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Recreation
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The ongoing federal government shutdown is impacting some waterfowl hunting opportunities in California due to the resulting closure of National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs).
State Wildlife Areas are unaffected and will be open for hunting during the regular waterfowl seasons.
All NWRs will be closed until a federal budget is passed, including those designated as Type A areas for which the state draws reservations and operates the check stations.
Once the federal budget is passed, hunters should verify that the refuge they wish to visit will be open by contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or calling the refuge they wish to visit.
• Colusa NWR, 530-934-2801
• Delevan NWR, 530-934-2801
• Kern NWR, 661-725-6504
• Merced NWR, 209-826-3508
• Sacramento NWR, 530-934-2801
• San Luis NWR, (including Kesterson, Bear Creek, Freitas North or Freitas South), 209-826-3508
• Sutter NWR, 530-934-2801
• Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR, 760-348-5278
• Lower Klamath NWR, 530-667-2231
• Tule Lake NWR, 530-667-2231
• Modoc NWR, 530-233-3572
• Stone Lakes NWR, 916-775-4421
The below Type A and B State Wildlife Areas (and all Type C wildlife areas that permit waterfowl hunting) will be open for waterfowl hunting regardless of the federal budget status.
A few of the wildlife areas below are located in waterfowl hunting zones which opened on Oct. 5.
Most are scheduled to open on Oct. 19 when the rest of the state opens for waterfowl hunting.
• Gray Lodge Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Grizzly Island Wildlife Area (Type A and Type B Units)
• Los Banos Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Mendota Wildlife Area (Type A)
• North Grasslands Wildlife Area (Including China Island, Salt Slough and Gadwall Units) (Type A)
• San Jacinto Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area (Including Little Dry Creek, Howard Slough and Llano Seco Units) (Type A)
• Volta Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Ash Creek Wildlife Area (Type B)
• Butte Valley Wildlife Area (Type B)
• Honey Lake Wildlife Area (Fleming and Dakin Units) (Type B)
• Shasta Valley Wildlife Area (Type B)
• Willow Creek Wildlife Area (Type B)
Reservation drawings will be performed for Type A NWRs that are subject to the federal shutdown.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has been accepting reservation applications since Sept. 1.
The federal budget situation could be resolved at any time and the NWRs are expected to be open for hunting soon after. CDFW is conducting reservation drawings in the event the areas will open.
CDFW has posted a frequently asked questions page on its Web site at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=73964&;inline=1 .
For further information, please visit CDFW’s Web site at http://www.wildlife.ca.gov .
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BOGGS MOUNTAIN, Calif. – Love to hike or ride? Then join the Friends of Boggs Mountain at a “Wag, Walk and Wride at Boggs” event.
Set for Sunday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, the event will include equestrians, mountain bikers, hikers and dog walkers at the Boggs Mountain Horse Camp.
The Lake-Mendo Unit of the Backcountry Horsemen of California (BCHC) will kick off the event by demonstrating how to pack stock animals for the back country, and talk about some of the work they do in wilderness areas.
They’ll also discuss the responsibilities of equestrians, and why horses and other stock animals like mules need special consideration on shared trails.
Youth from the Clear Lake and Kelseyville High School Bike Team will then discuss and demonstrate proper trail etiquette, and will involve equestrians, hikers, and dog walkers in their presentation.
The objectives of the event are to develop an empathic understanding of user groups, and begin a series of trail user interactions that foster a collaborative trail culture.
Lastly, special guest Sarah Reid, State Trails Chair of the California State Horseman's Association, will discuss multiuser trail successes in Annadel State Park and elsewhere in Sonoma County.
Prizes for participation will be awarded to humans and animals, thanks to sponsorship from the Friends of Boggs Mountain, and Specialized Bicycles through Main St. Bicycles in Lakeport. Refreshments will also be available.
Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy shoes for the hike. Leashed, socialized dogs are welcome, as are horses and their riders who have some multiuse trail experience. However, this event may not be appropriate for “green” or young horses.
Please contact Gigi Stahl, FOBM volunteer, at 707-809-5299 or
In case of inclement weather, please check the Boggs Web site at http://boggsmountain.org for any cancellation notices.
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FORT BRAGG, Calif. – California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Mendocino Unit is closing the “Trestle Trail” between Camp 8 and JDSF Road 1070 on Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) to mushroom picking and other recreational activities, effective immediately.
This trail will be closed until the end of the rainy season, as a precautionary measure in an attempt to slow the spread of Phytophthora ramorum, the invasive pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death.
Additionally, all JDSF campgrounds have closed for the season and seasonal roads will be closed to vehicular traffic by Oct. 14. Seasonal roads are closed to protect them from damage during wet weather.
Information regarding Sudden Oak Death on JDSF or the closures is available at the Cal Fire Fort Bragg office located at 802 N. Main St., Fort Bragg, telephone 707-964-5674 during the following hours: Monday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon.
Information also is available online http://calfire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/resource_mgt_stateforests_jackson.php .
Multiple uses of JDSF for a wide variety of activities that benefit the public, the economy and natural resources are what our demonstration forests are all about.
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for a conservation fish hatchery to assist with the restoration of salmon runs in the San Joaquin River.
The proposed site of the new Salmon Conservation and Research Facility (SCARF) is located in Friant in Fresno County and adjacent to the San Joaquin River approximately 1.1 miles downstream of Friant Dam.
The project, which is part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Project (SJRRP), proposes to release juvenile salmon from the facilities starting in 2015.
The DEIR describes how salmon would be collected and bred, using modern genetic management techniques to ensure genetic diversity that will produce traits that are beneficial in the wild, while minimizing impacts to the donor salmon populations.
It also contains information on planned fisheries management within the plan area, among other information on environmental impacts.
An interim conservation facility is located at the site of the future SCARF and would be incorporated into the SCARF.
The DEIR can be found at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/4/SanJoaquinRiver and is in circulation for a 45-day comment period that will end Nov. 21, 2013.
Public meetings will be scheduled during that time in Fresno and Sacramento, as follows:
- Fresno, Nov. 4, 6-8 p.m., at the California Retired Teachers Association Building, 3930 E. Saginaw Way, Fresno.
- Sacramento, Nov. 6, 6-8 p.m., at the Department of Health Care Services and Department of Public Health Building, 1500 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento.
Comments may be made during the public meetings or by submitting them to CDFW, Attn: Gerald Hatler, SCARF Draft EIR Comments, 1234 E. Shaw Ave., Fresno, CA 93710 or by email to
The San Joaquin River Restoration Program arose from a settlement in 2006 among the federal government, environmental groups and water users.
CDFW and other state entities agreed to assist in implementation of the settlement agreement pursuant to a memorandum of understanding between the state agencies and the settling parties.
The San Joaquin River, California’s second longest tributary, was the site of one of the state’s most populous salmon fisheries.
Historically, over a half million spring run Chinook salmon may have migrated up the San Joaquin River. The spring and fall runs of returning Chinook salmon were eliminated after the construction of the Friant Dam in 1942.