and substantial ecosystem restoration, preservation and protection benefits in the Suisun Marsh and other areas of the San Pablo Bay watershed. The bill authorizes a total of $40 million for the habitat enhancement and restoration. However, these funds must now be appropriated in order to be available for expenditure. COHA will continue to work closely with SRCD, CWA, Representative Thompson and other local Members of Congress to ensure these monies are soon made available to benefit Suisun Marsh habitats and the waterfowl and other wildlife species that depend upon them. |
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H.R. 1022 – “Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2007"
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COHA is also monitoring H.R. 1022 -- legislation offered by U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-4th/NY) which would reinstate for ten years criminal provisions regarding assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices (the assault weapons ban). Among other things, COHA is concerned that loosely written language in the bill could even impact the sale and/or possession of traditional sporting arms.
Although the bill has garnered 51 co-sponsors, it has yet to show any movement. Upon its introduction in February, the bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, where it still resides as of mid-July. |
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H.R. 2757 – Duck Stamp Act/Wetland Loan Act
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In June, U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-1st/CA) and Don Young (R-At Large/AK) introduced H.R. 2757, legislation which would authorize an increase in the price of the federal duck stamp to accelerate the restoration, enhancement and protection of waterfowl habitats. The measure has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources where it is currently waiting hearing in the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans.
The bill proposes to amend the Duck Stamp Act and the Wetland Loan Act to reauthorize appropriations to promote the conservation of waterfowl and to prevent or offset the loss of critical wetlands and other waterfowl habitats. To generate additional funding, the measure would increase the price of the federal duck stamp to $25 beginning in 2009 through 2016, and increase the price of a stamp to $35 after 2016.
The legislation would also authorize $40 million/year for FY 2009 through 2018, with funds appropriated pursuant to the Act treated as an interest free advance to the migratory bird conservation fund. Repayment to the fund would be made annually out of the revenue generated by federal duck stamp sales sold that year that is in excess of $15 per stamp.
At COHA’s request, H.R. 2757 includes language which states that the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the USFWS, shall help to ensure that National Wildlife Refuge System lands which are acquired with these funds allow hunting and other priority general public uses, consistent with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966.
For well over a year, COHA has been working with Thompson’s staff, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and other national partners on crafting a bill which would achieve Representative Thompson’s desire to address our wetland goals, while assuring that lands acquired by the increase in the price of the stamp provide hunting opportunity for the public.
Last Session, U.S. Representative Mark Kennedy (R-6th/MN) introduced H.R. 4315, a measure which also would have increased the authorization of appropriations for wetland habitat acquisition. That bill proposed to fund the “advance” by increasing the price of the federal duck stamp to $25 dollars in 2007 and to $35 in 2015. The bill failed in committee, and – a couple of months later – its author, Congressman Mark Kennedy, also failed in his attempt to win a Minnesota Senate seat. With Kennedy out of Congress, Thompson will author a similar measure in the 110th Congress.
When first introduced last session, H.R. 4315 promptly garnered sweeping support from all interested conservation organizations. However, COHA took serious exception to the fact that the bill proposed to pay for the escalated habitat protection efforts by taxing solely the duck hunting community – with no assurance that those hunters who pay would also benefit from a corresponding increase in hunting opportunity. In an effort to address this concern, COHA diligently worked to obtain amendments which would require that funds only be used to acquire lands that would be open to hunting.
Although bird watchers, photographers, nature lovers and the public as a whole benefit from waterfowl habitat acquired and protected by duck stamp dollars, only hunters have ever paid into this fund. Since the enactment of the Duck Stamp Act in 1934, our nation’s duck hunters have generated over $600 million for the acquisition of roughly 5 million acres of federal refuge lands. Yet, only a small percentage of these lands are open to the user group that contributed the greatest amount toward their purchase. Although well intended, without language which ensures the incremental dollars directly result in more hunting opportunity, H.R. 4315 and the current H.R. 2757 would have amplified this imbalance by again calling upon the hunting community to dig deeper into their pockets to finance the accelerated acquisition of lands that are enjoyed by others, but offer minimal hunting. |
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S. 1502/H.R. 2473 – “Open Fields”
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Federal legislation that would provide critical funding to states which have hunter access programs has been reintroduced in the 110th Congress. In May, U.S. Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Pat Roberts (R-KS), and U.S. Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-At Large/ND) and Jerry Moran (R-1st/KS) introduced S. 1502/H.R. 2473 – legislation which would provide $20 million annually in federal grant funding to the states in fiscal years 2008 through 2012 for the expressed purpose of financing state private lands access programs. The intent of these sister measures is to encourage owners and operators of privately-held farm, ranch and forest land to voluntarily make their land available for public access under programs administered by States and tribal governments.
If passed, funds authorized by S. 1502/H.R. 2473, could be made available to COHA’s Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (“SHARE”) Program – a public access to private lands program in California created by legislation (AB 396) sponsored and passed by the California Waterfowl Association and COHA staff in 2003. During the fall of 2006 and the spring of 2007, COHA successfully administered the SHARE Pilot Program in California. Federal funding made available by these measures could ensure the success of a full-scale SHARE program for several years. (See “SHARE Pilot Program”).
In both the 108th and the 109th Congress, CWA and COHA staff worked with Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and many of our federal partners to pass similar “Open Fields” legislation without success.
Funding for state private land hunting access programs has also been included in the 2007 Farm Bill (see "2007 Farm Bill"). |
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