PDA

View Full Version : AB 1052 Help us stop the Bay Delta Sportfishing Enhancement Stamp



Mike McKenzie
08-12-2009, 08:18 PM
Well we've been jerked around by DFG until the last minute as usual. Unless you want to keep donating money to DFG to mis-appropriate or just keep unused in the account, we need your help to stop legislation to extend the Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp for another two years.

In the eyes of the California sport fisherman the Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp program has fallen short of the original intent and goals of the authorizing legislation. The fishery has crashed and a huge cash surplus is sitting on account just waiting to be spent on projects to enhance the Delta’s fisheries.

For the past year the BDSFES committee has worked to sponsor legislation that would address the issue of DFG not spending the vast majority of funds collected under this program. As authorized, monies collected through the BDSFES program were supposed to be used solely for the long term, sustainable benefit of the primary Bay-Delta sport fisheries. In reality, $7.5 million of the $10 million collected since the inception in 2004 has been held back by the DFG while these fisheries continued to decline. Two separate audits on the DFG sited several fiscal improprieties regarding how these monies have been managed and spent.

Assembly member Caballero embraced the effort to enhance the BDSFES program earlier this year by introducing AB1052. Unfortunately, after wrangling with DFG and legislative committees the resulting bill language does not represent the best interest of the fishing community, nor provide the tools necessary to assure DFG spend the remaining and future BDSFES funds properly.

The original intent of AB1052 was to provide the BDSFES committee greater power in decision making and project selection with the DFG. The goal was to find a legislative process to better direct the DFG as to how to spend the money collected through this program. The request was for the bill to provide for a two-year extension of the program without the use fee. The committee would remain intact to provide oversight and accountability of funds until spent down to an acceptable level. If the DFG showed they could comply with their legal mandates and spend these monies according to legislation action would be taken to reactivate the program along with the fee at the end of this two-year period. In the event this was not possible the committee would allow the BDSFES program to sunset at the end of this year.

The current version of the bill does little to accomplish this goal. As written (July 14, 2009 version) the bill would now extend the sunset date of the program another two years with full fees in place. Fishermen would be required to continue to buy a stamp for a fishing opportunity that has not seen the benefits of the original program, and has instead experienced serious degradation over the life of the program.

Assembly Bill 1052 will be heard by the Senate Appropriations committee on August 17. It is here that the fishing community will make their final stand to influence corrective amendments in cooperation with the author, or kill the bill. Without the proper language in the bill there is no assurance DFG will correct the audit's findings or spend the money on projects other then boat ramps and cleaning stations, or a creel senses. Besides, these programs will be useless if there are no fish remaining in the system.

Allowing DFG to continue using the BDSFES program as a revenue stream to subsidize their department budget is unacceptable!

The BDSFES committee needs the support of the bulletin board community to call or FAX your support of Opposition to AB1052 unless amended to the contacts listed below.

The following text covers the necessary points and serves the intent of our effort. Simply cut, paste and FAX, or call.

As usual, time is of the essence. Communication should be issued so it is received well in advance of August 17th.

The future of the stamp program and the remaining funds depend upon it.


________________________________________

SAMPLE LETTER
(AB1052 (Caballero) will be heard by Senate Appropriations August 17th, 2009.)

As an active member of the California Sport Fishing Community I/We am/are in opposition to AB1052 unless amended to include:

1) Extend the sunset date of the Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp program through January 1, 2012.

2) Suspend the fee collection portion of the program during this period.

3) Retain the existing committee to provide accountability and oversight on application of existing funds according to the original authorizing legislation.

4) Add language to Section 7360 of the Fish and Game Code that would "require the DFG only act upon those projects and programs approved or brought forth by the committee".

Sincerely,

Group or individual name

________________________________________

Send copy of the letter to:
Senator Christine Kehoe Chair Senate Appropriations Committee
State Capitol, Room 5050
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4039
Fax: (916) 327-2188

CC to:

Assembly Member Anna Caballero

State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0028
916-319-2028
916-319-2128 Fax

Bob Franzoia, Staff Director
Senate Appropriations Committee
State Capitol, Room 2206
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4101

Ed Wahl
08-12-2009, 10:04 PM
Thanks for the head up Mike.

Ed

Darian
08-12-2009, 10:14 PM
Mike,.... Thanks for the heads up on this. I'm going to write in support of your points. I do have a question about one of them, tho.... Is keeping the same committee that presided over the Striper fiasco and was one of the entities that the state auditor was critical of a good idea :question: :question:

Mike McKenzie
08-13-2009, 07:51 AM
I do have a question about one of them, tho.... Is keeping the same committee that presided over the Striper fiasco and was one of the entities that the state auditor was critical of a good idea :question: :question:

Darian,

I guess I need to know which Striper fiasco you are refering to??

Darian
08-13-2009, 01:48 PM
Sorry mike, I'm guilty of trying to lump the current condition of the fishery, the failure of the committee to identify projects and spend the money in the Bay/Delta Enhancement Fund (....until the audit was released) into a one word summary.

The question is more speculation than anything else. I recognize that the committee has recently identified some projects and (I hope) begun to expend some of the moneys but, IMHO, it may be too little and too late....:confused: :confused:

Mike McKenzie
08-13-2009, 03:34 PM
Darian,

The fact that the money hasn't been spent on worthy projects is not because of lack of effort by the Committee in trying to do the job they're supposed to do. The problem lays directly at the Door step of DFG management (and thereby the Governor also) and no where else.. There have been any number of projects put forth by the Committee over the years and 10 times as many excuses from DFG as to why they couldn't be done, mostly due to fiscal mis-management and internal department/resources agency politics. The Committee members have put forth an almost endless amount of blood, sweat and tears in their effort to serve the angling community and fisheries of the central valley. They are simply tired of the shenanigans and beating their collective heads against an impermeable wall of bureaucratic nonsense. End of story. They are willing to stick it out until the existing money is spent (Some 5 million dollars) but do not want to see the anglers taxed more unless DFG starts playing by the rules with some modicum of efficiency.

Mike

Darian
08-14-2009, 04:37 PM
I've reviewed the committee analysis on AB 1052 and the report of the Bureau of State Audits issued on 10/16/08, #2008-115. State Auditors conduct internal audits to determine how well agencies/departments perform in relation to mandated requirements. The audit mentions that DFG & the Bay-Delta Stamp Enhancement Committee were slow in identifying and approving projects. The committee is a part of DFG. Its members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the director of DFG.

The authorizing legislation (SB 692, Chapter 796, Stats 2003) for the current Bay-Delta Enhancement Stamp Program, eliminated the Striper Stamp and mandated all of the duties/reporting requirements currently in place. The intent of this legislation is/was to enhance all fisheries and fish in the Delta, rivers and streams. Since all of the requirements mandated under SB 692 were apparently ignored, what is it that makes us think that DFG will comply with a new mandate for the same requirements??? IMHO, neither provisions of AB 1052 or the suggested amendments will change anything.

For approximately the last six years, anadromous fish population numbers have declined, approval of beneficial projects have been slow to be identified and funds in the F&G Preservation Fund have been accumulating without much in the way of related expenditures. In fact, some of the expenditures made were not for the appropriate or intended purpose of the program. The audit also pointed out that DFG has an inaccurate accounting and reporting system. All of this and more has occurred on the watch of DFG which includes the committee.

My conclusion is that DFG and the committee are ineffective, regardless of the reason for same. Extending the life of a program/committee that is/has been so identified is like sticking our heads in the sand and avoiding the issues. I am opposed to this bill but would support it if amended to stop collecting funds or issuing stamps and extending the program for the purpose of expenditure of existing funds, only. When the funds are expended, the program is terminated.

Mike McKenzie
08-22-2009, 01:14 PM
I am opposed to this bill but would support it if amended to stop collecting funds or issuing stamps and extending the program for the purpose of expenditure of existing funds, only. When the funds are expended, the program is terminated.

Darian,

The response to CSPA’s appeal to the angling community, the resulting letters they sent to the legislature and the effort expended by John Beuttler, John Ryzanych and Mike McKenzie in talking to legislators and the author of AB1052, have resulted in the bill being pulled from the Appropriations Committee hearing last Monday.

With all the support, the bill's author, Assemblymember Anna Caballero, was able to push back against the Department of Fish and Game to successfully amend the bill to our satisfaction and the satisfaction of the Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp Advisory Committee.

As now amended, AB 1052 will allow the Bay-Delta stamp to sunset on January 1, 2010. However the Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp Advisory Committee will still be an active participant in how the remaining money is spent. For these reasons CSPA now supports AB 1052 in current form.
The amended Bill will now be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday the 24th of August.

Special thanks go to Jeff Shellito of Cal-Trout and Jason Rhine of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) who both were a very able resource that helped us in this effort. They did a lot of leg work around the Capitol for us and we thank them for it!
See amended bill here:
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_1051-1100/ab_1052_bill_20090819_amended_sen_v94.pdf

Letter writing works!!

Mike

Darian
08-23-2009, 02:32 PM
You're absolutely correct Mike. :nod: Letter writing does work. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :D :D