Title FGC — California Fish & Game Code

The department may, with the approval of the commission and the Department of General Services, exchange any portion of the property lying within the boundaries of any area or range referred to in this section for any property within or contiguous to such area or range or may sel…

(a) The following rules govern an exchange or sale of property pursuant to Section 1500: (1) If a parcel contains 15 acres or less, the director shall except and reserve to the state all mineral deposits below a depth of 500 feet, without surface rights of entry. (2) If a parcel …

The department may expend such funds as may be necessary for the improvement of property, including nonnavigable lakes and streams, riparian zones, and upland, in order to restore, rehabilitate, and improve fish and wildlife habitat. The improvement activities may include, but ar…

(a) The department may enter into contracts for fish and wildlife habitat preservation, restoration, and enhancement with public and private entities whenever the department finds that the contracts will assist in meeting the department’s duty to preserve, protect, and restore fi…

Notwithstanding Section 1501.5, the department may allocate federal funds and any moneys received as donations for purposes of the Wolf-Livestock Compensation Pilot Program to pay for the deterrence of wolf presence near livestock, the impacts of wolf presence on livestock, and f…

The department, in accordance with policies established by the commission, may provide for the feeding of game birds, mammals, or fish at such times as natural foods therefor are not available, and may provide suitable area or areas for such feeding, and may for those purposes ex…

The department shall provide for the feeding of deer wherever the director finds that natural forage is unavailable therefor due to excessive snow. The times, extent, and manner of such feeding shall be prescribed by the director. In carrying out the provisions of this section ne…

(a) When income is derived directly from real property acquired and operated by the state as a wildlife management area, and regardless of whether income is derived from property acquired after October 1, 1949, the department may pay annually to the county in which the property i…

(a) The department may manage, control, and protect the portions of the following spawning areas that occupy state-owned lands, to the extent necessary to protect fishlife in these areas: (1) The Sacramento River between Keswick and Loybas Hill Bridge, near Vina. (2) The Feather …

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Managed wetland habitat” means artificially irrigated and intensively managed wetland habitat administered primarily for the benefit of waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species. (2) “Best management prac…

For the purposes of propagating, feeding and protecting birds, mammals, and fish, and establishing wildlife management areas or public shooting grounds the department, with the approval of the commission, may do all of the following: (a) Accept, on behalf of the state, donations …

Any property acquired for wildlife management areas or public shooting grounds shall be acquired in the name of the State, and shall, at all times, be subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed from time to time by the commission for the occupation, use, operation…

(a) The department, upon request of the leaseholder, shall extend any existing lease for a recreational homesite on Lower Sherman Island to the holder of any lease of lands under the control of the department, under the following conditions: (1) The existing lease is between the …

The department shall do all things necessary to secure a valid title in the State to the property acquired for wildlife management areas or public shooting grounds but no payment shall be made therefor until the title is satisfactory to the Attorney General, and is vested in the …

Lands, or lands and water, acquired for public shooting grounds, state marine (estuarine) recreational management areas, or wildlife management areas shall be operated on a nonprofit basis by the department. Multiple recreational use of wildlife management areas is desirable and …

The output of any state game farm shall be distributed on public lands or where the department determines that the output will receive adequate protection and be most likely to thrive and multiply. (Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

Except in accordance with the regulations of the commission, it is unlawful to enter upon any wildlife management areas or public shooting grounds established under the provisions of this article, or to take therein any bird or the nest or eggs thereof, or any mammal. The taking …

In establishing the Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (“SHARE”) program, it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage private landowners to voluntarily make their land available to the public for wildlife-dependent recreational activities. The Legislature f…

For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply: (a) “Agreement” includes, but is not limited to, a contract, license, easement, memorandum of understanding, or lease. (b) “Partnership” means a collaborative effort involving financial or in-kind contributions by non…

(a) There is hereby established the Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) program. The department, in partnership with nonprofit conservation groups and other interested nongovernmental organizations that seek to increase and enhance wildlife-dependent recr…

(a) (1) The department may enter into a voluntary agreement with a private landowner, including an agreement under which the private landowner is compensated by the department for public use of the land, to provide public access for wildlife-dependent recreational activities. Any…

(a) The department may revoke, for up to three years, the public access privilege granted pursuant to this article, of any person who violates any provision of this code or regulation adopted pursuant to this code while on any property that is subject to an agreement under the pr…

To provide added protection for landowners from the depredation of trespassers and to provide additional hunting opportunities to public hunters and private landowners, the department may contract with landowners for the establishment of cooperative hunting areas according to ter…

The Legislature hereby declares that the policy of the state is to protect threatened or endangered native plants, wildlife, or aquatic organisms or specialized habitat types, both terrestrial and nonmarine aquatic, or large heterogeneous natural gene pools for the future use of …

Any property acquired in fee for ecological reserves shall be acquired in the name of the state, and shall, at all times, be subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed from time to time by the commission for the occupation, use, operation, protection, and administ…

The department shall do all things necessary to secure a valid title in the state to the property acquired in fee for ecological reserves but no payment shall be made therefor until the title is vested in and satisfactory to the state. No such land will be acquired by eminent dom…

Except in accordance with the regulations of the commission it is unlawful to enter upon any ecological reserves established under the provisions of this article, or to take therein any bird or the nest or eggs thereof, or any mammal, fish, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibia, reptil…

As used in this article, “ecological reserve” means land or land and water areas that are designated as an ecological reserve by the commission pursuant to Section 1580 and that are to be preserved in a natural condition, or which are to be provided some level of protection as de…

Notwithstanding Section 1580, which sets forth the primary purposes of ecological reserves, the department may construct facilities and conduct programs in ecological reserves it selects to provide natural history education and recreation if those facilities and programs are comp…

The Mirage Trail within the Magnesia Spring Ecological Reserve shall be open nine months of the year during the months of May to January, inclusive, and closed for three months during the months of February to April, inclusive, to recreational hiking if the commission determines …

(a) The “Eden Landing Ecological Reserve,” as specified in paragraph (52) of subdivision (b) of Section 630 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, as that section read on January 1, 2022, is hereby renamed the “Congressman Pete Stark Ecological Reserve at Eden Landing…

The commission may designate, delete, or modify state marine recreational management areas established by the commission for hunting purposes, state marine reserves, and state marine conservation areas, as delineated in subdivision (a) of Section 36725 of the Public Resources Cod…

(a) The Marine Managed Areas Improvement Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 36600) of Division 27 of the Public Resources Code) establishes a uniform classification system for state marine managed areas and is incorporated herein by reference. Any proposals for marine protec…

It is unlawful to place, plant, or cause to be placed or planted, in any of the waters of this State, any live fish, any fresh or salt water animal, or any aquatic plant, whether taken without or within the State, without first submitting it for inspection to, and securing the wr…

In addition to Section 6400, it is unlawful to transport or possess any live white bass (Marone chrysops), whether taken within or without the state, unless it is first submitted for inspection to, and written permission is obtained from, the department.

Any person may, under the terms of a permit first obtained from the department, under regulations the commission may prescribe, purchase or receive live fish from any registered aquaculturist, and may stock the fish in a stream or a lake.

The department may plant fish in streams passing through, or in lakes on, land on which is located a youth camp for underprivileged children.

This chapter does not apply to activities governed by Division 12 (commencing with Section 15000).

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to make the Annual Provisional Stocking Document available to the public, recognizing that this document expresses the department’s intended plans for fish plants and that the department’s execution of these plans is not guaranteed. (b) The…

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Declines in various southern California marine species of fish have adversely affected the sport and commercial fishing industry. (b) Efforts to enhance these species through the placement of artificial reefs need to be…

For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meaning: (a) “Artificial reef” means manmade or natural objects intentionally placed in selected areas of the marine environment to duplicate those conditions that induce production of fish and invertebrates on …

The department shall administer the California Artificial Reef Program.

The program shall include all of the following: (a) The placement of artificial reefs in state waters. (b) A study of existing successful reefs and all new reefs placed by the program to determine the design criteria needed to construct artificial reefs capable of increasing fish…

The amount allocated for the administration of the program in any fiscal year may not exceed the amount authorized by applicable state and federal policy guidelines.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that not more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) shall be allocated to the program for the 1985–86 fiscal year. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that future sources of funding for the program may include, but are not limit…

The Legislature finds and declares that triploid grass carp have the potential to control aquatic nuisance plants in non-public waters allowing for reduced chemical control but that the threat that grass carp pose to aquatic habitat may outweigh its benefits. It is the intent of …

The department shall adopt regulations that provide for the control of aquatic plant pests using artificially introduced triploid grass carp under a permit issued by the department. The regulations shall do all of the following: (a) Restrict triploid grass carp introductions to t…

All providers of triploid grass carp for use under this article shall provide certification acceptable to the department of triploidy and disease-free conditions for all fish introduced.

Prior to receiving a permit from the department to use triploid grass carp, the potential user shall provide to the department all of the information required by the department, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) The type of waterway to be stocked. (b) The site has…

(a) On or before March 1 of each year following the first year after triploid grass carp introduction, the permittee shall provide to the department all of the information required by the department, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) The number and size of triploi…