CWA Works to Introduce Pro-Sportsmen/Conservation Bills for 2025

The State Legislature reconvened over a month ago in Sacramento, with the deadline for introducing new bills as February 21^st.  After that, policy committee hearings should start in mid-March.  CWA has been working with members of the Legislature to introduce several pieces of legislation that would promote conservation or increase hunting opportunity.  Below is a summary of 3 measures that will be introduced soon in the State Legislature: 
 
Duck Stamp - The Duck Stamp Program, which has limited funding derived from the annual sale of duck stamps required for waterfowl hunting, funds habitat restoration and enhancement, research and other necessary projects that support waterfowl populations.

While the Duck Stamp Program enjoys some statutory exemptions from certain state contracting requirements to allow the Program to run more efficiently and effectively, it does not enjoy all the related exemptions authorized in the Fish and Game Code.  Because of this, some Duck Stamp projects are delayed unnecessarily and/or cost significantly more to complete, including wetland maintenance and restoration projects on State Wildlife Areas.  

Legislation will be introduced to ensure that Duck Stamp habitat projects are streamlined consistent with existing provisions in state law. 
 
SHARE Program - The SHARE Program, which is administered by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide incentives to private landowners to make their property available to the public for hunting and other outdoor recreation, currently only offers public outdoor opportunities in a limited number of California counties.  This makes it harder for landowners and sportsmen in many parts of the state to participate in the Program. 

Part of the problem stems from statutory restrictions on the amount the Department may pay participating landowners (i.e. maximum payments per acre or per public participant) when the Program was created back in 2003 through CWA-sponsored legislation.  Note that these restrictions have not been adjusted for inflation since they were created over 20 years ago.  

Legislation will be introduced that would remove the landowner payment limitations and instead allow the Department to determine the appropriate amount to pay each participating landowner, subject to an existing requirement that it is commensurate with the quality of the outdoor opportunity provided.

Mute Swans - Mute swans are a non-native species from Europe that have invaded some California waterways, including wetland areas in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  These exotic birds can be overly aggressive and drive away native waterfowl and other waterbirds while also causing significant disturbance and degradation to wetland habitats. The mute swan population continues to increase in California, and they are threatening to spread to new areas.   

Mute swans also inhabit Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and parts of the Great Lakes region, where they are similarly a nuisance to other wildlife through their aggressive feeding and territorial instincts. Because of this, the State of Maryland resorted to management efforts aimed at reducing the population, including egg-addling and other lethal control.  These efforts reduced the population from 4000 to 500 by 2009; by 2012, the population was reduced to less than 100 birds. 

Legislation will be introduced to add mute swans to the list of certain nongame birds that can be taken or possessed at any time with a hunting license (note with the exception that landowners would not be required to possess a hunting license to take mute swans).   

Other Potential Legislation - In addition to the above bills, CWA continues to advocate for a reintroduction of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) legislation that was vetoed last year (AB 828).  That bill would have provided a baseline water allocation for certain managed wetlands from the groundwater pumping restrictions and fees imposed through SGMA.  Without such protections, private wetlands in the Tulare Basin and other areas of overdrafted aquifers that rely solely or partly on groundwater will likely not be able to annually flood in the future. 
 
CWA and our waterfowl partners (e.g. Audubon California) are currently seeking a new legislator to reintroduce the measure for 2025.