ARTICLE 1. Generally [1000. - 1025.]

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC 1.

in effect

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1000. Section 1000.

The department shall expend funds necessary for biological research and field investigation and for the collection and diffusion of statistics and information that pertain to the conservation, propagation, protection, and perpetuation of birds and their nests and eggs, and of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1000.6. Section 1000.6.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The commercial fishing industry of the North Coast has been greatly affected by decisions made by federal and state agencies concerning the health of the salmon resource and the consequent shortening or closing of the season, further impacting the already economically depressed region. (2) Sportfishing on the North Coast, a staple of the tourism industry of the region, could be substantially affected by the limitations of the salmon seasons. (3) The method of determining salmon escapement counts on only the Klamath River is inadequate for determining the overall health of the salmon resource in northern California waters and consequent decisions regarding the commercial, sport, and Indian salmon fisheries in those waters because it does not take into consideration the escapement figures on the Eel River and the Smith River. (b) The department shall use present assessment methods to assess the salmon escapement count on the Eel River and the Smith River, as well as the Klamath River, systems, employing out-of-work fishermen, where possible, to do the counts with department personnel in supervisory capacities. Those figures shall be used by the commission and the department in all reports, recommendations, and decisions concerning the establishment of the commercial and sportfishing seasons in the state waters and in all recommendations to the Pacific Fishery Management Council or other regulatory agencies. This program shall be a priority for funding under the Fisheries Restoration Act of 1985 (Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 2760) added to Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code by Senate Bill No. 400 of the 1985–86 Regular Session). (c) The department shall install sonar fish counting devices on the Klamath River system as a three-year test program to determine the accuracy of the devices, and shall make recommendations to the Legislature by January 1, 1990, as to their accuracy and whether they should be installed on other river systems. Present assessment methods shall continue on the Klamath River system during the test period as a control mechanism.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1001. Section 1001.

Nothing in this code or any other law shall prohibit the department from taking, for scientific, propagation, public health or safety, prevention or relief of suffering, or law enforcement purposes, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, and the nests and eggs thereof, or any other form of plant or animal life.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1002. Section 1002.

(a) The department may issue permits, subject to restrictions and regulations that the department determines are desirable, to take or possess, in any part of the state, for scientific, educational, or propagation purposes, mammals, birds and the nests and eggs thereof, fish, amphibians, reptiles, or any other form of plant or animal life. (b) The department may issue a permit that is valid for 36 months from the date of issuance on the payment of a nonrefundable application fee of one hundred dollars ($100) and a permit fee of three hundred dollars ($300), as adjusted under Section 713. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the department may issue a permit without fee that is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance to authorize only the banding of birds and the exhibition of live or dead wildlife specimens by public zoological gardens, scientific, or educational institutions. (d) (1) The department may issue a special student permit that is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance on the payment of a nonrefundable application fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) and a permit fee of fifty dollars ($50), as adjusted under Section 713, to any student in a school of collegiate level or a commercial fishing class who is required by an instructor to collect specimens used in laboratory work in the school under supervision and in connection with a course in wildlife research or in the conduct of wildlife investigations and studies on behalf of the public. (2) All fish taken under permit for a commercial fishing class student shall be taken in accordance with state law, except that Sections 7850, 7880, and 7881 do not apply. All fish taken under a permit for a commercial fishing class student may be sold only to a person licensed to receive fish from commercial fishermen as provided in Section 8032 or 8033 or donated to a charitable institution. All funds received from the sale of the fish shall be used solely for the support of commercial fishing classes. (e) It is not necessary for the holder of the permit to have a sport fishing or hunting license to collect any fish, amphibian, reptile, aquatic animal or plant, bird, or mammal for scientific, educational, or propagation purposes in this state. (f) Nothing in this section authorizes any act which violates Section 597 of the Penal Code. (g) A permit under this section does not authorize the taking of fish or mammals from the ocean waters of this state which are within the boundaries of any city if the city has filed with the department an objection to the taking. (h) The adjustment of the nonrefundable application fee and permit fees pursuant to Section 713 that are specified in subdivisions (b) and (d) shall be applicable to permits issued on or after January 1, 2013. (i) The department, by regulation, may adjust the amount of the fees specified in subdivisions (b) and (d) as necessary to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department relating to those permits. (j) No permit under this section is required for species listed as threatened or endangered pursuant to the California Endangered Species Act, when an entity holds a valid permit or memorandum of understanding for the subject species and the proposed activities, issued pursuant to Section 2081. (k) No permit under this section is required for fully protected species listed in Section 3511, 4700, 5050, or 5515 if the entity holds a valid memorandum of understanding issued by the department for the subject species and proposed activities, in accordance with the respective section. (l) A permit or amendment issued pursuant to Section 1002 is not transferable between individuals or entities. (m) If a permitholder fails to submit information or reports required in a permit, the department shall revoke an existing permit, and may decline to issue a permit to that person or entity in subsequent years.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1002.5. Section 1002.5.

(a) The department may issue a permit pursuant to Section 1002 to an appropriate public, private, or nonprofit entity, or a person, as determined by the department, in the name of a principal scientific investigator or the permitted entity or person. (b) The department may approve individual temporary employees or volunteers to work under the permit, after receiving notification from the permittee. The permittee shall have adequate supervision over any temporary employees or volunteers approved to work under the permit. (c) A permittee that allows a temporary employee or volunteer to work under a permit without approval from the department in accordance with this section is subject to Section 12000. (d) The department shall charge a fee pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1002 for the issuance of a permit authorized by this section. If the department determines that the costs to issue a permit authorized by this section are greater than the costs to issue a permit pursuant to Section 1002, the department may charge a permit fee in an amount that is greater than the amount imposed by subdivision (b) of Section 1002 to recover those additional costs. (e) The department may amend a permit issued under this section, including, but not limited to, the addition or removal of individual temporary employees or volunteers working under the permit, on the payment of a nonrefundable application fee of one hundred dollars ($100), as adjusted under Section 713 or regulations adopted by the department.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1003. Section 1003.

Mammals, birds and their nests and eggs, fish and their eggs, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, or any other form of plant or animal life taken under the provisions of a scientific or propagation permit issued pursuant to Section 1002 may be shipped or transported anywhere within or without the state if prior written approval is obtained from the department and the shipment is accompanied by the name, address, and permit number of the person holding the scientific or propagation permit.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1004. Section 1004.

The department may capture and sell birds and mammals, at prices to be fixed by the commission, to persons engaged in the domestication and sale thereof in this State.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1005. Section 1005.

For the purpose of exhibiting fish and game educational material at fairs or sportsmen’s shows and making other public displays, and to make conservation educational materials on fish and game available for any public use, including fairs, sportsmen’s shows, schools, and civic organizations, the department may: (a) Accept on behalf of the State donations of money and services from any person to defray such expenses as may be incurred by the department in connection therewith. (b) Charge admissions or make a charge for the use of any departmental material or exhibits to be used in a fair, sportsmen’s show, or by a civic organization.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1005.5. Section 1005.5.

Notwithstanding Section 11005 of the Government Code, the department may accept gifts of personal property if the donor is a county of the state and the gift is purchased with fine money derived from fish and game violations. The department shall notify the Department of Finance 30 days in advance of accepting these gifts.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1006. Section 1006.

The department may inspect the following: (a) All boats, markets, stores and other buildings, except dwellings, and all receptacles, except the clothing actually worn by a person at the time of inspection, where birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, or amphibia may be stored, placed, or held for sale or storage. (b) All boxes and packages containing birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, or amphibia which are held for transportation by any common carrier.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1007. Section 1007.

The department may import, propagate, and distribute birds, mammals, or fish.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1008. Section 1008.

The department shall investigate all diseases of, and problems relating to, birds, mammals, or fish, and establish and maintain laboratories to assist in such investigation.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1009. Section 1009.

The department may obtain for the State rights of way over private lands for the purpose of furnishing access for the public to lands or waters open to public hunting or fishing whenever such rights of way are determined by the commission to be necessary for such public use. Such rights of way shall not be acquired by eminent domain proceedings. The department may construct or cause to be constructed such fences, signs, and other structures as are necessary for the protection of any such right of way, and the cost of the construction shall be met out of the funds available to the department.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1010. Section 1010.

The department, by and with the approval of the Department of General Services, may sell grazing permits or otherwise dispose of excess vegetation or other products, produced on lands acquired by the department.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1011. Section 1011.

(a) The department may procure insurance for any of the following purposes: (1) For itself and landowners who agree to permit the department to use their land as cooperative hunting, fishing, conservation or recreational areas, against any liability resulting from the operation of those hunting, fishing, conservation or recreational areas. (2) For its employees or other persons authorized by the department to conduct hunter education training courses against any public liability or property damage resulting from that training. (b) The cost of insurance procured pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be a proper charge against and shall be paid out of the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1012. Section 1012.

The department may procure insurance for its employees for injury or death against the liability of the owner or operator of any vessel boarded by an employee as an observer.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1013. Section 1013.

In any lease, easement, or right-of-way entered into whereby the department leases real property or obtains a grant of easement or right-of-way in real property for the purpose of constructing, operating, or maintaining a fish screen, fish ladder, fishweir, or fishtrap, the department may agree to indemnify and hold harmless the lessor or grantor by reason of the uses authorized by such lease, easement, or right-of-way. Insurance may be purchased by the Department of General Services to protect the department against loss or expense arising out of such a lease, easement, or right-of-way.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1014. Section 1014.

If the Department of Parks and Recreation contracts with the federal government pursuant to Public Law 89-161 for the administration of recreation development or fish and wildlife enhancement facilities, as authorized by Section 5006.6 of the Public Resources Code, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is authorized to operate, maintain, and replace those facilities designated as fish and wildlife enhancement facilities and to assume all costs of that operation, maintenance, and replacement, subject to appropriation of funds by the Legislature.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1015. Section 1015.

Whenever the department is required, or provided an opportunity, to assess the adequacy of a project or to provide a detailed environmental impact statement or similar document pursuant to Public Law 91-190 or Section 21100, 21101, or 21102 of the Public Resources Code, or any other provision of law, it shall determine the extent to which salmon and steelhead resources will be protected from damage by the project in question, together with the extent to which the agency or person preparing the plans for such project has incorporated therein plans for increasing the salmon or steelhead resources of this state. To the fullest practicable extent, the department shall advise the commission at one of its regular scheduled meetings of the state’s comments on the project. In no event shall more than one regular commission meeting transpire between the time the department renders comments to the requesting person or agency and the time it reports its findings to the commission.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1016. Section 1016.

(a) Whenever the department determines that an oil sump, as defined by Section 3780 of the Public Resources Code, is hazardous to wildlife, but does not constitute an immediate and grave danger to wildlife, the department shall forthwith notify the State Oil and Gas Supervisor of such condition in order that he may take action pursuant to Section 3783 of the Public Resources Code to have such condition cleaned up or abated. The department in making such notification shall specify the hazardous conditions. (b) Whenever the department determines that an oil sump, as defined by Section 3780 of the Public Resources Code, constitutes an immediate and grave danger to wildlife, the department shall forthwith notify the State Oil and Gas Supervisor of such condition in order that he may take action pursuant to Section 3784 of the Public Resources Code to have such condition cleaned up or abated. The department, in making such notification, shall specify the immediate and grave danger. (c) The commission shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the provisions of this section, including a reasonable definition of the term “hazardous” for the purposes of this section. It is the intent of the Legislature that the department adopt, as a part of such rules and regulations, a definition of the term “wildlife,” as herein employed, which will provide for reasonable exclusions consistent with effectuating the wildlife protection purposes of this section. (d) No provision of this section shall be construed as a limitation on the authority or responsibilities of the department with respect to the enforcement or administration of any provision of state law which it is authorized or required to enforce or administer.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1017. Section 1017.

(a) It is the policy of the state to anticipate and resolve potential conflicts between the management, conservation, and protection of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat and private and public activities that may affect them. (b) Accordingly, the department may use such informal consultative procedures prior to taking any formal action as will assist in the achievement of this policy. (c) Any costs incurred by the department in engaging in informal consultative procedures, including, but not limited to, fees charged by any neutral party acting in the capacity of a mediator, discussion facilitator, or convener, are a proper charge against any funds lawfully available to the department for this purpose. (d) The authority conferred by this section is not intended, and shall not be construed, to increase, decrease, duplicate, or supersede any other authority of the department or the commission under this code or any other provision of law. (e) As used in this section, “formal action” means the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any rule, regulation, or order; entering into, amending, or canceling an agreement; and the issuance, suspension, or revocation of any permit, license, or other entitlement.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1018. Section 1018.

The director shall use the department’s resources, to the fullest extent feasible, to coordinate with the federal government to promote the preservation of species, including species listed as endangered species or threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.) and the California Endangered Species Act, Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3, and their habitats within the locale of Isabella Dam and Reservoir in Kern County in order to facilitate the continued operation of those facilities for flood control and water conservation storage as authorized by Congress and as provided in an agreement, dated October 23, 1964, among the United States and various local public agencies. Nothing in this section is intended to amend, modify, or alter in any manner the intent of the California Endangered Species Act.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1019. Section 1019.

(a) Subject to an appropriation of funds by the Legislature for that purpose, for parcels wholly within its jurisdiction acquired on or after January 1, 2002, the department shall prepare draft management plans for public review within 18 months of the recordation date. (b) (1) On or before February 1 of each year, the department shall submit a list of lands acquired during the previous two fiscal years and the status of the management plans for each acquisition to the fiscal committees of each house of the Legislature. (2) Each fiscal committee in the Legislature shall consider the lists described in paragraph (1) in its budget decisions for the department.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1020. Section 1020.

(a) The department and the commission shall develop a strategic plan to implement proposals arising from any of the following: (1) The strategic vision developed and submitted to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to Section 12805.3 of the Government Code. (2) Any legislation enacted relating to the strategic vision process. (3) The department’s own proposals for reform. (b) (1) The department and the commission may contract for consultants to assist in the preparation of the strategic plan pursuant to subdivision (a). (2) Contracts entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) shall terminate no later than December 31, 2015. (3) Contracts entered into pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be exempt from Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1021. Section 1021.

(a) The department may take feasible actions to conserve monarch butterflies and the unique habitats they depend upon for successful migration. These actions may include, but are not limited to, habitat restoration on department lands, education programs, and voluntary agreements with private landowners. (b) The department may partner with federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic programs, private landowners, and other entities that undertake actions to conserve monarch butterflies and aid their successful migration, including the Monarch Joint Venture. (c) When undertaking actions to conserve monarch butterflies and their habitats pursuant to this section, the department shall use the best available science and consider, as appropriate and feasible, all of the following: (1) Restoring or revegetating monarch caterpillar habitat using regionally or locally appropriate native milkweed species. (2) Restoring or revegetating adult monarch butterfly habitat using regionally or locally appropriate native nectar plant species. (3) Controlling nonnative weed species that threaten native milkweed species, and controlling pests and disease, using current best management practices consistent with integrated pest management principles that pose low risk to monarch butterflies and their habitat. (4) Incorporating diverse tree species, structures, and arrangements when restoring or establishing winter habitat sites to match monarch butterfly preferences for temperature, light, moisture, wind, and other microclimate characteristics. (5) Increasing the number of partnerships and making the most of partnerships to use residential and institutional landscaped areas, agricultural noncropped lands, transportation corridors, and conservation easements to create, restore, or enhance monarch butterfly habitat. (d) The fact that a project applicant or landowner does not enter into a voluntary agreement to protect monarch butterflies shall not be grounds for denying a permit or agreement or requiring additional mitigation beyond what would be required to mitigate project impacts under other applicable laws, including, but not limited to, the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code).

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1022. Section 1022.

(a) The commission may authorize, for research, educational, limited testing, data collection, compensation fishing, conservation engineering, or exploratory fishing, or any combination of these purposes, an EFP to be issued by the department that authorizes commercial or recreational marine fishing activity otherwise prohibited by this code or any regulation adopted pursuant to this code, subject, at a minimum, to all of the following: (1) Activities conducted under the EFP shall be consistent with policies set forth in Section 7050 and any applicable fishery management plan. (2) An EFP is subject to those conditions the commission deems necessary to ensure the protection of marine resources, and shall be revoked if the continued use would have an adverse impact on any resource or allocation of a resource, or other adverse impact to established fisheries or other marine living resources. (3) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), activities conducted under the EFP shall not involve engaging in bottom trawling in ocean waters of the state. (B) Activities conducted under the EFP may involve engaging in bottom trawling if the EFP is issued to a person who holds a permit issued pursuant to Section 8494 or 8842 and the activities conducted under the EFP are limited to locations where bottom trawling is authorized under the applicable permit. (4) An EFP exempts a permittee only from the provisions of this code and regulations adopted pursuant to this code specified in the EFP. All other applicable laws and regulations shall remain in effect. (5) Permits shall be issued pursuant to the process established in subdivision (b). (b) The commission shall establish by regulation an expeditious process for department review, public notice and comment, commission approval, and prompt department issuance of EFPs, that is consistent with Section 7059. (c) Upon completion of the activities authorized in an EFP, or periodically under terms specified by the commission, a person fishing under an EFP shall submit to the commission and the department a final report summarizing the EFP research and findings, and any scientific reports or other publications created as a result of the activity. (d) Unless otherwise specified by the commission, an EFP issued pursuant to this section is valid for a period of one year. However, the department shall not issue an EFP for the same purposes for more than four consecutive years. (e) The department shall post, and annually update, information regarding approved EFP activities, including information on the fishery and region affected, the experimental intent, and other relevant information on its Internet Web site. (f) On or before January 1, 2025, and every five years thereafter, the department shall complete and provide to the appropriate legislative committees a report summarizing the approved EFPs and benefits of the EFP program to the sustainability of California fisheries, efficiency of fishing effort, and reduction of bycatch in California fisheries. (g) The commission may charge a permit fee as necessary to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable implementation and administrative costs of the department and the commission relating to the EFP. (h) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Compensation fishing” means fishing conducted for the purpose of recovering costs associated with resource surveys and scientific studies that support the management of a fishery, or fishing that serves as an incentive for participation in those studies. Compensation fishing may include fishing before, during, or following those surveys or studies. (2) “Conservation engineering” means the study of fish behavior and the development and testing of new gear technology and fishing techniques that promote efficient and sustainable harvest of target species or reduce collateral effects, such as bycatch and adverse effects on habitat, or both. (3) “EFP” means an experimental fishing permit. (4) “Exploratory fishing” means fishing to collect data or conduct other research, typically to provide information that could inform the potential opening of a new fishery or an area currently closed to fishing.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1023. Section 1023.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department may develop a pilot program to collect and compile information and data on wildlife-vehicle collisions to support wildlife conservation efforts conducted through regional conservation investment strategies approved pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 1850), the Advance Mitigation Program (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 800) of Chapter 4 of Division 1 of the Streets and Highways Code), or any policy or project implemented to reduce the loss of wildlife from vehicle collisions. The pilot program shall be at a maximum of three geographically dispersed sites identified by the department to be areas of high wildlife-vehicle collisions. (b) In developing the pilot program, the department may coordinate with other state agencies that remove dead wildlife from roadways to determine the scope of data collected on wildlife-vehicle collisions. (c) At the conclusion of the pilot program, the department shall report to the commission on the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions identified during the study period, barriers to additional data collection, and the feasibility of creating a statewide wildlife-vehicle collision reporting system. The report shall include an estimate of the costs of implementing the statewide wildlife-vehicle collision reporting system.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1024. Section 1024.

(a) The department shall conduct a study to create a framework for cannabis site restoration projects with the goal of providing guidance for the cleanup, remediation, and restoration of environmental damage caused by cannabis cultivation, and shall complete the study by January 1, 2027. (b) As part of the study, the department shall do both of the following: (1) Develop recommendations for technologies to address reconnaissance challenges in finding illicit cannabis cultivation on public lands, such as remote sensing technologies and comprehensive statewide mapping capabilities. (2) Outline steps to create a comprehensive dataset that includes any mapping of illicit cannabis cultivation produced by local, state, or federal agencies, and identify any barriers to developing the comprehensive dataset. (c) The department may enter into an agreement with a nongovernmental organization or educational institution for that entity to conduct the study required by this section. (d) After the study is completed, the department shall make the results of the study publicly available on its internet website.

Cal. Fish and Game Code - FGC § 1025. Section 1025.

(a) (1) (A) The department shall submit a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2027, and each year thereafter, on illicit cannabis cultivation, including reconnaissance, eradication, reclamation, and restoration operations involving the department, and on the status of efforts to repair habitat degradation and other environmental damage in watersheds affected by cannabis cultivation on both public and private lands. (B) As part of the report prepared pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall include all of the following: (i) An assessment of the number of trespassing cannabis cultivation sites or complexes in order to identify illicit cultivation trends. (ii) A summary of length of irrigation line and weight of nonhazardous waste, trash, and equipment removed, and number and type of stream structures removed within stream channel by grow site. (iii) An assessment of opportunities to implement restoration measures to achieve effective watershed-scale restoration of watersheds affected by cannabis cultivation, and opportunities to supplement cannabis-related reclamation and restoration activities with restoration measures to achieve effective watershed-scale restoration, in a manner consistent with state and federal plans for the recovery of native species. (iv) A list of restoration projects funded annually by the Cannabis Restoration Grant Program to achieve effective watershed-scale restoration of watersheds affected by cannabis cultivation. (C) The metrics included in the report shall include, but are not limited to, how many reconnaissance, eradication, reclamation, and restoration operations occur on public lands and private lands and in total. (2) The last report required to be submitted to the Legislature pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be the report due on or before January 1, 2036. The department shall make a report completed pursuant to this section available to interested parties upon request. (b) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. (2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2040.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026