Help stop DFG's grab for our stamp monies...

[Mike McKenzie]

Below is a letter sent out to the DFG Legislative Council urging the Department to support AB 1052 as passed by the legislature. The Bill requires the DFG to follow the guidelines set by the legislative audit committee with respect to spending the Bay-Delta Sportfishing Enhancement Stamp monies. DFG is leaning toward having the Governor veto the bill. If that happens there will be no Stamp Committee input with regard to how our money is spent. If you'd like to ensure that our stamp money isn't going to be used other than intended by anglers wishes and the Legislature's desire, use the letter below as a guide (or Copy and Paste the body of the letter) and send it by Fax (Fax # listed below) to the 3 persons listed at the end of the letter...
Thanks, Your fisheries will appreciate it!!

Mike



The Allied Fishing Groups
California Sport Fishing Protection Alliance
Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp
California Striped Bass Association
South West Counsel Federation of Fly Fishers
Planning and Conservation League
Black Bass Action Committee
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
Northern California Counsel Federation of Fly Fishers
Coastside Fishing Club


Susan LeGrande
Deputy Director, Legislative Affairs
California Department of Fish and Game
1416 Ninth Street, Room 1237
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 653-5581
Sent by Email

Re: AB 1052 (Caballero) – Request to Support


Dear Ms. LeGrande, September 25, 2009

On behalf of our organizations, and as anglers who purchase the Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp we are writing to request your department’s support for Assembly Bill 1052 (Caballero).

The BDSFE Stamp was originally established by 2003 legislation authored by former Senator Sheila Kuehl (SB 692) with overwhelming support from sport anglers interested in generating additional funds to address the serious decline of Bay-Delta fisheries. It required anglers who fished within the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento / San Joaquin Delta regions to purchase a stamp in addition to a regular fishing license. It also required that Fish and Game spend the funds in that account to benefit sport fish populations, sport fishing opportunities and anglers within the geographic range in addition to the long term, sustainable benefit of the primary bay-delta sport fisheries

More than 250,000 sport fishermen annually purchase a BDSFE Stamp, and in their eyes the program has fallen short of the original intent and goals of the authorizing legislation. The fishery has crashed and over $6 million of the nearly $10 million collected since the program’s inception sit idle on account just waiting to be spent on projects to enhance the Delta’s fisheries. Even with the insistence of the stamp committee the department has not considered a Bay /Delta management or fisheries recovery plan. Two separate state audits of the DFG have cited several fiscal improprieties regarding how BDSFES monies have been managed and spent, and that DFG has been slow to identify and fund suitable projects to improve the fisheries of the Bay /Delta. The result is a surplus of funds equivalent to four times the amount of revenue normally collected from stamp sales in a single year. Considering such history, it is understandable why California anglers are not content with the way DFG has responded to their interests and managed their money.

To address this issue sport fishermen received legislative support to extend for one year the sunset date of the original program with Assembly Bill 2162 (Mullen). Despite the good faith effort to continue the revenue stream of the stamp, program recommendations made by the committee continued to be ignored by staff. As a result, legislative support for AB1052 (Caballero) was overwhelming. The intent of this bill represents the best interest of the fishing community, the Bay /Delta fisheries and the DFG by providing the tools necessary to assure the agency spend the existing BDSFES funds according to the authorizing legislation. This bill provides that the DFG continue the existing Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp advisory committee, of sport angling stakeholders, so they can work collaboratively with the department to identify projects and programs that would spend down the existing surplus. It would also enact important spending and planning reforms identified in the 2008 Joint Legislative Audit that would provide a framework better suited to accomplish the objectives of the authorizing legislation.

Should DFG implementation of the program improve with the reforms contained in AB 1052, and progress is demonstrated in meeting the goals of the original BDSFES legislation the sport fishing community would willingly support reauthorization of the stamp through future legislation (note letter of commitment from Assembly Member Caballero to Director Koch)

The California sport fishing community recognizes the value of such a program, and remains committed to working with the DFG on the recovery of the Bay /Delta Fisheries.
It is their hope that the DFG also recognizes the value of having the support of this constituent base in order for this and future revenue programs to be successful.

We the undersigned, therefore request a “recommendation to sign Assembly Bill 1052” be sent forward from the DFG Office of Legislative Affairs to that of the offices of the Secretary of Resources and Governor.

Sincerely,


John Ryzanych
Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp Committee

And, on behalf of the undersigned:

Jim Crenshaw – President, California Sport Fishing Protection Alliance

Mike McKenzie – Conservation Director, The Allied Fishing Groups

Gary Adams - Conservation Director, California Striped Bass Association

Charlotte Hodde - Water Program Manager, Planning and Conservation League

Michael Schweit - President, South West Counsel Federation Fly Fishers

Carter Fickes - Director, Black Bass Action Committee

Anne-Marie Bakker - President, Northern California Counsel Federation Fly Fishers

Dan Wolford - Science Director, Coastside Fishing Club

Zeke Grader - President, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations

Cc:

Assembly Member Anna Caballero
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0028
(916) 319-2028
Fax (916) 319-2128

Chris Mowrer
Deputy Secretary for Legislation
California Natural Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 654-2753
Fax: 916-653-8102

John Moffat
Deputy Legislative Secretary
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-445-4341
Fax: 916-327-1009

[Mike McKenzie]

This past Sunday the Gov. signed AB1052 into law. This is the bill that brings significant change to the Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp program.

Starting Jan. 1, 2010 the stamp and associated use fee required to fish within the bay/delta system will not be required.
In addition, the committee will be continued to provide oversight and accountability of the $6 million fund balance remaining on account. Other operational conditions addressing the way DFG manages the program have been included within the legislation as a result of a Joint Legislative Audit regarding DFG accounting practices, project selection, public notification and application of these funds.

The resulting legislation is the culmination of an eighteen month effort by Jim Crenshaw, John Ryzanych and John Beuttler of the BDSFES committee, California's sport fishing community and Assembly Member Caballero, to bring much needed change to the BDSFES program.

The committee feels that these new statutory elements will provide DFG the framework to be more organized with the planning of projects benefiting the Bay/Delta fishery and more cooperative with the committee in the selection of projects and spending of BDSFES monies.

It is important to acknowledge the support by the many organizations, clubs, and individuals (including those that participate on this Bulletin Board) that helped champion this campaign by signing onto letters of support and contacting their representatives directly. This effort helped produce the overwhelming level of support of the California Legislature needed to pass this bill.

The BDSFE Stamp was originally established by 2003 legislation authored by former Senator Sheila Kuehl (SB 692) with overwhelming support from sport anglers interested in generating additional funds to address the serious decline of Bay-Delta fisheries. It required anglers who fished within the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento / San Joaquin Delta regions to purchase a stamp in addition to a regular fishing license. It also required that Fish and Game spend the funds in that account to benefit sport fish populations, sport fishing opportunities and anglers within the geographic range in addition to the long term, sustainable benefit of the primary bay-delta sport fisheries

More than 250,000 sport fishermen annually purchase a BDSFE Stamp, and in their eyes the program has fallen short of the original intent and goals of the authorizing legislation. The fishery has crashed and over $6 million of the nearly $10 million collected since the program’s inception sit idle on account just waiting to be spent on projects to enhance the Delta’s fisheries. Even with the insistence of the stamp committee the department has not considered a Bay /Delta management or fisheries recovery plan. Two separate state audits of the DFG have cited several fiscal improprieties regarding how BDSFES monies have been managed and spent, and that DFG has been slow to identify and fund suitable projects to improve the fisheries of the Bay /Delta. The result is a surplus of funds equivalent to four times the amount of revenue normally collected from stamp sales in a single year. Considering such history, it is understandable why California anglers are not content with the way DFG has responded to their interests and managed their money.

To address this issue sport fishermen received legislative support to extend for one year the sunset date of the original program with Assembly Bill 2162 (Mullen). Despite the good faith effort to continue the revenue stream of the stamp, program recommendations made by the committee continued to be ignored by staff. As a result, legislative support for AB1052 (Caballero) was overwhelming. The intent of this bill represents the best interest of the fishing community, the Bay /Delta fisheries and the DFG by providing the tools necessary to assure the agency spend the existing BDSFES funds according to the authorizing legislation. This bill provides that the DFG continue the existing Bay Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp advisory committee, of sport angling stakeholders, so they can work collaboratively with the department to identify projects and programs that would spend down the existing surplus. It would also enact important spending and planning reforms identified in the 2008 Joint Legislative Audit that would provide a framework better suited to accomplish the objectives of the authorizing legislation.

Should DFG implementation of the program improve with the reforms contained in AB 1052, and progress is demonstrated in meeting the goals of the original BDSFES legislation the sport fishing community would willingly support re-authorization of the stamp through future legislation.

The California sport fishing community recognizes the value of such a program, and remains committed to working with the DFG on the recovery of the Bay /Delta Fisheries. It is their hope that the DFG also recognizes the value of having the support of this constituent base in order for this and future revenue programs to be successful.

Thanks for your support...

Mike

[Ed Wahl]

Thanks Mike.

A big fat sigh. Not of relief though.

Here was a big, fat, voluntary, user based revenue stream. Along with a big fat puddle of capital built up at the end, and yet, nothing happened.

SIGH

Ed

[Hairstacker]

I didn't mind paying for the stamp as long as they used the money as intended. Sad to continue to hear they haven't done all they could have with the money.

It will be nice to see our license fees go down this spring . . . it's just too bad it's for all the wrong reasons.