BILL NUMBER: SB 1166INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Berryhill FEBRUARY 22, 2012 An act to add Sections 715 and 715.1 to the Fish and Game Code, relating to fish and wildlife resources. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1166, as introduced, Berryhill. Department of Fish and Game: wildlife-dependent recreational activities. The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947 authorizes the Wildlife Conservation Board to authorize the acquisition of real property, rights in real property, water, or water rights by the Department of Fish and Game. Other existing law authorizes the department, for the purposes of propagating, feeding, and protecting birds, mammals, and fish, and establishing wildlife management areas or public shooting grounds, subject to the approval of the Fish and Game Commission, to acquire and occupy, develop, maintain, use, and administer, land, or land and nonmarine water, or land and nonmarine water rights, suitable for state game farms, wildlife management areas, or public shooting grounds. This bill would require the department to exercise its authority to manage lands in a manner to support, promote, and enhance wildlife-dependent recreational activities, including hunting and sport fishing opportunities, to the extent authorized by law. The bill would prohibit, to the greatest practicable extent, department decisions and actions relating to land management from resulting in any net loss of available wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities that exist on January 1, 2013. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 715 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read: 715. The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (a) The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has been conducted since 1955 and is one of the oldest and most comprehensive continuing recreation surveys. (b) The 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation found all of the following: (1) Eighty-seven million five hundred thousand United States residents 16 years of age and older participated in wildlife dependent recreation. (2) Individuals participating in wildlife-dependent recreation spent $122.3 billion in 2006 on their activities, which equated to 1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. (3) Hunters and anglers spent $76.6 billion, while wildlife viewers spent $45.7 billion. (4) Seven million four hundred thousand California residents and nonresidents 16 years of age and older fished, hunted, or viewed wildlife. (5) State residents and nonresidents spent $8 billion on wildlife-dependent recreation. (c) The department reported that in 2006, hunters and anglers spent seventy-eight million dollars ($78,000,000) on licenses, stamps, tags, and access fees. (d) Revenue generated by wildlife-dependent recreational activities play an exceedingly important role in California's economy. (e) Revenue generated by hunters and anglers is critical to the department's ability to protect, enhance, and manage wildlife habitat. SEC. 2. Section 715.1 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read: 715.1. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that lands managed by the department be open to wildlife-dependent recreational activities, including hunting and sport fishing, except as limited by the commission or department for reasons of public safety or as otherwise limited by law. (b) The department shall exercise its authority to manage lands in a manner to support, promote, and enhance wildlife-dependent recreational activities, including hunting and sport fishing opportunities, to the extent authorized by law. To the greatest practicable extent, department decisions and actions relating to land management shall not result in any net loss of available wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities, including hunting and sport fishing, that exist on January 1, 2013.