CDFW Newshttps://wildlife.ca.gov/NewsCalifornia Fish and Game Commission Holds Hybrid Meetinghttps://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/california-fish-and-game-commission-holds-hybrid-meeting8TroutFri, 13 Oct 2023 14:30:10 GMTAt its October meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission acted on several issues affecting California’s natural resources. The following are just a few items of interest from this month’s meeting held in San Jose and Trinidad, with an option for the public to join via Zoom.<p>At its October meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission acted on several issues affecting California’s natural resources. The following are just a few items of interest from this month’s meeting held in San Jose and Trinidad, with an option for the public to join via Zoom.</p> <p>The Commission adopted regulations to clarify inland sportfishing regulations, and regulations for mitigating risks for cervid importation and movement to prevent chronic wasting disease from entering California.</p> <p>The Commission adopted <a href="/News/Archive/white-sturgeon-harvest-reduced-for-2023-2024-season#gsc.tab=0">emergency regulations to reduce harvest of white sturgeon for 2023-2024</a>.</p> <p>The Commission heard a presentation on the history of the Heritage and Wild Trout Program, after which they approved the proposed designated waters for 2023. This year’s waters include Fish and Sharktooth creeks in Fresno and Madera counties. Sharktooth Creek provides backcountry anglers with a rare opportunity to catch an out-of-basin Paiute cutthroat trout. Also added to the list were the Hilton Lakes complex in Mono County, which contains four different trout species in a sub-alpine setting.</p> <p>The Commission voted unanimously to list Lime Ridge eriastrum as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).</p> <p>The Commission voted unanimously to list Inyo rock daisy as threatened under CESA.</p> <p>The Commission recognized Daniel P. Connelly, Joseph Fleskes, Beth Huning and Albert Seeno Jr. as this year’s inductees into the <a href="https://www.cawaterfowlershof.com/" target="_blank">California Waterfowlers Hall of Fame</a>.</p> <p>The Commission extended the existing emergency regulations for California halibut daily bag and possession limits.</p> <p>Commission President Eric Sklar, Vice President Erika Zavaleta and Commissioner Samantha Murray participated from San Jose. Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin participated from Trinidad. There is currently one vacancy on the Commission.</p> <p>The agenda for this meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the <a href="https://fgc.ca.gov/Meetings/2023" target="_blank">Commission website</a>. Archived <a href="https://cal-span.org/search/?q=fish+and+game+commission" target="_blank">video of past Commission meetings</a> is available online. The next meeting of the full Commission is scheduled for December 13-14, 2023 in the San Diego area and via Zoom.</p> <p>###</p> <p><em><strong>Media Contact:</strong><br /> <a href="mailto:jordan.traverso@wildlife.ca.gov">Jordan Traverso</a>, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352</em></p> <p><em>The California Fish and Game Commission was one of the first wildlife conservation agencies in the United States, predating even the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries. There is often confusion about the distinction between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Commission. In the most basic terms, CDFW implements and enforces the regulations set by the Commission, as well as provides biological data and expertise to inform the Commission’s decision-making process.</em></p> CDFW Celebrates 50 Years of Wild Trout Watershttps://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-celebrates-50-years-of-wild-trout-watersHabitat RestorationMon, 24 Oct 2022 15:35:31 GMTCDFW is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first designated “Wild Trout Waters” in the state, a pioneering wild trout conservation and management practice at the forefront of the nation’s modern environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s and a designation still benefitting California anglers today.<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:22px;"><em><strong>State Designation Protects and Enhances California’s Wild Trout Fisheries<br /> While Providing Unique Angling Opportunities for the Public</strong></em></span></p> <p>The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first designated “Wild Trout Waters” in the state, a pioneering wild trout conservation and management practice at the forefront of the nation’s modern environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s and a designation still benefitting California anglers today.</p> <p>The California Fish and Game Commission created CDFW’s Wild Trout Program in 1971 at the urging of California Trout, the nonprofit, San Francisco-based wild trout conservation organization formed the same year. CDFW’s Wild Trout Program – today called the Heritage and Wild Trout Program – was created in recognition of the need to protect and enhance the state’s wild trout fisheries while also maintaining wild trout fishing opportunities for the public. The program was born at a time when the national consciousness was becoming attuned to negative impacts on natural resources, including population declines among fish, wildlife and plant species.</p> <p>In 1972, the Commission designated 17 streams as Wild Trout Waters and has added to those waters every year since. Under the California Fish and Game Code, the Commission is required to add at least 25 miles of stream and at least one lake to the program annually. Among those first 17 Wild Trout Waters were portions of the North Fork American River, Hat Creek, Fall River, the Eel River, the Owens River and Hot Creek. Many of the first designated wild trout fisheries are still recognized today by trout anglers throughout the country.</p> <p>“The founders of the Heritage and Wild Trout Program were truly visionary a half century ago, and we certainly owe them a huge thanks for the conservation of these very special places and these very special fish,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “What I most appreciate about the program is its dynamism. It continues to grow and adapt, adding more waters and more special fishing opportunities every year while managing through our contemporary environmental challenges the founders of this program never could have imagined – a changing climate, epic drought, devastating wildfires and a human population approaching 40 million California residents.”</p> <p>“This anniversary is a huge milestone,” said Curtis Knight, executive director of California Trout. “CalTrout has been proud to promote and partner with CDFW on the Heritage and Wild Trout Program since its inception. We believe this program was progressive and cutting-edge when it was established in the 1970s. Today it has evolved and continues to be one of the most effective fish water policies in the country.”</p> <figure style="float: right;"><img alt="A panoramic view of Hat Creek in Shasta County within the Lassen National Forest." src="/Portals/0/Images/OCEO/News/HatCreekShastaCounty.JPG" /> <figcaption><strong>Hat Creek in Shasta County is forever linked with CDFW's Heritage and Wild Trout Program as one of the first streams in the state designated as a "Wild Trout Water." <em>CDFW photo.</em></strong></figcaption> </figure> <p>Earlier this month, the Commission added two new waters to the program: The North Fork Mokelumne River, which flows through portions of Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties, and Silver Lake in Tulare County have both been designated as Wild Trout Waters.</p> <p>Since its founding, the main charge of the program has been to manage and enhance California’s wild, self-sustaining trout populations. The program was expanded in 1988 to include conservation of native trout species within their historic ranges and renamed the Heritage and Wild Trout Program. In 2003, the <a href="/Fishing/Inland/HTC">Heritage Trout Challenge</a> was launched to encourage anglers to explore waters that support native trout species. Anglers that catch any six of the state’s qualifying 10 native trout species from their historic drainages are recognized by CDFW with a personalized award for their accomplishments.</p> <p>Over the years, CDFW’s Heritage and Wild Trout Program has had far-reaching impacts on fisheries management and angling culture by:</p> <ul> <li>Raising awareness and education of California’s native trout species</li> <li>Driving monitoring and formal management plans for trout</li> <li>Fostering a catch-and-release fishing ethic that today is commonplace as the standard practice to protect self-sustaining wild trout and other fisheries</li> <li>Managing for genetic integrity by avoiding stocking hatchery trout into designated waters and working to prevent hybridization</li> <li>Serving as an example for other states to promote fishing and conservation of their own native trout species and catch-and-release fishing. The 12-state, <a href="https://westernnativetroutchallenge.org/" target="_blank">Western Native Trout Challenge</a>, for example, was modeled after CDFW’s Heritage Trout Challenge.</li> </ul> <p>More information is available by visiting the <a href="/Conservation/Inland-Fisheries/Wild-Trout">Heritage and Wild Trout Program web page</a>.</p> <p><em><strong>Top Photo:</strong> CDFW photo of a wild rainbow trout.</em></p> <p>###</p> <p><em><strong>Media Contacts:</strong><br /> <a href="mailto:Peter.Tira@wildlife.ca.gov">Peter Tira</a>, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858<br /> <a href="mailto:Farhat.Bajjaliya@wildlife.ca.gov">Farhat Bajjaliya</a>, CDFW Heritage and Wild Trout Program, (916) 215-5330</em></p>