Natural Resource Volunteer Program Seeks San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay Area Residents

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking applicants for the Natural Resource Volunteer Program (NRVP) to serve as team members in the Belmont and Monterey NRVP chapters.

“The natural resource volunteers do not have law enforcement authority, but they are trained to be educational ambassadors and to provide assistance and support for CDFW,” said program coordinator Lt. Joshua Nicholas. “The mission of the Natural Resource Volunteer Program is to provide conservation and enforcement education in public service while providing biological, enforcement and administrative staff support to CDFW.”

CDFW will begin its NRVP training academy from May 21-23 in San Jose. Classes will continue one day each month from June through October. These positions are unpaid. Interested individuals go through a selection process, which includes an initial screening, application, interview and background check. If selected, individuals attend and complete an 80-hour conservation course to prepare them for a monthly service commitment of at least 16 hours. Volunteers will work with a trained mentor to implement their newly acquired skills during a six-month probationary period.

Applicants should be teachable, accountable, have basic computer and writing skills and a willingness to talk about conservation principles to the public in the field and in a classroom setting. Applicants must show a desire to work well with others in a team environment to do tasks that free up time for paid CDFW staff.

Natural resource volunteer duties may include responding to human/wildlife conflict calls, instructing at NRVP academies, representing CDFW at community outreach events, working on CDFW lands, ecological reserves, and coastal and inland fishing areas, and disseminating useful information to the public.

Further information and the application are available at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/volunteer/NRVP/. Applications are to be mailed to the CDFW Bay Delta Region Office, 7329 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558 no later than April 19, 2013. Please contact Lt. Joshua Nicholas at (707) 944-5562 with any questions.

Media Contact:
Lt. Joshua Nicholas, CDFW Law Enforcement, (707) 944-5562
Warden Mark Michilizzi, CDFW Enforcement, (916) 651-2084

Recreational Ocean Salmon Season to Open South of Horse Mountain on April 6

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) announce the recreational salmon season from Horse Mountain, Humboldt County (40° 05’ 00” N. latitude) south to the U.S. – Mexico border will open on Saturday, April 6, 2013.

In the fall of 2012, nearly 35,500 “jack” Chinook salmon returned to spawn in the Sacramento River and 21,500 returned to the Klamath-Trinity basins. While most Chinook salmon return to spawn after three years in the ocean, jacks are fish that return after just two years, making them a reliable predictor of the number of adult salmon remaining in the ocean. Fishery biologists estimate roughly 1.5 million Chinook salmon will be in California coastal waters through the summer.

While ocean populations for Sacramento River and Klamath-Trinity basin Chinook salmon are predicted to be high, the potential for anglers to catch Sacramento River winter-run Chinook and California Coastal Chinook salmon, which are protected under endangered species laws, will be taken into consideration by the PFMC and the Commission when setting the remainder of the salmon season. Fishery constraints to protect Sacramento River winter-run Chinook will mostly affect recreational anglers fishing south of Point Arena, while protections for California Coastal Chinook apply mainly to commercial anglers along the northern coast.

The daily bag and possession limit is two salmon of any species except coho. The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length between Horse Mountain and Point Arena (38° 57’ 30” N. latitude). For areas south of Point Arena, the minimum size limit is 24 inches total length. For anglers fishing north of Point Conception, no more than two single-point, single-shank barbless hooks shall be used and no more than one rod per angler when fishing for salmon or fishing from a boat with salmon on board. In addition, barbless circle hooks are required when fishing with bait by any means other than trolling.  For complete ocean salmon regulations in effect during April, please visit the Ocean Salmon Web page at: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/oceansalmon.asp or call the Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline (707) 576-3429.

Three alternatives are being considered by the PFMC and the Commission for recreational ocean salmon seasons in effect on or after May 1, including the ocean waters north of Horse Mountain. The range of alternatives north of Horse Mountain are from various dates in May through at least Labor Day weekend. The season south of Horse Mountain will extend through various dates in either October or November. For ocean areas south of Point Arena, alternatives include higher minimum size limits, mid-week closures, or short period closures during the summer months to avoid impacting endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook.  The alternatives can be found at www.pcouncil.org.

Final 2013 ocean salmon regulations will be decided next month by the PFMC (April 6-11) and the Commission (April 17) and will be published in the CDFW 2013 supplemental fishing regulations booklet available in May at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations.

Media Contacts:
James Phillips, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 576-2375
Mike Taugher, CDFW Communications, (916) 591-0140

CDFW to Offer Clinics for Young Archers

March 7, 2013
Media contact:  Lesa Johnston, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8933

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will offer two beginning archery clinics this spring for young archers between the ages of 8 and 17.

The first clinic, the Youth Archery Spring Fling, will be held Saturday, April 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maya Archery Range, 750 Galleria Blvd. in Roseville (Placer County).

The second clinic, the Mojave Youth Archery Blast, will be held Saturday, June 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mojave Archers Range, 10500 Eaby Road in Phelan (San Bernardino County).

“Archery is a sport that motivates youth to spend time outdoors, and California has some of the best and most scenic outdoor ranges available to the public,” said Lesa Johnston, CDFW’s coordinator for the California National Archery in the Schools Program. “We hope that by offering archery opportunities, youth will be encouraged to explore the possibilities and participate in this lifelong sport.”

Each clinic includes a safety orientation, fundamental archery instruction, an introduction to various types of equipment and plenty of actual target practice. Clinic participants will be supervised by adults as they practice shooting at the outdoor stationary bull’s-eye targets.

Separate instruction will be provided for youth (8-12 years old) and teens (13-17). Participants of both age groups must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The cost is $15 for all ages, and includes the use of the equipment, snacks and lunch. Parents and guardians will also receive a lunch at no additional charge.

CDFW will co-sponsor the clinic with the California Bowmen Hunters and the State Archery Association. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Online registration is available on the CDFW website at www.dfg.ca.gov/yo. For additional information, please call the program coordinator at (916) 322-8933.