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California Trout Sees Mixed Outcomes for Wild and Native Fish at Close of 2008 Legislative Session: Future policy priorities could be shaped by pending report "SOS: California's Native Fish Crisis," to be released in late 2008

October 27, 2008 -- Sacramento, Calif. - California's wild and native fish had a mixed year in Sacramento. Fish and water policy and advocacy organization California Trout supported an ambitious agenda during this past legislative session.

Many of the organization's top priorities passed successfully through the legislative process only to be vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. Listed here is a summary of how California Trout's top policy priorities fared in the 2007-2008 legislative session:

· Gov. Vetoes Critical Department of Fish and Game Funding from 2008 Budget Act

The Governor line-item vetoed $3.9 million from the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Biodiversity Conservation Program where its staff biologists review commercial timber operations to determine ways to lessen their impact on fish and wildlife resources, particularly endangered species such as coho salmon. The Governor also vetoed $1 million in DFG spending from the Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Fund created by AB 7 (Cogdill, 2005).

· Republican Leadership Jettisons Mining Reforms from Budget

Despite an agreement reached between California Trout, the Karuk Indian Tribe and other California tribal allies with the Schwarzenegger Administration in conjunction with the 2008 Budget Bill, suction dredge mining reforms were not enacted in the Legislature due to opposition from recreational gold mining interests and Republican leadership. The reforms would have imposed interim restrictions on motorized suction dredge mining to protect coho salmon while DFG conducts a comprehensive statewide regulatory overhaul of its existing environmental standards.

· Trailer Bill for Salmon Funding Enacted

A new state law was enacted that requires $45 million in salmon and steelhead restoration funds to be spent by DFG under its Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP).  

· Emergency Petition for Coho Salmon Protections Rejected by Board of Forestry

In July, as part of an out-of-court lawsuit settlement with the state, attorneys for California Trout, the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) jointly filed an emergency petition with the Board of Forestry (BOF) seeking additional safeguards on commercial logging practices to aid protection and recovery of coho salmon. Despite the fact that the petition was supported by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the BOF nonetheless voted to deny the petition. California Trout and our litigation partners now  are proceeding with with a lawsuit to increase salmon protections which we filed earlier in the year but set aside..  

· California Trout-Supported Legislation Sent to Governor for Signature

o SB 1xx (Perata) - signed
Revises the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act of 2002 (IRWMP) and appropriates $820.97 million for projects including flood protection, integrated regional water management (IRWM) plans and projects; projects to prevent or reduce groundwater contamination; Delta drinking water quality and levee improvement projects; and more.

o SB 1262 (Cogdill) - signed
Provides DFG with more flexibility to meet the native trout production requirements of AB 7 (Cogdill, 2005).  Allows the department to stock surplus hatchery fish in non-native watersheds if DFG determines they will not adversely affect any native fish that are present.

o AB 2222 (Caballero) - signed

Requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to identify and recommend to the Legislature funding options to extend the existing Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001, and to make recommendations for enhancing public accessibility of information concerning groundwater conditions.  

o AB 2275 (Fuentes) - vetoed
Would have required businesses licensed to bottle water or sell water from a private water source to report annually on the annual volume of water bottled or sold, the source of the water, and the county in which the source is located.  

o AB 2537 (Furutani) - signed

Extends for three years (until 2012) an existing exemption to labor law requirements that currently allow volunteers to work on public works projects.  

With an eye toward the coming legislative session, California Trout will release a report this fall titled "SOS: California's Native Fish Crisis", that summarizes the health of California's 31 species of wild and native salmon, steelhead, and trout species and the habitats that support them. California Trout will provide the report to the Legislature and use its findings as a foundation for a comprehensive advocacy agenda to reverse population declines and restore these native fishery resources.
                                                               
About California Trout:  Founded in 1971, California Trout was the first statewide conservation group to focus on securing protections for California's unparalleled wild and native trout diversity. Working with local communities, business, partners and government agencies, California Trout employs conservation science, education, and advocacy to craft effective policy for California's water resources and fisheries.

CONTACT: Severn Williams, California Trout
510-336-9566 C: 415-336-9623