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February 12, 2010 No. 2010-3 |
COHA Provides Testimony at Fish and Game Hearings
Over the past week, California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) staff testified at two separate state legislative hearings concerning the California Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) budget and DFG's role in conserving fish and wildlife.
At a February 4th Senate Budget Committee meeting, COHA urged Legislators to reject a proposed cut of $5 million from DFG's hunting and fishing programs due to the adverse affect on public hunting and fishing opportunity, as well as the potential loss of federal matching funds. COHA's concerns were well received, and the committee is currently looking at alternative ways to reduce General Fund expenditures without further reductions to those programs.
On February 9th, COHA was invited by the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee to provide input on ways to improve DFG's effectiveness in carrying out its wildlife conservation mandate. COHA's testimony focused on improving accountability and transparency over hunting and fishing license, stamp and tag revenues, increasing partnerships with nonprofit conservation groups and private landowners, securing more water for wildlife and increasing funding for the management of DFG's Wildlife Areas. |
COHA Supports DFG Proposed 2010 - 2012 Mammal Hunting Regulations
The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) and the California Houndsmen for Conservation (CHC) recently spoke in favor of a Department of Fish and Game (DFG) proposal which, among other things, would increase the statewide harvest of black bears and expand black bear hunting to portions of Modoc, San Luis Obispo, Inyo and Lassen Counties. At the February meeting of the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) meeting, COHA and CHC staff urged Commission members to strongly consider current biological data which demonstrates a growing statewide bear population of 38,000 - 4 times the populations of just 25 years ago - and the fact that bear/human conflicts are becoming increasingly common throughout California. At the hearing, COHA also provided testimony in opposition to a petition received from the Center for Biological Diversity asking the Commission to substantially reduce hunting opportunity in the Mohave National Preserve. For more information, click here.
Prior to the hearing, in coordination with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and California Bowmen Hunters/State Archery Association, COHA also submitted recommendations to the Commission and DFG that would effectively allow for more elk tags to be issued in select units, expand the number of archery hunts for deer and more closely align certain mammal hunting seasons, such as archery deer and archery bear, in order to provide for increased hunter opportunity. In addition, COHA also submitted a letter specifically requesting that the Commission reject a petition by environmental groups to restrict hunting within the Mojave National Preserve. For a copy of COHA's letter, click here. |
CDA
February 27th - Gridley Chapter, Contact Perry Roles (530) 882-4321
RMEF
February 20th - Redwood Chapter (Petaluma), Contact Bill Domenchelli (707) 433-4124
February 27th - South Coast Chapter (Santa Maria), Contact Mike Scott (805) 878-4414
NWTF
February 27th - Chico Chapter, Contact Robert Robertson (530) 570-6482
MDF
February 20th Quincy (Plumas County), Contact Frank Smith (530) 283-2233
CWA
February 13th - North Grasslands Banquet (Turlock), Contact Bob Morganti (209) 862-0147
February 19th - Tri-Valley Banquet (Livermore), Contact Jerry Russell (925)447-3730
February 19th - Hanford Banquet, Contact Tom Homen (209) 606-7257
February 20th - Davis Duck Days Banquet, Contact Scott Mueller (916) 648-1406 x103
February 20th - Oroville Banquet, Contact Ruthie Allen (530) 532-9646
February 27th - Yuba/Sutter Banquet, Contact Rik Jimerson (530) 674-9300
February 27th - Salinas Valley Banquet, Contact Frankie Messerli (831) 901-4599
February 27th - Redding Banquet, Contact Jay Reagan (530) 223-0976 |
