BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2376
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 13, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Jared William Huffman, Chair
AB 2376 (Huffman) - As Amended: April 5, 2010
SUBJECT : Department of Fish and Game: Strategic Vision
SUMMARY : Requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources
Agency to convene a committee to develop and submit to the
Governor and Legislature, a strategic vision for the Department
of Fish and Game (DFG) and the Fish and Game Commission (FGC).
Specifically, this bill :
1)Directs the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to
convene a committee to develop and submit to the Legislature,
by July 1, 2012, a strategic vision for DFG and FGC.
2)Provides that the committee shall include the Secretary, the
director of DFG, the president of the FGC, the chair of the
California Energy Commission, a representative of the
University of California, and representatives of the U.S Fish
and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries
Service.
3)Requires that the strategic vision address specified matters
relating to fish and game management, including but not
limited to: biodiversity management and ecosystem functions;
permitting and regulatory functions; recreational and
commercial harvest; scientific capacity; relations with the
public, landowners, nonprofits and other land management
agencies; reforms necessary to address challenges of the 21st
Century; use of technology and data systems; clarification of
the roles of DFG and FGC; and strategies for identifying other
stable funding options to reduce DFG's dependence on the
General Fund.
4)Directs the committee to seek input from other entities and
interested parties, and review existing reports and other
state models.
5)Authorizes the Governor or the committee to appoint a "blue
ribbon" or citizen commission, advisory committee, task force,
or other group or groups to assist in carrying out this task.
AB 2376
Page 2
6)Requires the committee to seek funding from non-state entities
to minimize the use of General Fund moneys for purposes of
implementing this bill.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes DFG as a department of the State Natural Resources
Agency, administered through the director, with responsibility
for managing and conserving the state's fish and wildlife and
their habitat. Provides that the fish and wildlife resources
of the state are held in trust for the people of the state by
and through DFG.
2)Establishes in the state constitution, Article IV, Section 20,
the FGC, composed of 5 members appointed by the Governor,
subject to Senate confirmation. Authorizes the Legislature to
delegate to the FGC such powers relating to the protection and
propagation of fish and game as the Legislature sees fit. The
Legislature has delegated to the FGC and to DFG various
responsibilities for the protection, management and regulation
of fish and game and their habitats.
3)Provides that the FGC shall formulate general policies for the
conduct of DFG, and provides that the DFG director is to be
guided by those policies and responsible to the FGC for
administering DFG in accord with those policies.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : The mission of DFG is to manage CA's fish, wildlife
and plants, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their
ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.
In addition to its traditional role of managing fish and game
activities, DFG is the state's lead public trustee charged with
conserving and restoring CA's wildlife and ecosystems. DFG's
broad responsibilities have expanded and become increasingly
more complex over time. Today California is the most populous
and biologically diverse state in the nation. As a result of
population growth and associated development pressures, and
competing demands for finite natural resources, CA's environment
has experienced unparalleled stressors and resource conservation
challenges. In addition, new challenges such as the need to
adapt to climate change and to site renewable energy projects,
has increased the work load of DFG.
AB 2376
Page 3
The author has introduced this bill with the long term goal of
improving and enhancing DFG's capacity and effectiveness in
fulfilling its public trust responsibilities for protection and
management of the state's fish and wildlife, for their
ecological values and for the benefit of the people of the
state. Numerous past reports and studies, including reports by
the Legislative Analyst's Office, the State Auditor, the Little
Hoover Commission and others have highlighted the need for
reform of DFG. This committee, on February 9, 2010, held a
day-long informational oversight hearing on DFG in which the
committee reviewed DFG's many mandates and emerging challenges,
identified areas where improvements are needed, and received
recommendations on ways that DFG's capacity, effectiveness and
accountability could be enhanced. A number of common themes
emerged from the hearing, including the following:
Need for a dedicated, stable funding source.
Need for new management models to manage wildlife in an era of
scarcity and multiple threats.
That the importance of ensuring DFG has capacity to fulfill
its mission is heightened by the state's legal public trust
responsibility under the constitution to protect fish and
wildlife.
Need for greater conservation planning efforts statewide,
including for monitoring and data collection.
Need for greater clarity between roles of DFG and FGC.
Need to expedite, prioritize and incentivize the permitting
process for voluntary habitat restoration, including on
private lands.
Need for increased on the ground game warden enforcement
capacity.
Need to strengthen DFG's in-house science capacity and
partnerships with other academic institutions, like UC and
CSU.
Database system modernization, standardization, management,
coordination and public access should be high priority.
While these and other common themes emerged from the hearing, it
was clear given the complexities, that a comprehensive review
and strategic analysis is needed. This bill provides a pathway
for developing that strategic vision, through creation of a
state agency-level committee that can look in depth at the
issues, with assistance of a blue ribbon or citizen commission
and other advisory groups. A process similar to this approach
was used to develop the Delta Vision and strategic plan.
AB 2376
Page 4
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Audubon California
California Coastkeeper Alliance
California Council of Land Trusts
California Trout
Defenders of Wildlife
The Nature Conservancy
The Sportfishing Conservancy
Trout Unlimited
Trust for Public Lands
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096