JULY 8, 2015
Media Contacts:
Janice Mackey, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8908
Capt. Rebecca Hartman, Law Enforcement Division, (310) 678-4864
Due to a recent increase in the number of human/coyote incidents in Southern California, residents should be particularly vigilant in watching their children and pets when outdoors.
In the past month, there have been four incidents in Irvine where young children were either bitten or scratched by a coyote, resulting in minor injuries.
Dear Wild Fish Supporters,
Mining companies want to develop nickel strip mines in the delicate headwaters of the Smith, Illinois, Pistol rivers and Hunter Creek. These headwaters play a critical role in providing the cold, clean water necessary to support the wild, native fish that call these watersheds home. Despite overwhelming opposition, the archaic 1872 Mining Law prioritizes mining over all other land uses!
Thanks to the leadership of Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley and Representative DeFazio of Oregon and Representative Huffman of California, the Interior Department is considering a proposal to protect these wild rivers and their native fish by temporarily withdrawing them from mining while Congress considers legislation—the Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act—for more lasting protection.
The detection of a disease-causing parasite has led the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to quarantine infected trout at two northern California hatcheries.
During routine hatchery and fish health checks, CDFW fisheries pathologists found that captive-raised fish at the Darrah Springs Trout Hatchery (located in the Battle Creek watershed east of Redding) tested positive for whirling disease. Prior to the discovery, trout were transferred from an infected raceway at Darrah Springs to Mt. Shasta Hatchery. While fish transferred to Mt. Shasta Hatchery from Darrah Springs Hatchery tested positive for the parasite, it is yet unknown if biological and environmental conditions allowed it to complete its lifecycle at that location. Approximately three million rainbow and brown trout at both hatcheries are now under quarantine and will undergo testing.
The State Office of Administrative Law has posted this emergency rule making it is effective as of July 2 and will expire on December 30, 2015.
The department shall maintain a list of closed waters of the state and update that list on Wednesday of each week by 1:00 pm. In the event that water conditions change later in the week, the fishing status for each specific water will not change until the day following the next Wednesday. It shall be the responsibility of the angler to use the telephone number provided below or go to the department’s website at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations to obtain the current status of any water.
The number to call for information is (916) 445-7600.
Pending action on closing waters to fishing. The regulations do not take effect until the public comment period is over and the regulation has been filed with the Secretary of State. I have seen information out there about calling a certain phone number after postings on Wednesdays but that is not in effect yet.
The regulatory process to implement actions to close waters to angling due to drought conditions is working it’s way through the system. Information on it can be obtained at
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2015/8_01es.pdf
Here is the actual regulatory language link
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2015/8_01eregs.pdf
It appears the emergency regulations will not be effective for several more weeks, and the Commission and CDFW will work together to refine the language etc.
There is an opportunity to comment on the proposed action if you so desire by going to
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2015/8_01entc.pdf
Stay tuned for more information as the situation develops.
Posted on April 22, 2015 by Matthew Copeland
Stacks of informative articles and level-headed opinion pieces have been written of late about our slinking progress toward wholesale public land transfer and the ongoing efforts to stop it. See Todd Tanner, Bob Marshall, Scott Willoughby, Ben Neary, Judith Kohler, Raph Graybill, and as always Hal Herring for particularly eloquent examples. What follows here will not be as civil. I am angry, and I am frightened. I believe that anyone who isn’t angry and frightened, isn’t paying attention. And I believe the time for polite discourse has passed.
