ADVOCACY
"Waterfowl, wetlands and hunting can thrive in California only
when we work to ensure that regulations, policies and laws are helpful,
or at the very least don't get in the way "
State of CWA by Mark Hennelly
Our VP discusses what actions CWA took to help protect our rich traditions of hunting and conservation efforts in CA.
ADVOCACY
California Waterfowl is a group of dedicated conservationists who work tirelessly to protect the wetlands and waterfowl of California. CWA will passionately advocate for the protection of these important ecosystems and the diverse array of birds that call our state home. Waterfowl populations have begun to rebound, and many of the state's wetlands have been restored to their former glory. California Waterfowl has played a crucial role in this success, and our advocacy team has helped to ensure that these important ecosystems will continue to thrive for generations to come.
ADVOCACY
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sets frameworks for hunting in each of the nation's four flyways, with input from its Flyway Councils, and each state then sets detailed regulations, which can be more restrictive than the federal frameworks, but not more permissive.
CURRENT ISSUEs
Our advocacy team works on a variety of issues affecting waterfowl and waterfowl hunters at all times. Read about the issues here, and if you sign up for alerts, we'll let you know when it's critical for our members and supporters to contact their representatives.
LEGISLATION
California Waterfowl's advocacy team works actively with lawmakers from both parties to promote legislation beneficial to wetlands and hunting. We also fight detrimental bills, either opposing them outright or, when they're certain to pass, working to minimize detrimental impacts.
SAVE LOWER KLAMATH
The LKNWR - one of the Pacific Flyway's critical waterfowl breeding, molting and migration staging areas - is being starved of essential water supplies. CWA's chief goals are to secure high-priority water rights for the refuge and to secure an agreement to distribute water in the Klamath Basin.
CALIFORNIA MALLARDs
According to research, California mallards that are harvested, 96% are harvested here and 3% harvested in Oregon . Unfortunately, our breeding population of mallards used to be much stronger, but after plunging during the recent drought, it has failed to rebound.
PINTAIL LIMITS
The last three decades of restrictive regulations on pintail have not resulted in a significant boost in pintail population, even in year of good precipitation in the prairies. Pintails nest in prairie shortgrass, but they also use stubble left behind from the prior year’s spring wheat harvest.
PUBLIC INPUT
It's critical for law and policy makers to get input from ordinary people when they're developing or changing policies that affect waterfowl hunting and conservation. CWA keeps members involved with two advisory committees, an email alert and an annual Lobby Day.
ACTION ALERTs
California Waterfowl monitors legislation in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., and when it's time to make our voices heard, we issue action alerts that help our supporters find and contact their representatives in the Legislature and Congress. This can literally change the outcome of a bill.
