The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking public comment on its nine draft companion plans, which will supplement the recently revised 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The public review period will run from November 16, 2015, through January 15, 2016. In addition, the CDFW will hold a public meeting to present the plans and answer questions on November 30, 2015, from 1-3 p.m. in the Natural Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento.
The companion plans focus on specific overarching issues that have a significant impact on the state’s fish and wildlife resources. The plan categories are agriculture, consumptive and recreational users, energy development, forests and rangeland, land-use planning, transportation planning, tribal lands, water management, and marine resources.
The CDFW created these supplemental plans to provide more specificity to the overall SWAP. Because these documents focus on a single issue, they can be easily adapted as new information is obtained and new management strategies developed. The CDFW revises the SWAP every 10 years. This process was completed in October 2015 and the plan is currently under review by USFWS.
The draft companion plans and comment form can be accessed here. Comments may also be emailed to swap@wildlife.ca.gov or mailed to California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Attn: SWAP, 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1221, Sacramento, CA 95814.