County - - CA Fish And Game

Section § 13100

Funds collected and kept in the county treasury for certain purposes must be used specifically for activities related to fish and wildlife, like their protection and conservation. The board of supervisors manages how these funds are spent.

Before any money is spent from the county's fish and wildlife fund, the proposed spending plan must be reviewed by either the county board of supervisors or a specially assigned fish and game commission. This is to make sure everything aligns with the existing rules governing such expenditures.

(a) The amounts paid to and retained in the county treasury pursuant to Sections 12009 and 13003 shall be deposited in a county fish and wildlife propagation fund and expended for the protection, conservation, propagation, and preservation of fish and wildlife, under the direction of the board of supervisors, pursuant to this chapter.

(b) All proposed expenditures from a county fish and wildlife propagation fund shall be reviewed first at a regular meeting of the county board of supervisors or its designated county fish and game commission to ensure compliance with Section 13103.

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(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 597, Sec. 2. (SB 1249) Effective January 1, 2013.)

Section § 13101

This section allows the board of supervisors of any county in California to make agreements with other counties or the state department to use money from their fish and wildlife propagation funds. These agreements can be for projects or activities that benefit one or more counties, as allowed by the law. Counties can even jointly purchase property with these funds, and if needed, transfer the property to the state, provided it is used for approved purposes within the counties involved.

(a) The board of supervisors of any county may enter into a written agreement with the board of supervisors of one or more counties for the expenditure of any funds deposited in its fish and wildlife propagation fund pursuant to Section 13100 for any purpose authorized by Section 13103 in either, or any, of the counties for the joint benefit of both, or all, of the counties as the judgment of the boards of supervisors may direct. The purchase of real property necessary for that purpose is lawful and title thereto shall be taken in the joint names of each county which contributes funds therefor. The property may be deeded to the state upon the express condition that it shall be employed for the purposes of this chapter within the counties.

(b) The board of supervisors of one or more counties may enter into a written agreement with the department for the expenditure of any funds deposited in its fish and wildlife propagation fund pursuant to Section 13100 for any purpose authorized by Section 13103.

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(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 561, Sec. 1.)

Section § 13102

This law states that any spending from a county's fish and game propagation fund must follow specific rules laid out in another part of the state's government code.

Expenditures from the fish and game propagation fund of any county shall be subject to the provisions of Division 3 (commencing with Section 29000) of Title 3 of the Government Code.

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(Enacted by Stats. 1957, Ch. 456.)

Section § 13103

This law specifies how a county can spend money from its fish and wildlife fund. The funds can be used for public education on conservation, treating injured wildlife, managing wildlife confiscated as evidence, and breeding or releasing wildlife with department approval. Other uses include improving habitats, maintaining hatcheries, buying supplies, controlling predators, conducting research, and covering reasonable county administrative costs. The law also allows funding for secret witness programs and legal costs related to enforcing wildlife laws. Additional spending can be approved for conserving and preserving wildlife.

Expenditures from the fish and wildlife propagation fund of any county may be made only for the following purposes:

(a) Public education relating to the scientific principles of fish and wildlife conservation, consisting of supervised formal instruction carried out pursuant to a planned curriculum and aids to education such as literature, audio and video recordings, training models, and nature study facilities.

(b) Temporary emergency treatment and care of injured or orphaned wildlife.

(d) Breeding, raising, purchasing, or releasing fish or wildlife that are to be released upon approval of the department pursuant to Sections 6400 and 6401 onto land or into waters of local, state, or federal agencies or onto land or into waters open to the public.

(e) Improvement of fish and wildlife habitat, including, but not limited to, construction of fish screens, weirs, and ladders; drainage or other watershed improvements; gravel and rock removal or placement; construction of irrigation and water distribution systems; earthwork and grading; fencing; planting trees and other vegetation management; and removal of barriers to the migration of fish and wildlife.

(f) Construction, maintenance, and operation of public hatchery facilities.

(g) Purchase and maintain materials, supplies, or equipment for either the department’s ownership and use or the department’s use in the normal performance of the department’s responsibilities.

(h) Predator control actions for the benefit of fish or wildlife following certification in writing by the department that the proposed actions will significantly benefit a particular wildlife species.

(i) Scientific fish and wildlife research conducted by institutions of higher learning, qualified researchers, or governmental agencies, if approved by the department.

(j) Reasonable administrative costs, excluding the costs of audits required by Section 13104, for secretarial service, travel, and postage by the county fish and wildlife commission when authorized by the county board of supervisors. For purposes of this subdivision, “reasonable cost” means an amount that does not exceed 15 percent of the average amount received by the fund during the previous three-year period, or ten thousand dollars ($10,000) annually, whichever is greater, excluding any funds carried over from a previous fiscal year.

(k) Contributions to a secret witness program for the purpose of facilitating enforcement of this code and regulations adopted pursuant to this code.

(l) Costs incurred by the district attorney or city attorney in investigating and prosecuting civil and criminal actions for violations of this code, as approved by the department.

(m) Costs incurred by a county counsel in investigating and prosecuting an action for civil penalties, injunctive relief, or civil penalties and injunctive relief pursuant to Section 5650.1 resulting from unlicensed cannabis cultivation.

(n) Other expenditures, approved by the department, for the purpose of protecting, conserving, propagating, and preserving fish and wildlife.

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(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 56, Sec. 10. (AB 195) Effective June 30, 2022.)

Section § 13104

This law allows the department to check, or have the county check, how a county is spending money from its fund for fish and wildlife projects. If they find that the money isn't being spent correctly, the department can stop further spending or ask for the money to be paid back, or both.

The department may audit, or require the county to audit, expenditures by the county from its fish and wildlife propagation fund in order to determine compliance with this chapter. If, after reviewing the audit, the department determines that expenditures are not in compliance with this chapter, the department may require that all expenditures from the fund be temporarily suspended, or it may seek reimbursement of funds that the department determines, based on the audit, were expended improperly, or both.

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(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 419, Sec. 3. (AB 1254) Effective January 1, 2011.)