News Archive

California Biodiversity Day is a time to celebrate our state’s remarkable nature while encouraging actions to protect and steward it for future generations. Originally designated on Sept. 7, 2018, this annual event has expanded into a weeklong celebration, with this year’s events taking place Sept. 6-14 throughout the state.

The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) has approved $21.7 million in grants to support 16 habitat protection and restoration projects in 11 counties across California. Awarded at WCB’s Aug. 28 meeting, the projects will support biological diversity across 13,940 acres of the state’s most ecologically important landscapes.

They may have venison in the freezer already or enjoyed some cottontail rabbit on the grill, but many California hunters consider the Sept. 1 dove season opener the celebratory – if unofficial – start to California’s hunting seasons.

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 Aug. 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.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), will hold an online outreach meeting to take comments and recommendations from licensed hunters regarding hunting programs in the northern Sacramento Valley. The meeting will include updates on habitat conditions, availability of water for wetlands, avian influenza and hunting access opportunities.