CA DF&G Game Warden stamp for 2010

[Bob Laskodi]

That's exactly how they do it in AK. AK State Troopers (the AK version of the CHP) has responsibility for law enforcement including fish & game laws. Works really nicely as I always see a bunch of them while fishing. In fact, I've seen more AK State Troopers enforcing F&G laws while fishing in Alaska than I have DFG Wardens while fishing in CA over the past 50 years. And that's really sad because I only fish AK a couple weeks a year!!!!

[Mike McKenzie]

AB 1442 mandated a number of provisions regarding the Department of Fish and Game’s activities including a new law that permits the Department to offer a stamp to generate funds to ‘support Game Wardens.’ Sales of the $5 stamp will start in 2010. Purchase of the stamp is not required to go hunting or fishing, but rather is a voluntary donation.

The department’s wardens face life threatening situations at salary and benefit levels far less than the state’s other law enforcement personnel. Given the decline in the number of wardens over the past twenty years, this new stamp sounds like a positive step in a long overdue direction.

However, when one tracks the agency’s recent fiscal history, the longstanding under funding of the California’s Department of Fish and Game becomes obvious. The stamp provision is at best a band-aid, and at worst, a ploy to foist a “feel good” idea on to the shoulders of California’s hunting and fishing community. At the same time the Governor’s Administration continues the fiscal emasculation of a department that has become a “Paper Tiger”.

The agency has suffered some $40 million dollars of staggering budget cuts during Governor Schwarzenegger’s administration. Many of the DFG’s mandates to protect the public’s fish and wildlife resources simply cannot be carried out due to insufficient funds. The chronic under funding of the agency has failed to allow the public’s fishery resources to be managed at sustainable population levels. If you follow the money, it becomes clear why our salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, striped bass, and other fisheries have declined to historic lows while the habitat they need has been sacrificed to fuel private business and our state’s population growth.

The warden force is now so small and under funded it cannot provide the necessary level of deterrent to properly protect the fish and wildlife resources from illegal harvest. The state has lost many hundreds of million dollars worth these valuable public owned resources to poachers who profit at the public’s expense.

We have nothing but admiration for the dedication and sacrifices that our Game Wardens make on a daily basis. They are some of the most at risk law enforcement officers in this State, yet our Governor and Legislature will not provide them the same pay and benefits as other enforcement officers in the State. Of greater concern is the fact that the Governor has not budgeted funding to increase the number of wardens to provide the workforce necessary to get the job done!

Our objections to this $5 voluntary stamp stems from the fact that IT WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM caused by the failure of the state to provide the necessary funding to properly run the agency’s enforcement division. Because the public owns the fish and wildlife life, the public should play a major role in funding the enforcement of the laws that protect this valuable natural resource heritage.

The people of California must make a decision soon on whether or not they want free flowing waters populated with fish and wild lands populated with the wildlife. These valuable resources have been a historic part of our inheritance from previous generations but they are disappearing all too rapidly! Your support of CSPA with tax deductible donations will enable our continued engagement of those who make the legislative decisions regarding the Department of Fish & Game!

Mike

[Fly Guy Dave]

I like the idea of making the DFG and the CHP one unit, like in other states, but one problem that I see is funding. I've heard that DFG wardens get about half the salary of your average CHP. So my estimation is that if they rolled the 385 wardens into the CHP, they'd have to pay 'em more, say $40,000 more a year. At that rate, those 385 new CHP officers would cost 15.4 million. In this time of lean state budgets, I don't see that happening.

--FlyGuy (Dave)

[steelie]

Game wardens are members of Cal-Pers, they get a good retirement with probably life time health benefits. This is a scam, they are union members. If they go into CHP, they get the same or even better benefits. CHP has been trying to get 4% @ 50 of their gross salary for retirement pay for the last 10 years.

[Darian]

So,.... For you, Steelie, reorganization's a cost/benefit issue based on a "scam". Since I proposed this in my prior post, ....to my knowledge, there's nothing Official on this from the state, I'm wondering if you think I'm going to benefit from this "scam" Maybe you even think I'm a Game Warden....

I do share everyones concerns over increased costs but your statement indicates you oppose the reorg idea without considering much beyond the obvious (negative feelings about unions and PERS ). Kinda makes it look like your priorities don't involve conservation issues to me....

My side; If wardens were absorbed into the CHP and brought up to Peace Officer standards, they could be used for much more than than their current status allows and the cost increase would probably be offset by the increased potential for regulation/prosecuting poachers, etc., Or, do you disagree with that outcome

In this day and age (....of declining everything), it's no longer acceptable to just deny everything as some type of "scam". How about proposing a solution of your own for consideration

[Dugger]

very little doubt should exist in the minds of flyfishers that have tracked the expenditures of the dfg stamp funds. they are the first to be put on hold during a financial crisis and that is when they are most desperately needed.

don't be duped by the good intentions of this stamp. let it ride for a year and see what percentage of the stamp revenues actually go toward the primary issues - pay parity with other law enforcement and putting more wardens in the field.

had to laugh with Darian's reply - there is always an easy solution to every problem....; neat, plausible and wrong - merging the wardens under chp. wardens are under dfg because they need to focus on f&g laws, not human-on-human crime, transportation crimes, drugs, and the like. better suggestion is to look at states that have made substantial improvement in warden effectiveness in the last decade. smart money is the florida model.

[Darian]

Dugger,.... The political and fiscal reality in this state is that wardens in DFG aren't able to perform their primary mission under the current structure. Maybe not the best solution but at least reorganization gives them the chance to do so....

I don't have much on the Florida F&G Department. Could you provide some additional info (re: Number of wardens, costs, etc.)

[steelie]

Well Darian.....I don't know or care if you are a Warden. Reorganization is what is really needed in DF&G. First, stop letting the Governor appoint the Director. This should be someone from the ranks of the department that knows and understands the issues of wildlife management. This could be why the Governor has taken DF&G money for the state budget, not DF&G budget.

As for conservation, giving out tickets is not the only thing that DF&G has to do. They need to do real conservation work, even though they are undermanned. I haven't heard any of them complain about the water going out of the Delta or fixing the issue of the decline of Salmon and Steelhead.

As for Calpers and unions, I am a member of both! So how do you know that I'm not a Warden.

I couldn't care less if they go to CHP and get the same benefits, they need to do the job of conservation. They already have law officer status.

[Mike McKenzie]

I couldn't care less if they go to CHP and get the same benefits, they need to do the job of conservation. They already have law officer status.

You've got it only partially right! Complete reorganization of the way DFG works and giving the Director political "insulation" from everyone but the voters would be a good start. Also DFG enforcement officers should be in their own bargaining unit and not in with a bunch of dispatchers and other "office workers".

Additionally, wardens should only do F&G Code enforcement! If people want to pass environmental laws and have them enforced, then they should also include monies to pay for the staff needed to to that work. Period! Taking wardens away from their real job is insane, especially when there isn't enough of them to cover the state's public trust mandate! To accomplish conservation work that needs to be done, the legislature should provide the money and the resources to do it!

The basic problem with all of these issues is the fact that it will never "get fixed" until the people of California have the political will to change the "status quo". Not likely to happen in the for-see-able future.... As I've often said " the single biggest impediment to umitigated development and corporate Ag's enrichment by manipulation of water codes, would be a fully funded and staffed DFG with out any ties to politicians!!"

Mike

[steelie]

Mike,

You have hint the nail on the head. I agree with you.