Recreation
In an effort to bring awareness and protect the population for generations to come, California has designated Oct. 15 as Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle Conservation Day.
As one of largest migratory sea turtles, the Pacific leatherback sea turtle (leatherback) mark an incredible journey each year, traveling more than 6,000 miles from nesting beaches in Indonesia to feed on California jellyfish during summer and fall months.
Listed as threatened on both federal and state lists, the species faces threats from capture in fishing gear, harvesting of eggs on nesting beaches, plastic pollution and climate change.
“Despite being listed as an endangered or threatened species since 1970, the leatherback population has decreased by approximately 90 percent over the last 20 years,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Our hope with this celebration is to bring awareness to the plight of the leatherback to preserve it for years to come.”
Passed by the Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Brown in September 2012, Assembly Bill 1776 established leatherbacks as the official state marine reptile.
The bill encourages public schools to include leatherbacks in their curriculum and urges state and federal agencies to take proactive conservation measures to prevent further threats.
Scientists and government representatives from California and Indonesia will also convene in Monterey, California Oct. 14-16, 2013, for an historic summit on leatherbacks.
The conference will host more than a dozen Indonesian delegates, providing the opportunity to reaffirm each country’s commitments and forge new partnerships to prevent the extinction of this magnificent species that call both regions home.
Leatherbacks are the deepest-diving, longest-living and largest sea turtle.
An adult can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and measure more than 6.5 feet in length and can easily be differentiated from other turtle species by its lack of a bony shell.
According to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) scientists, there are less than 5,000 leatherback breeding females left in the world today.
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The ongoing federal government shutdown is impacting some waterfowl hunting opportunities in California due to the resulting closure of National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs).
State Wildlife Areas are unaffected and will be open for hunting during the regular waterfowl seasons.
All NWRs will be closed until a federal budget is passed, including those designated as Type A areas for which the state draws reservations and operates the check stations.
Once the federal budget is passed, hunters should verify that the refuge they wish to visit will be open by contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or calling the refuge they wish to visit.
• Colusa NWR, 530-934-2801
• Delevan NWR, 530-934-2801
• Kern NWR, 661-725-6504
• Merced NWR, 209-826-3508
• Sacramento NWR, 530-934-2801
• San Luis NWR, (including Kesterson, Bear Creek, Freitas North or Freitas South), 209-826-3508
• Sutter NWR, 530-934-2801
• Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR, 760-348-5278
• Lower Klamath NWR, 530-667-2231
• Tule Lake NWR, 530-667-2231
• Modoc NWR, 530-233-3572
• Stone Lakes NWR, 916-775-4421
The below Type A and B State Wildlife Areas (and all Type C wildlife areas that permit waterfowl hunting) will be open for waterfowl hunting regardless of the federal budget status.
A few of the wildlife areas below are located in waterfowl hunting zones which opened on Oct. 5.
Most are scheduled to open on Oct. 19 when the rest of the state opens for waterfowl hunting.
• Gray Lodge Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Grizzly Island Wildlife Area (Type A and Type B Units)
• Los Banos Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Mendota Wildlife Area (Type A)
• North Grasslands Wildlife Area (Including China Island, Salt Slough and Gadwall Units) (Type A)
• San Jacinto Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area (Including Little Dry Creek, Howard Slough and Llano Seco Units) (Type A)
• Volta Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area (Type A)
• Ash Creek Wildlife Area (Type B)
• Butte Valley Wildlife Area (Type B)
• Honey Lake Wildlife Area (Fleming and Dakin Units) (Type B)
• Shasta Valley Wildlife Area (Type B)
• Willow Creek Wildlife Area (Type B)
Reservation drawings will be performed for Type A NWRs that are subject to the federal shutdown.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has been accepting reservation applications since Sept. 1.
The federal budget situation could be resolved at any time and the NWRs are expected to be open for hunting soon after. CDFW is conducting reservation drawings in the event the areas will open.
CDFW has posted a frequently asked questions page on its Web site at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=73964&;inline=1 .
For further information, please visit CDFW’s Web site at http://www.wildlife.ca.gov .
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