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