DFG to Hold Final Public Meeting on Suction Dredge Permitting Program
April 21, 2011
Media Contacts:
Mark Stopher, Environmental Program Manager, (530)225-2275
Jordan Traverso, Deputy Director, Communications, Education and Outreach, (916) 654-9937
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has scheduled a sixth and final meeting to take public comment on the state’s proposed Suction Dredge Permitting Program. Following the release of a Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for the proposed program on February 28, five public meetings were held throughout the state.
An additional public hearing to receive comments on the Draft SEIR has been scheduled for the last day of the public comment period, Tuesday, May 10, from 9 a.m. to noon. The meeting will be held in the auditorium of the Natural Resources Building, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento, 95814.
The Draft SEIR addresses the potential environmental effects that could result from the implementation of the proposed program. The proposal addresses the issuance of permits and suction dredge activities conducted in compliance with these permits, consistent with DFG’s proposed amendments to the existing regulations governing suction dredge mining in California.
The Draft SEIR and supporting documents are available on the DFG website at www.dfg.ca.gov/suctiondredge. Written comments must be postmarked by May 10, and may be submitted either by e-mail to dfgsuctiondredge@dfg.ca.gov or by regular mail to:
Mark Stopher
California Department of Fish and Game
601 Locust St.
Redding, CA 96001
If you require reasonable meeting accommodation for a disability or require this notice or the Draft SEIR in an alternate format, please contact the Suction Dredge Permitting Program at (530) 225-2275, or the California Relay (Telephone) Service for the deaf or hearing-impaired from TDD phones at 1-800-735-2929 or 711.
For more information about the Suction Dredge Permitting Program, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/suctiondredge/.
Proposed Suction Dredge Regulations Revised, Now Open to Public Comment
February 17, 2012
Media Contacts:
Mark Stopher, DFG Executive Office, (530) 225-2275
Kirsten Macintyre, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8988
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has revised its proposed regulations governing suction dredge mining in California under the Fish and Game Code. The revised version is now available for review at www.dfg.ca.gov/suctiondredge, and DFG will be accepting public comment on the new draft through 5 p.m. on Monday, March 5, 2012.
Written comments can be submitted by e-mail to dfgsuctiondredge@dfg.ca.gov, or by regular mail to:
Mark Stopher, Senior Policy Advisor
California Department of Fish and Game
601 Locust Street
Redding, CA 96001
DFG regulates suction dredge mining throughout California pursuant to Fish and Game Code, section 5653, et seq. Existing law prohibits DFG from issuing suction dredge permits, and suction dredging is currently prohibited until June 30, 2016.
On Feb. 28, 2011, DFG released proposed regulations and a related Environmental Impact Report for public review. The original public review period ran from February 2011 through May 10, 2011, and DFG has worked ever since to review comments and related information submitted by the public. DFG subsequently determined that revisions to the earlier proposed regulations were appropriate.
Compared to the previously proposed regulations, the revised regulations provide for more efficient permit management and account for further evaluation of species distributions and life histories. They also include further actions to ensure that authorized suction dredging is not deleterious to fish.
Printed copies of the revised regulations are also available for public review at the following DFG offices:
The original version of the proposed regulations is still available on the DFG website, along with the revised version now under public review.
Filed under Habitat Conservation, Public Comment Tagged with public comments, suction dredge