BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2283
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 24, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Jared Huffman, Chair
AB 2283 (Portantino) - As Amended: April 9, 2012
SUBJECT : Department of Fish and Game
SUMMARY : Renames the Department of Fish and Game as the
Department of Fish and Wildlife, and provides that the
department may be referred to as CAL WILD. Provides that no
existing supplies, forms, insignias, signs, logos, uniforms, or
emblems shall be destroyed or changed as a result of changing
the name of the Department of Fish and Game to the Department
of Fish and Wildlife, and those materials shall continue to be
used until exhausted or unserviceable.
EXISTING LAW : Creates the Department of Fish and Game as a
department within the State Natural Resources Agency and gives
the department authority over management of fish and wildlife
resources. The department is generally charged with
administering and enforcing the Fish and Game Code and wildlife
resources are held in trust by the department for the people of
the state.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS : According to the author, the name of the department
should be changed because use of the term "game," which refers
to hunted animals, does not reflect the priority of many
Californians to protect species from over hunting and
extinction.
The recommendation to change the name of the department to the
"Department of Fish and Wildlife" was also included in
recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Citizen's Commission (BRCC)
formed as part of the strategic visioning process initiated by
the passage of AB 2376 (Huffman) in 2010 and facilitated by the
Natural Resources Agency. However, the name change was
recommended by the BRCC for substantially different reasons than
articulated by the author of this bill. The BRCC recommended
that the name of the department be changed to more accurately
reflect the broader scope of the department's responsibilities
in the 21st century. While members of the Stakeholder Advisory
Group (SAG), consisting of members from a broad array of
AB 2283
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interest groups, including hunters and fishers, ultimately
decided that additional information was needed before a final
recommendation on a name change could be made, the SAG did reach
general agreement that the current name does not accurately
reflect the current mandates of the department. Specifically,
the SAG stated that "There was general agreement during
discussions that the name "California Department of Fish and
Game" reflects the historical origins of DFG (and the Fish and
Game Commission) as an agency primarily concerned with managing
hunting and fishing. The existing name does not accurately
reflect the modern, broad mandates of DFG to manage species and
habitats for a variety of purposes both ecological and
utilitarian. DFG manages seven major program areas:
biodiversity conservation; hunting; fishing and public use
administration; management of department public lands;
enforcement; communications, education and outreach; spill
prevention and response, and the California Fish and Game
Commission. Clearly this range of responsibilities extends far
beyond regulations of hunting and fishing as the current name
implies."
Potential benefits of a name change cited by the SAG included
improved alignment between the name and DFG's current broad
range of duties, and improved understanding, appreciation and
support on the part of the wider public for the mission and work
of the department. It was also noted that polling efforts
leading up to the Proposition 21 campaign in November of 2011
found that the term "wildlife" and protection of wildlife
attracted wider support from diverse constituency groups than
virtually any other term or concept. Potential drawbacks to a
name change cited by the SAG included costs (which could be
avoided by phasing in replacement of stationary, etc.,) and a
risk of alienating some of DFG's hunting constituency if the
name change were viewed as a movement away from historic support
of hunting and fishing.
Related Legislation : AB 2402 (Huffman), which is also pending
in this committee, would similarly change the name of the
Department to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, but also
contains other reforms raised in the strategic visioning process
in addition to the name change.
Opposition Arguments : Opponents of this bill object to the name
change because they believe it could result in the department
de-emphasizing hunting and fishing and lead to a reduction in
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the sale of firearms, ammunition, fishing tackle and camping
gear, and negatively affect small businesses that sell these
products. Opponents assert that although other states have
changed the names of their departments to refer to "wildlife"
rather than "game," many of those other states are strong
pro-hunting and pro-fishing states where opponents of hunting do
not have the same level of influence that they do in California.
Thus changing the name of the department has not resulted in
the de-emphasis on hunting and fishing in those other states
that opponents fear could result in California.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
PAW PAC
Public Interest Coalition
Opposition
California Association of Firearms Retailers
California Sportsman's Lobby
Gun Owners of California
National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.
Outdoor Sportsmen's Coalition of California
Safari Club International
Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096