Wildlife Conservation Board Funds Environmental Improvement and Acquisition Projects

Media Contacts:
John Donnelly, Wildlife Conservation Board, (916) 445-0137
Dana Michaels, DFG Communications, (916) 322-2420

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At its Feb. 23 quarterly meeting, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved $17.9 million in grants funding to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California. Some of the 13 funded projects will provide benefits to fish and wildlife species, including some endangered species, and others will provide public access opportunities to important natural resources. Several projects will also demonstrate the importance of protecting working landscapes that integrate economic, social and environmental stewardship practices beneficial to the environment, the landowner and the local community. The funds for all of these projects come from recent bond initiatives approved by the voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources.

Some of the funded projects include:

• A $263,000 grant to Watsonville Wetlands Watch for a cooperative project with the Department of Fish and Game (DFG), the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the City of Watsonville and the Santa Cruz Resource Conservation District to restore approximately six acres of riparian habitat located along Struve Slough, West Struve Slough and Hanson Slough in Santa Cruz County.

• A $2.4 million grant to the Pit Resource Conservation District for a cooperative project with DFG to restore approximately 1,500 acres, protecting approximately 1,085 intact wetlands from increased head-cutting, and integrating the water delivery system to meet downstream water rights and management of seasonal wetlands on DFG’s Ash Creek Wildlife Area in Lassen and Modoc counties.

• A $1.2 million grant to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 1,622 acres of diverse native forests and riparian areas which include Port Orford cedar and Douglas fir habitat corridor linkages within the Willow Creek watershed, a salmonid stream and tributary to the Trinity River, in Humboldt County.

• A $5.5 million grant to the River Partners for a cooperative project with the California Natural Resources Agency, Department of Water Resources, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Public Utility Commission and Tuolumne River Preservation Trust to acquire in fee approximately 1,603 acres of valley floodplain and riverine habitat for the protection of habitat for special status species including Chinook salmon, steelhead trout and riparian brush rabbits, and to provide future wildlife-oriented public use and recreational opportunities in Stanislaus County.

For more information about the WCB, please visit www.wcb.ca.gov.

DFG Enhances Urban Trout Planting Efforts in Sacramento Region

DFG is enhancing its urban trout planting program in the greater Sacramento area by adding an additional 16,000 catchable size rainbow trout. Area waters will be systematically planted over the next three to four weeks (late February and early March) as close to the weekends as the planting scheduling allows. The waters to be stocked include:
 
William Land Park
Southside Park
Willow Hills Pond
Gibson Ranch Park
Granite Park, Hagen Park Pond
Mather Lake
Howe Park
Elk Grove Park
 
Urban fishing opportunities are especially beneficial to new and young anglers and are part of the larger DFG effort to help new and experienced anglers enjoy fishing.
 
“One of DFG’s goals is to increase urban fishing opportunities whenever possible,” said DFG Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This gives youth a chance to experience the outdoors right in their communities, and gives busy parents an opportunity to spend quality time with their children without extensive travel costs and planning an entire weekend around a long-distance fishing trip.”
 
DFG supports urban angling opportunity in all of its regions. The 14 trout hatcheries operated by DFG around the state work to provide consistent numbers of trout for planting in more than 2,000 waters statewide so that people can fish close to home. All anglers age 16 and older need to have a current fishing license as required by state law.

Media Contacts:
Joe Johnson, DFG Fisheries Branch, (916) 358-2943
Harry Morse, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8907

DFG Offers One-day Wild Pig Hunting Clinic in April

Media Contacts:
Lt. Dan Lehman, Advanced Hunter Education Program Coordinator, (916) 358-4356
Kirsten Macintyre, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8988

The California Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Advanced Hunter Education Program will offer a pig hunting clinic in King City on Saturday, April 21.

The clinic, which is co-sponsored by the Pacific Coast Hunter Education Association, will be held at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $45 and space is limited. Youths 16 years and younger are free but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The clinic will cover will pig biology, hunting techniques and requirements, methods for locating wild pigs, locations to hunt, and field dressing and care of game.

DFG’s Advanced Hunter Education Program will provide all necessary class equipment. Meals are not included but a barbecue lunch can be purchased from the Pacific Coast Hunter Education Association for $10 on the day of the clinic.

Registration forms are available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/index.aspx. After registering, participants will receive an e-mail with a map to the facility and a list of items to bring.