BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 528
Author: Chesbro (D)
Amended: 5/27/11 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER COMM. : 7-1, 6/28/11
AYES: Pavley, Cannella, Evans, Kehoe, Padilla, Simitian,
Wolk
NOES: La Malfa
NO VOTE RECORDED: Fuller
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-3, 7/11/11
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Pavley, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Emmerson, Runner
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 6/1/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Fish and game: steelhead trout
SOURCE : California Trout
Trout Unlimited
California Advisory Committee on Salmon and
Steelhead
DIGEST : This bill extends the sunset date and operation
of the Steelhead Trout Fishing Report-Restoration Card
(Steelhead Card) until July 1, 2017.
ANALYSIS :
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Existing Law :
1. Requires any person taking steelhead trout in inland
waters to have in their possession a valid
nontransferable Steelhead Card issued by the Department
of Fish and Game (DFG). Requires the cardholder to
record certain fishing information on the Card, and to
return the Card to DFG.
2. Establishes the base fee for a Steelhead Card at five
dollars in 2004, adjusted for inflation in later years.
The current fee for 2011 is $6.48.
3. Requires fees from sale of Steelhead Cards to be
deposited in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund and
available upon appropriation by the Legislature to
monitor, restore, or enhance steelhead trout resources
and to administer the Steelhead Card program. Requires
DFG to submit all proposed expenditures to the Advisory
Committee on Salmon and Steelhead Trout for review and
comment prior to submitting a request for appropriation
of the funds in the annual Budget Bill.
4. Requires DFG to report to the Legislature by July 1,
2007, on the Steelhead Card program and any projects
undertaken with the fee revenues.
5. Contains a sunset clause providing that the Steelhead
Card program shall become inoperative on July 1, 2012,
and as of January 1, 2013, is repealed unless a later
enacted statute that is enacted before January 1, 2013,
deletes or extends those dates.
This bill:
1. Extends the operation of the Steelhead Card program to
July 1, 2017. The program will otherwise sunset on
January 1, 2013.
2. Requires DFG to report to the Legislature by July 1,
2016, regarding the Steelhead Card program's projects.
Requires the report to be submitted in compliance with
Government Code Section 9795, which requires that
reports to the Legislature be submitted to the
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Legislative Counsel and the Secretary of the Senate, and
an electronic copy submitted to the Chief Clerk of the
Assembly, and sets out other parameters for such
reports.
Background
DFG is responsible for managing and conserving California's
fish and wildlife resources, and facilitating and enhancing
opportunities for fishing. The Department is required by
statute to restore steelhead trout populations. Central to
this mandate is obtaining information on angler effort and
harvest of both wild and hatchery steelhead trout. AB 2187
(Tanner), Chapter 1037, Statutes of 1991, established the
Steelhead Trout Catch Report-Restoration Card program to
provide this much-needed information. In fact, it is the
only state-wide program to collect this data. This
program, now called the Steelhead Fishing
Report-Restoration Card (report card), has been repeatedly
modified and extended since its inception of SB 183
(Thompson), Chapter 240, Statutes of 1997, AB 2783
(Strom-Martin), Chapter 594, Statutes of 2002, and AB 2773
(Berg), Chapter 297, Statutes of 2006. Among other
benefits, the data generated by the program provide
essential information needed to assess potential angling
impacts to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed
steelhead trout populations. These data are critical to
maintaining compliance with the ESA's provisions and permit
continued fishing. Under the current program, anglers are
required to possess a non-transferable report card, in
addition to a fishing license, when fishing for steelhead
trout in inland waters. Anglers are also required to
record information about their fishing locations and catch
on the report card and submit it to the Department.
Periodically, DFG is required to report to the Legislature
on the program.
In 2011, each report card costs $6.48. In the last ten
years, roughly 40,000 to 55,000 report cards were sold
annually which raised between $180,000 to $275,000 each
year. Revenue from the report card program goes to
monitor, protect and restore depleted stocks and maximize
recreational opportunities for steelhead anglers.
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The report card program will sunset on July 1, 2012, and be
repealed on January 1, 2013.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2011-12
2012-13 2013-14 Fund
Fee revenues ($180) to ($290)
per year Special*
Monitoring & restoration $180 to $290 per yearSpecial*
activities
* Fish and Game Preservation Fund
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/13/11)
California Trout (co-source)
Trout Unlimited (co-source)
California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead
(co-source)
California Sportsman's Lobby
Outdoor Sportsmen's Coalition of California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "Ýt]he
steelhead trout is an iconic California fish that has
suffered devastating populations declines over the past
several generations. In 1991 the Legislature authorized
the Steelhead Trout Report Card. In the past two decades
this program has become an indispensable tool for the
Department of Fish and Game to manage steelhead fisheries
and curb declines in population. AB 528 would extend this
program for another 5 years."
"The Steelhead Trout Report Card is the only program of
its kind in California. The information gathered with this
program is critical to ensure that fishing does not
negatively impact steelhead populations."
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According to the Outdoor Sportsmen's Coalition of
California, "Ýb]y extending the sunset on the steelhead
trout fishing-restoration card program, needed funds will
be generated to help monitor, restore and enhance
California's steelhead trout resources." The additional
supporters concur, and the co-sponsors add that "critical
projects from Los Angeles to Siskiyou County to the Central
Valley have been funded with the generated revenues."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson,
Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani,
Beth Gaines, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Grove, Hagman,
Halderman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jones, Knight, Lara, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mansoor, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell,
Monning, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan,
Perea, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Swanson, Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams,
Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Garrick, Gorell, Hueso, Jeffries, V.
Manuel Pérez
CTW:do 7/13/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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