"Given the persistent spring rains, late rice plantings and resulting delays in harvest, crop depredation is a significant concern this year. The rice industry, through the Sacramento Rice Advisory Committee (SRAC), requested that we delay the duck season on selected public hunting areas until after significant portions of the rice crop are harvested," said Atkinson.
The following areas will open to public hunting on Saturday, November 1, 2003:
State Areas:
Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area
1) Little Dry Creek Unit
2) Howard Slough Unit
3) llano Seco Unit
Federal Areas:
Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
Sutter National Wildlife Refuge
Delevan National Wildlife Refuge
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
Still unknown is what impact the DFG's extreme budget constraints will have on waterfowl hunters at the state's wildlife areas. According to John Carlson, chief of the DFG's Wildlife Programs Branch, the challenge is to come up with ways to reduce operating costs without sacrificing hunter opportunity. "While there may be a reduction in some services we typically provide at the wildlife areas, we are doing everything we can to avoid actions that would reduce hunter opportunity, such as closing wildlife areas," said Carlson. Wildlife area managers are considering sending staff home during off-peak hours and instead making some wildlife areas "self serve," and discontinuing on-site sales of two-day permits to avoid the expense of meeting the state's staffing requirements for handling cash.
The DFG will announce any budget-related changes in service prior to the opening of waterfowl season via its Web site, located at http://www.dfg.ca.gov.
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