CDFW News

California Fish and Game Commission Approves Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, Quino Checkerspot Butterfly CESA Candidacy and Increase in Fishing Opportunities for Recreational Groundfish

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:27:11 GMT

California Fish and Game Commission Approves Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, Quino Checkerspot Butterfly CESA Candidacy and Increase in Fishing Opportunities for Recreational Groundfish

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) has approved the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, a living document that aims to conserve western Joshua trees pressured by habitat loss and a warming climate.

Other matters acted on by the Commission at its August 13-14 meeting include designating Quino checkerspot butterfly as a candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), and adopting emergency regulations to reopen recreational rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod fisheries north of Point Conception.

Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan

The 2023 Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to develop the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan in collaboration with the Commission, other government agencies, California Native American tribes and the public.

The act also calls for CDFW to include tribal co-management principles, provide for the relocation of western Joshua trees to tribal lands upon request, and incorporate traditional ecological knowledge.

“The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act is the first state law for an iconic species that expressly directs CDFW to create a conservation plan that includes co-management with California Native American tribes,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “I appreciate this part of the act as being powerful — CDFW welcomes this.”

The final, approved plan will be available on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan website in coming weeks. Information can be found online about recent revisions to Western Joshua Tree Relocation Guidelines and Protocols, as well as western Joshua tree conservation.

“The conservation plan is a living document, which was reaffirmed today with the most recent updates to the permitting and relocation guidelines,” said Commission President Erika Zavaleta. “Holistically, we have to keep improving the plan, use its flexibility to solve problems around competing interests and implement lessons as they arise, with the broad goal of conserving western Joshua tree while respecting and supporting the needs of our tribal partners and desert communities.”

Quino Checkerspot Butterfly

The Quino checkerspot butterfly was designated by the Commission as a candidate for CESA listing. The species now proceeds to the status review stage of the CESA process and is protected during that time.

Quino checkerspot butterflies have been extirpated from 75% of their historic range in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties due to threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, pollution, agriculture and climate change.

White Sturgeon

The Commission adopted amendments to regulations for the recreational take of CESA candidate white sturgeon, as well as changes to reporting requirements.

Catch-and-release fishing for white sturgeon will continue to be available for anglers as previously established by emergency regulations that were set to expire in September 2025. The adopted amendments also change the sturgeon fishing report card from a calendar-year-based season (January 1 through December 31) to align with the sturgeon fishing season that runs from Oct. 1 through June 30. Anglers will be able to get a sturgeon report card at no fee for the October 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, season to help accommodate this change. Sturgeon report cards will be $7.50 starting with the 2026-27 season.

When submitting the proposed new regulations to the Commission, CDFW Fisheries Branch Chief Jay Rowan stated, “The best available science suggests that non-lethal take via a catch-and-release fishery will not harm the long-term viability of white sturgeon in California.”

Recent results from white sturgeon monitoring surveys by CDFW suggest the white sturgeon population has continued to decline. Reasons for the population decline include mortality from harmful algal blooms and poor river and Delta conditions.

Groundfish

The Commission adopted emergency regulations to reopen recreational rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod fisheries to all depths north of Point Conception through the end of the calendar year. These emergency regulations, which also include a new sub-bag limit for canary rockfish, are expected to take effect in the next few weeks. To learn more about the adopted regulations, review the detailed press release.

Market Squid

The Commission approved proposed amendments to the Market Squid Fishery Management Plan (MSFMP).

The MSFMP was originally drafted over the course of five years and published in March 2005. In 2023, CDFW initiated a review process for the market squid fishery and convened a Squid Fishery Advisory Committee. The committee was charged with reviewing the fishery and advising CDFW on potential changes to improve California market squid fishery management. Many of the recommended changes are now amendments to the original MSFMP.

In a separate action, the Commission adopted regulatory amendments for the commercial take of market squid that implement new provisions of the revised MSFMP.

Additional Marine Topics

The Commission adopted a 90-day extension of emergency regulations related to the commercial take of coonstripe shrimp.

The Commission adopted regulatory amendments for recreational crab fishing gear. This includes a new commercial passenger fishing vessel (CPFV) trap validation that originated from a public request that will no longer require CPFV customers to purchase individual trap validations when fishing from CPFVs. The amendments also update the surface gear requirements for hoop nets (used north of Point Arguello, Santa Barbara County) to minimize the risk of whale entanglements.

Meeting Participation and Next Meeting

Commission President Erika Zavaleta and commissioners Jacque Hostler-Carmesin and Eric Sklar were in attendance for both days of the August Commission meeting held in Sacramento. Vice President Samantha Murray and Commissioner Darius Anderson were absent.

The complete agenda for the meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission website. Archived video of past Commission meetings is available online. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for October 8-9 in Sacramento. Participants are encouraged to attend in person, with options available for Zoom or phone; for the agenda and more information visit the Commission website.

The Commission authorized staff to notify the public of potential regulation changes related to:

Bull kelp harvest restrictions. A discussion and adoption hearing is scheduled for October 8-9 on temporary commercial bull kelp harvest restrictions along the north coast and closure of lease-only administrative kelp beds.

Recreational red abalone closure. A discussion hearing is scheduled for October 9-10 and an adoption hearing for December 11-12 on a 10-year extension of the red abalone recreational fishery closure.

Invasive mussels and green crab restricted species listing. An adoption hearing for a regular rulemaking is scheduled for October 8-9 to add the invasive, non-native golden mussel, pond mussel and axe-head mussel (among others), as well as green crab to the list of live animals restricted from importation, transportation and possession.

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Media Contacts:
Jen Benedet, Office of Communications, Education and Outreach, (916) 202-4465 
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120 

CDFW Issues Permit to Advance Key Groundwater Quality Improvement Project in Yucca Valley

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:29:48 GMT

YUCCA VALLEY – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is engaged on a project to allow a key groundwater quality project to proceed in the town of Yucca Valley, in San Bernardino County. The project, to decommission thousands of septic tanks in the community and replace them with a sewer system, is designed to improve and safeguard water quality for the local residents and surrounding desert habitats.

The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act requires that any project that may impact or remove western Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) must be approved by CDFW through an incidental take permit. This permit, issued to Hi-Desert Water District and includes the region’s participating homeowners, covers potential impacts to western Joshua trees during the scope of the sewer upgrade construction project.

The project stems directly from a California Regional Water Quality Control Board Colorado River Basin Region Order (Order), which prohibits the continued use of septic tanks in Yucca Valley due to ongoing threats to groundwater quality. The Yucca Valley region is entirely dependent on groundwater for drinking water.

“In a low-cost and efficient way, this partnership between CDFW and Hi-Desert Water District will help hundreds of local residents decommission their septic tanks and secure a new sewer system,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “We're meeting the state’s goals on protecting our precious water supplies and helping families connect to a brand-new sewer line, all while minimizing harm to California’s iconic Joshua trees.”

"This project represents a significant step forward for Yucca Valley—not only in protecting our groundwater, but in showing how strong partnerships can deliver for our community,” said Tony Culver, General Manager of Hi-Desert Water District. “Our collaboration with CDFW’s staff has been essential to navigating the conservation requirements while keeping the project on track and affordable for local residents.”

In order to provide financial support to homeowners in the under-resourced community of Yucca Valley, CDFW worked collaboratively with Hi-Desert Water District to help maximize available funds from the district while finding a creative way to cover mitigation fees homeowners may incur through this project. Under the permit, Hi-Desert Water District and the homeowners participating in the project are required to avoid and minimize harm to western Joshua trees whenever possible.

For more information on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, visit CDFW’s website.

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Media Contacts:
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714
Heidi Calvert, CDFW Regional Manager,

California Fish and Game Commission: Joshua Tree Conservation Plan Review Bumped to August; Butte County’s Tufaro Named Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:25:09 GMT

Commissioners request public comment on draft plan for Joshua tree conservation by July 10

Last week the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) continued its decision on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan to its August meeting to allow more time for public and stakeholder review of recent revisions to the draft plan. The June 11-12 meeting of the Commission also brought Butte County Deputy District Attorney Michael Tufaro to Sacramento to be recognized as 2024 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year.

Based on input received during the last two Commission meetings from California tribes, the public and stakeholders, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) incorporated additional revisions to the draft Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan. The latest updates to the draft plan include guidance on assisted migration, removal of specific Joshua tree avoidance distances to reflect flexibility for different types of construction or development projects, updated Joshua tree relocation protocols and the addition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s future suitable habitat climate model data and maps.

For a summary of all changes to the draft Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, go to the meeting materials for the June Commission Meeting. The revised draft of the plan can be found on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan web page.

The Commission has requested that anyone planning to submit additional comments, do so no later than July 10 to allow adequate time for consideration ahead of discussion and potential plan approval at the August meeting.

Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year

A highlight of the Commission’s June meeting, Butte County Deputy District Attorney Michael Tufaro was honored as 2024 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year.

“All of the great work our officers do is complemented by our champions at the various district and city attorney’s offices throughout the state,” said CDFW’s Law Enforcement Division Deputy Chief Erica Manes. “Deputy District Attorney Tufaro is more than a prosecutor — he is a true steward of California’s natural heritage. His integrity, leadership and passion for justice make him a standout in our field.”

Tufaro has prosecuted numerous high-impact cases involving wildlife offenders, including one case where a subject poached more than 40 deer, committed a variety of other natural resource crimes and was also found to be in possession of dynamite. Another case saw the conviction of a man who used his fishing boat to drown a buck deer on the Feather River; the man’s boat was forfeited as part of his sentence.

“When we don’t take care of the environment and we allow people to abuse it, it’s not just an individual victim, it’s everybody in California, but not just everybody — it’s the next generation and so on,” Tufaro told commissioners. “That’s why I’m always so honored to be part of any work that California Department of Fish and Wildlife game wardens do because what they are doing is so incredibly meaningful.”

Naming Protected Areas Policy

The Commission approved amendments to its Naming Protected Areas Policy. The policy sets protocol for naming of protected areas — wildlife areas, ecological reserves and marine protected areas.

Additional amendments to the policy call for protected areas to be named in a manner that indicates geographical location and for the Commission to invite tribes with ancestral ties to the protected areas to identify traditional or contemporary tribal names that could be used in combination with names originating from geographical location. Also, no new or renamed protected areas shall be named for any person, living or dead.

Commission President Erika Zavaleta, Vice President Samantha Murray and commissioners Jacque Hostler-Carmesin, Eric Sklar and Darius Anderson were in attendance for both days of the June Commission meeting.

The complete agenda for the meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission website. Archived video of past Commission meetings is available online. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for Aug. 13-14 at the California Natural Resources Building, second floor, 715 P St., Sacramento. Participants can attend in person with options for Zoom or by phone; for the agenda and more information visit the Commission website.

Potential regulation changes

Striped bass size limit: The Commission approved notifying the public regarding proposed regulation changes to recreational striped bass harvest size limits. The changes are scheduled for discussion at the August Commission meeting and potential adoption at the Commission’s Oct. 8-9 meeting in Sacramento.

Morro manzanita take: The Commission approved notifying the public of a proposed regulation that would authorize the take of Morro manzanita while a candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act. The proposed regulation provides an exemption from the take prohibition solely for a bridge replacement project in San Luis Obispo County so that the bridge meets seismic design and safety standards. Measures laid out in a habitat mitigation and monitoring plan would compensate for impacts to Morro manzanita. The regulation changes are scheduled for discussion at the August Commission meeting and potential adoption at the Commission’s Oct. 8-9 meeting.

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Media Contacts: 
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Katie Talbot, CDFW Communications, (916) 204-1381

California Fish and Game Commission Adopts Emergency Regulations for Commercial Coonstripe Shrimp Fishery, Approves New EFP in Dungeness Fishery

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:23:00 GMT

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) adopted emergency regulations for the commercial coonstripe shrimp fishery and approved an experimental fishing permit (EFP) to test longlining gear in the Dungeness fishery, among other action affecting California’s natural resources at its February 12 - 13 meeting in Sacramento.

Emergency regulations were adopted for the commercial coonstripe shrimp (Pandalus danae) fishery to reduce the risk of whale entanglements in fishing gear.

The emergency regulations establish a management boundary at the Sonoma-Mendocino County border, a maximum depth limit of 30 fathoms for the northern fishery, a limit on the number of traps per ground line, a limit on vertical lines per vessel and a new control date of February 13, 2025. The control date may be used to determine future participation in the fishery; 14 vessels participated in the fishery in 2024, reporting a catch of almost 150,000 pounds.

The Commission approved an EFP application to test longlining gear in the California Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) fishery. This EFP would take place in spring and utilize a modified configuration of multiple traps connected by a groundline that is retrieved by a grapple, eliminating vertical lines that pose the risk of whale entanglement without use of pop-up gear. The EFP allows for up to 40 participating vessels while limiting the number of traps per vessel, traps per groundline and setting a seven-day trap service interval.

The Commission also approved a major amendment request to expand an experimental fishing permit testing pop-up fishing systems in the California Dungeness crab fishery. The maximum number of vessels that can be authorized to participate in the EFP was expanded from 10 to 40, with increases in the allowed number of traps per trawl and total per-trip traps, depending on a vessel permit’s trap tier; the trap service interval was also increased from four to seven days.

Commissioners approved CDFW’s request for a six-month extension to deliver the status review report on the petition to list white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) as threatened under CESA.

The extension is needed to further analyze and evaluate available science, undergo the peer review process, and complete the species’ status review report. CDFW anticipates receiving substantial comments and scientific information from tribes, stakeholders and other interested parties. The extension will also provide a minimum of 30 days for public review. The Commission must receive CDFW’s status review report, now due January 12, 2026, before making a final CESA listing decision.

After receiving a presentation on the development of the draft Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, commissioners discussed the draft plan that will be back to the Commission at its April meeting for further discussion before potential approval in June, as called for in the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act.

Established in 1870, the Commission marks its 155th year in 2025; it was one of the first wildlife conservation agencies in the U.S.

In the first meeting of the new year, Commissioner Erika Zavaleta was elected Commission president and Commissioner Samantha Murray vice president, swapping their 2024 posts in 2025.

The Commission moved to retain the past year’s Marine Resources, Wildlife Resources and Tribal Committee assignments — Murray and Commissioner Eric Sklar will continue to serve on the Marine Resources Committee, Zavaleta and Commissioner Darius Anderson on the Wildlife Resources Committee and Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin on the Tribal Committee.

Commission President Zavaleta, Vice President Murray and commissioners Sklar and Anderson participated in person, with Commission and department staff present throughout the meeting. Hostler-Carmesin was not in attendance for the first day of the meeting but was in attendance for the morning portion of the second day of the meeting.

The agenda for this meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission website. Archived video of past Commission meetings is available online. The next California Fish and Game Commission meeting is scheduled to occur in Sacramento April 16 - 17, 2025. Participants can attend via Zoom, by phone or in person, with the specific location still to be determined. Once the meeting location has been determined, it will be posted to the Commission website.

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Media Contacts:
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Katie Talbot, CDFW Communications, (916) 204-1381

California Takes Action to Protect Western Joshua Tree, Promote Responsible Clean Energy Development

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:37:00 GMT

Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s enactment of the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have begun work to create a conservation plan for the iconic tree which will further enable the state’s clean energy transition away from fossil fuels and support California’s actions to build more new housing.

California has some of the most ambitious climate goals in the world, including a 100 percent clean electric grid by 2045 and achieving economy-wide carbon neutrality. Meeting these targets means accelerating the development of clean energy projects, such as solar photovoltaic and energy storage systems across the state. The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act simultaneously recognizes that building the clean energy system of the future can be accomplished in tandem with the effective protection of biodiversity and iconic species, such as the western Joshua tree.

“We are optimistic the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act will have positive and lasting effects on the future of the species in the face of climate change,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Our team is excited for this opportunity to lead the way in landscape-scale species conservation while streamlining the permitting process for responsible development and much-needed clean energy.”

The act authorizes CDFW to issue permits for the removal of dead western Joshua trees and the trimming of live western Joshua trees under certain circumstances. The Act also authorizes CDFW to issue permits for incidental take of western Joshua trees in connection with clean energy, housing and other projects if a permittee sufficiently mitigates its impacts. Permittees may pay specified fees in lieu of conducting mitigation activities. Funding from the in-lieu mitigation fees will be directed to the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Fund for the sole purposes of acquiring, conserving and managing western Joshua tree conservation lands and completing related conservation activities.

The act also authorizes CDFW to enter into agreements with local jurisdictions to provide them with the authority to permit the taking of limited numbers of western Joshua trees associated with developing certain single-family residences, multifamily residences, accessory structures and public works projects.

A major goal of the law is to recognize the role public works projects play in providing essential public services and meeting housing needs for Californians, and the role that clean energy projects play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of the changing climate.

The new law also integrates meaningful collaboration with California Native American tribes through government-to-government consultation, co-management and relocation of western Joshua trees to tribal lands upon request.

Importantly, the act requires CDFW to develop and implement a western Joshua tree conservation plan in collaboration with governmental agencies, California Native American tribes and the public. No later than Dec. 31, 2024, the complete draft plan must be delivered to the Fish and Game Commission for its review and approval.

CDFW has taken the following steps to begin implementation of the new law:

Launched a western Joshua tree page to provide the latest information to the public, including an interactive map.
Created a new position to lead a team overseeing the western Joshua tree conservation effort.
Developed a subscriber-based newsletter so the public can stay informed on updates related to implementation of the act.

“The public will have the opportunity to contribute to the plan’s development through public comment and outreach meetings throughout California over the coming 18 months,” said CDFW Environmental Program Manager Isabel Baer. “We look forward to hearing from the public to help make this plan work for everyone.”

Please visit CDFW’s western Joshua tree page for more information and to subscribe to receive the latest updates.

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Media Contacts:
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352