The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is committed to promoting and protecting the privacy rights of individuals, as enumerated in Article 1 of the California Constitution, the Information Practices Act of 1977, and other state and federal laws.
It is the policy of the CDFW to limit the collection and safeguard the privacy of personal information that CDFW collects or maintains. The CDFW information management practices conform to the requirements of the Information Practices Act (Civil Code Section 1798 et seq.), the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 7920.000 et seq.), Fish and Game Code Sections 391, 1050.6, and 8022, Government Code Sections 11015.5 and 11019.9, and other applicable laws pertaining to information privacy. This Privacy Policy only applies to the CDFW.
CDFW follows these principles in collecting and managing personal information:
- CDFW collects personal information only as allowed by law. Personal information, as defined in the Information Practices Act, is information that identifies or describes an individual including but not limited to:
- Name
- Social Security number
- Physical description
- Home address
- Home telephone number
- Education
- Financial matters
- Medical or employment history
- CDFW may tell individuals who provide personal information the purpose(s) for which the information is collected. At the time of collection, CDFW may tell individuals who provide personal information about the specific uses for that information. A privacy notice should also be provided on or with the form used to collect personal information.
- Individuals may review personal information provided to CDFW and contest its accuracy or completeness. To request access to your records, report any inaccuracies, provide comments, request deletions, or file complaints related to privacy or personal information access requests, please contact CDFW at Privacy@Wildlife.ca.gov.
- CDFW may use or disclose personal information for the specified purposes, consistent with those purposes, by consent, or as otherwise allowed by state law.
- CDFW may disclose personal information consistent with Civil Code section 1798.24 of the Information Practices Act. Such disclosures may include but are not limited to, pursuant to California Public Records Act requirements, disclosures necessary to perform official duties or related to the purpose for which the personal information was collected, or with other government agencies for general law enforcement purposes, etc. We limit the collection of personal information to what is relevant and necessary to accomplish a lawful purpose of the department. CDFW may provide information for surveys, research, law enforcement purposes, or as otherwise allowed under state law.
- The California Public Records Act ensures government transparency and gives the public the right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. Certain records or information are exempt from disclosure based on state law. However, personal information, as defined in the Information Practices Act, is subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act unless a specific exemption, privilege, or prohibition on disclosure applies.
- CDFW does not collect home, business or email addresses, or account information from individuals who simply browse our internet website. CDFW collects personal information about individuals through our website if an individual provides such information to CDFW through our online services. The information that CDFW may automatically collect includes the internet protocol (IP) address of the machine used to access our website.
This information is collected for customer service and audit purposes, which include improvement of our website.
- CDFW may use session cookies in some areas of our website to improve the overall usability of the site. Cookies are small text files placed on your web browser to provide a way of distinguishing among users of our website. To better serve you, we use “session cookies” to enhance or customize your visit to CDFW websites.
- On our websites, a temporary cookie may be placed on your computer for applications such as online forms that can be sent electronically. The session cookies are used to facilitate the interaction between you and the fields in the form. The cookies are not used to collect or store information about you and do not track you if you return to our website. The cookie is temporary and will be deleted when you exit your browser.
- You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. Information on how to delete cookies from your computer can be found at www.aboutcookies.org. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to use some services on our websites. If you choose to delete cookies from your browser, any settings and preferences controlled by those cookies will be deleted and may need to be recreated when you next access the Website. Fish and Wildlife prohibits any third-party web beacons on its websites that collect or access your personal information. CDFW will not distribute or sell any electronically collected personal information about users to any third party without the user’s written consent.
- CDFW uses information security safeguards. CDFW takes reasonable precautions to protect the personal information collected or maintained by CDFW against loss, unauthorized access, and illegal use, modification, or disclosure. CDFW uses encryption software to protect the security of an individual’s personal information during transmission of such information through CDFW’ information systems and websites. Such personal information is stored by CDFW in secure locations. CDFW staff are trained on procedures for the management of personal information, including limitations on the release of information. Access to personal information is limited to CDFW staff, contractors, or agents whose work requires such access. CDFW conducts periodic reviews to ensure that proper information management policies and procedures are understood and followed.
CDFW encourages all individuals to use appropriate safeguards to secure their computers and the information on those computers.