California Wildlife Conservation Board Named Conservationist of the Year

March 7, 2013
Contact:
John Donnelly, Wildlife Conservation Board, (916) 445-0137
Dana Michaels, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-2420

The Wildlife Society’s (TWS) Western Section awarded the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) the 2013 Conservationist of the Year Award. This annual award is given to a person or group engaged in wildlife conservation – either as a profession or as an avocation – that has made an outstanding contribution to wildlife conservation in California, Nevada, Hawaii or Guam. These award recipients have demonstrated an active concern for wildlife conservation by accomplishing projects or programs that have significantly enhanced wildlife resource conservation within the Western Section geographical area.

Originally created within the California Department of Natural Resources in 1947, and later placed with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the WCB is a separate and independent Board with authority and funding to carry out programs for wildlife conservation. The WCB’s three main functions are land protection, habitat restoration and development of wildlife-oriented public access facilities. Over the past ten years, the WCB has encumbered more than one billion dollars to protect and restore hundreds of thousands of acres of precious wildlife habitats. In 2012 alone, approximately $89 million in WCB expenditures were matched by nearly $97 million in partner contributions. That money was used to acquire nearly 15,000 acres of wildlife habitat, protect nearly 33,000 acres of wildlife habitat through the acquisition of conservation easements, restore and enhance more than 4,000 acres of critical wildlife habitats, and develop or improve eight separate public access facilities.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said John P. Donnelly, WCB’s Executive Director, “especially given the fact that we were recognized by scientists and habitat managers from both inside and outside California, many of whom work internationally as well. The dedicated staff working here at the WCB made this award possible.”

The award was presented recently at the Western Section’s Annual Meeting in Sacramento. Founded in 1936 as the Society of Wildlife Specialists and renamed The Wildlife Society the following year, TWS is an international non-profit scientific and educational association dedicated to excellence in wildlife stewardship through science and education. Their mission is to enhance the ability of wildlife professionals and wildlife students to conserve diversity, sustain productivity, and ensure responsible use of wildlife resources and their habitats. Their members actively manage forests, conserve wetlands, restore endangered species, conserve wildlife on private and public lands, resolve wildlife damage and disease problems, and enhance biological diversity.  The Western Section of TWS is comprised of over 1000 wildlife managers, biologists, ecologists, and students from California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam, all devoted to the sustainable conservation of wildlife in the western United States region.

Wildlife Conservation Board Funds Environmental Improvement and Acquisition Projects

Site of a new ADA-accessible restroom and enclosed fish cleaning station at Crescent City Harbor, funded by the California Wildlife Conservation Board. Ken Anderson/WCB photo.

Crescent City Harbor, site of a new ADA accessible restroom and enclosed fish cleaning station funded by the California Wildlife Conservation Board.

November 30, 2012

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

The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved $18.8 million to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California at its Nov. 29 quarterly meeting. The 21funded projects will provide benefits to fish and wildlife species, including some endangered species, and 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 $527,000 grant to the Crescent City Harbor District for a project to construct a new ADA-accessible restroom and enclosed fish cleaning station at the Crescent City Harbor in Crescent City, Del Norte County.

• A $250,000 grant to the East Bay Regional Park District to replace two fishing piers, improve bank erosion control, and improve access pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act at Lake Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland, Alameda County.

• A $2.7 million grant to the Pacific Forest Trust for a cooperative project with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to acquire a working forest conservation easement on approximately 2,175 acres of mixed conifer forest lands near the community of Railroad Flat, Calaveras County.

• A $2.5 million grant to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County to acquire approximately 1,210 acres of land for the protection of habitat linkages and working forest property in the Pajaro Hills, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties.

• A $685,000 grant to the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) to acquire approximately  624 acres of land for the protection of desert habitat corridors leading south to the Joshua Tree National Park, located west of the community of Joshua Tree, San Bernardino County.

• A $952,000 grant to the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy to assist in a partnership project to restore approximately 180 acres of habitat in the Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit and the San Luis Rey Watershed in San Diego County.

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

DFG Opens New Hunter Check Station in North Grasslands Wildlife Area

Contact:
Steve Miyamoto, DFG Wildlife Habitat Supervisor II, (209) 827-6586
Media Contact:
Janice Mackey, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8908

 New Facility in Merced County Will Serve Thousands Each Year

 The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announces it will open its new Salt Slough – San Luishunter check station on Oct. 20.

New Salt Slough – San Luis hunter check station opens on Oct. 20

“This new facility will allow us to offer the hunting community expedited services during busy times, which will make their experience in the wildlife area even more enjoyable,” said Regional Manager Jeff Single. The new check station will provide service to an average 7,700 hunters each year in the Gadwall and Salt Slough units of the North Grasslands Wildlife Area, and the San Luis, South Freitas, West Bear Creek and East Bear Creek units of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

“Since 1947, when the Wildlife Conservation Board was established, there has been funding earmarked each year to provide public access for hunting, fishing or other wildlife-oriented recreation,” said Wildlife Conservation Board Director John Donnelly. “I’m pleased to be carrying on this tradition for the North Grasslands Wildlife Area. Our investment in this project will support generations of Californian hunters for years to come.”

Located in Merced County, the North Grasslands Wildlife Area lies within the San Joaquin River basin. The area is important to Pacific Flyway populations and supports numerous duck, goose and pheasant species.