California Identification Remote Access Network - Regular Meeting

K. Now we're ready. Okay. We're gonna call to order the meeting of fish and wild Olderado County Fish and Wildlife Commission for 04/29/2026. And do you need some kind of assistance? Absolutely. Commissioner Allen? Here. Commissioner Gardner? Here. Commissioner Robinson? Here. Commissioner Byrne? Here. Commissioner Davies? Here. And commissioner Waddell? Here. And Commissioner notified that he would be absent. Okay. Thank you very much.

Up is the adoption

of the agenda and approval of the consent calendar. Does anybody have any changes, alterations? Anybody have a full and I didn't? Public comment?

Oh, jeez. That's

just great. Got somebody there for you.

Okay. We are now taking public comment on the consent calendar. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the commission. We will begin with comments from individuals present in the meeting room followed by those on Zoom. If you're joining by Zoom, please unmute yourself when called upon. You're joining by phone, press 9 to raise your hand. If you're on Zoom, use the raise hand feature to indicate your interest in speaking. And we ask that you voluntarily state your name for the record before beginning comments. Not seeing any public comments in the room. And taking public comment from online participants. Kira from our office, so I don't see any public comment. Okay. Great. So I will entertain a motion.

Move that we accept the consent

calendar. Second.

It's been moved and seconded. And will that include adopting the agenda? Sorry. Yes. The agenda is And commissioner Davies, does you second? Yes. Great. Thank you. All right, it's been moved and seconded. All who approve, aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Okay, open forum. This is an opportunity for members of the public to address commission on subject matter that is not off the agenda and within our jurisdiction. Public comments during open forum are limited to three minutes per person. Good. We are now taking public comment on open forum. And it's not seeing anybody in the room or on Zoom. So I'm going to not read the script until that changes. Okay. All right, so we'll go ahead to the Agricultural Commissioner's report, ma'am.

I do we wanna talk about grizzly bears? Oh, sure.

We wanna talk about everything you've got.

Grizzly bears. So I sat next to we had an egg council dinner or an egg roundtable dinner last week, and I sat with a sibling member, Heather Hadwick. And she was sounding alarm a little bit about the SB 13 o five, which is the reintroduction of grizzly bears. She said it's it's really being pushed by some of the tribal groups, and then they have a lot of power. So it's something to watch, to look at because I really to push in there?

Uh-huh. I really thought that it had no teeth and would never happen, and it's getting more than it it was. I I think it just got it passed through a a senate hearing, and it's moving on. And you're shaking your head. Yeah. It she really I I mean, I was like, what? That's a nothing burger bill. Nobody's gonna do that. And she's like, no. We need opposition. You need to do this. You need to look at it. So I have the commissioners. We're gonna look at it at our conference in May, but definitely something to think about.

Does the does Board of Supervisors weighed in on subjects like that? So something we should

I was just gonna say, do we need to

So I actually I talked to our county council about it, and it's not in a place yet that we would possibly write an opposition letter. I'm also looking at something another item that I have jurisdiction over, which is electric vehicle testing. And so we're we're gonna write a letter of opposition. The county's kinda they're changing their policies right now. It may be that they have a legislative policy and that fits in it, and then a letter can so long story short, I think we should wait a little bit. Sure.

Don't you think we should talk to each of our supervisors just for a heads up on this as

I'm gonna give them a heads up tomorrow. I write them a a monthly thing, and I'm gonna give them a little blurb about it and let them know where it's at. I think as we move as we see how it moves forward, that we can then formally go and ask for a letter of support.

Are you include a copy of the proposed legislation?

I'm probably gonna give them a link to it so I don't have to copy and paste the whole thing in my update to them.

That's what she meant. Sorry. Yeah. I don't wanna click on

it. Another question. Are there any states in The United States except for Alaska that have brown bears?

Yes. Brown bear?

Well, grizzly bears.

Oh, have we been in Montana? Montana?

Montana. Yeah. Montana Montana Indians shot those grizzly bears in the air as they were coming over with helicopters. Guarantee you, they did. They did not want them there. That's the truth.

So it'll be I I mean, the the interesting part about what Heather Hadwick was saying, and she's come out formally opposed to it, is that, you know, the grizzly bears were and you guys can correct me if how do I speak about this? The grizzly bears were originally, back in the day, in the San Francisco Bay and the San Joaquin kind of valley area. Obviously, they wouldn't be able to do that now. Right? So they're gonna put them up here in the foothills. And there's

You don't have enough bears.

We we don't have the carrying capacity, I don't believe, for any of that.

The California grizzly bear is extinct.

Well and I thought because it's a an endangered species that it would not be allowed I mean, I didn't think USDA would allow this to happen, and it was kind of a nothingburger bill. But it sounds like something else? Heads up. It would require a I'm I'm just looking at the language so that I can tell you it would require scientific feasibility study and consultation with the California Native American tribes. And they if it gets passed, this reintroduction bill would would have till 2028 to get that study done.

My only question is when they have to go up and haze them or what, how are they gonna haze that grizzly bear?

They do it. They haze polar bears.

Really? Yeah. And they're not packing a gun or anything on them when they do it?

Sometimes. Yeah.

Yeah. You've

seen it happen.

Depending on the jurisdiction. Sure. Man.

No dogs. Not in California.

Well, not in California. Other states, I mean Wasn't the last one killed in Southern California?

No. No. Alterus wasn't it?

Yeah. Alterus, I think you're right.

Yeah. And I don't know the answer to that one.

And this bill is just to do the feasibility study, so it's it's like a really huge burden on the department because we don't have the funding, but I heard there's language in the bill that says the outsource outside funding can contribute or something.

Directs the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to create a map for restoring the grizzly bear population in California, mandates scientific research into the ecological viability of reintroduction, and consultation with tribes acknowledging the grizzly's cultural importance. She said that a lot of tribes were pushing for it. Opposition opponents, including some legislators, expressed concerns, public safety, livestock risk, potential burdens on wildlife management. The bill passed the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. Doesn't it

go to fiscal next? I think it goes to fiscal.

Yeah, and it's not saying anything about any money in there, but I'm not reading the whole bill. I don't know. As with most things lately, it's unfunded mandates that I just Yeah. How can we it wouldn't be a game, Mammal.

Mhmm. But the big one cheap are.

I know they have a whole thing in here about elk and, you know, Yeah. It's not I don't know.

They already gotta reduce your population ability to add to.

Anyway, so that's one to keep on the radar. I say we watch because it's what it it may get killed if it's going to fiscal next. Yeah.

Well, I would think it killed

the

killer. No place for grizzly bears. Can I ask what bears are great enough to have? What's the number of that?

SB 13 o five. It says read first time in February referred to committee on natural resources and wildlife, and it that's the one that it went out of. And then it's referred to Commissioner why did they write this? It's crazy. COM on APPR? Is that that's not fiscal. Appropriations? Appropriations. Oh, appropriations. It is fiscal. So that's May 4. Okay. Anything else? So that's that. We've still worked with Fish and Wildlife to, you know, our normal stuff, get our depredation permits, make sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing.

Interestingly enough, did you guys hear about the mountain land issue in Alpine County?

Where it went doggy door? Mhmm. Didn't actually kill a dog.

Killed a dog and injured two more. And there was a little bit of a misunderstanding because I'm the eye commissioner for Alpine. So John works in Alpine as the trapper. They some parties didn't understand that. So we've got that all cleared up. We met with the CAO today, so I think that that'll be different. They haven't had any more issues since then. So there was a little bit of a lag in response because the sheriff just let it out of the house.

Did you see the article about the mountain lions in the Sacramento VA?

So the sheriff talked to me yesterday and said something about a mount I couldn't find it in the SACB, but this morning, for a quick glance, we were an Alpine all day. But he said something about the SACPE reference that the Fish and Wildlife Commission was not gonna be issuing depredation permits anymore, the Fish and Wildlife, you know, you guys department. But I I couldn't find anything to that. Is that what you saw?

I I have a copy on there too. Did it

say something like that?

I have a lot of interesting information.

Did they quote me? Because

I Yes. They did. More than once.

So they had a new and this will be interesting. I I haven't seen the article, but they had a a new reporter at who wanted to interview me. And I don't know if it was the sheriff, but I sent her my PowerPoint that I presented to the supervisors and and the county, and I think we updated it and used it in November or so. The sheriff used it in December, so she should have been using data off of there.

Could we get a copy of that sent to the commissioner there?

It's on the Board of Supervisors. No. He's talking

about the SACB or

Oh, oh, sorry. Sorry.

I let me I actually subscribed to the SACB. So if I I can pull it down while we're here, I'll I'll send it out to you guys.

Oh, perfect. Thank you. Mhmm. I

I expect you to do the work.

Would take us They already there. It would take

me out of that group. It would take me out of I'd be like, Kaylee, help. But I I so far, we've been working fine. We're we're getting done what we need to get done. I haven't heard anything about wolves, and I do have our livestock adviser for the UCCE is going to put on in June some they're for commercial livestock producers, but some talks on how to avoid wild it's wolf issues.

So we'll see. Dan Macon, who's amazing, is gonna do that for us. It'll be in Amador and, I think, Tuolumne, and I could send out that. But it's for commercial producers only.

K.

That's all I have. Anything you could think of? No. We have a new fish USDA Fish and Wildlife California director, and Jeff Flores has gone to Arizona and Utah, and our new person is coming from Guam. I don't expect anything to change here in our county. We have picked up the we have our own 100% wildlife trapper, which is the county employee, and then we have the 100% USDA federal trapper, and I don't expect that to change. We pay for them.

Does that come in the Sacramento area? Is that where the trapper's got that?

Well, we actually have a trapper that lives here, but they're

No. I mean, I know John, but I'm just talking about the u USDA.

That trapper lives here too. It's actually Steven Chandler, his brother. Oh, Steve. Okay. So but their office is down, but they're they're pretty mobile.

Yeah.

That's good. He's good. Well and

for us, I don't want John out doing any amount of line work by himself. And so we need somebody, and then we have a lot of other issues that go on. Yeah. Just trying to find his name. But

big enough to strangle.

Oh, man.

Know. Yeah. I know. He's big enough to pick

one up. I know that.

Yeah. So, anyway, it'll be interesting to see what happens. The guy has been in Guam for a bit here.

He definitely is getting himself into it.

Right. Well, and Jeff Slowing should he's gonna be the director for Utah and Arizona. He's only been here for two years and five months, but that Well, girlfriend's in Arizona, so maybe that makes it better. What's the guy's name here? Let's see.

So they're overseeing multiple states now?

Only some of them. I think the state director of Nevada is Nevada. Aaron Collins is his name, and he only oversees California at the moment. Jeff had taken on Oregon too, which is where he'd come from. There's

been,

you know, I think as they've been who knows what's happening at the federal level. I know there's a lot of problems when Doge was in, and I don't know what the fall it is for that after it. And they show Aaron Collins with this ginormous fish. And at the end of it, it says, Erin can be hiking can be found hiking in the wilderness with his wife wife, helping corral her pack of Guam boonie dogs, which I have no clue what that is, or chase chasing, which this is the part for you guys, chasing any and all fish species in any body of water from a mud puddle to the open ocean. No. So that's all I got.

Alrighty. Commissioner reports, Jim? Sorry to put you on.

Nobody on it. I agree with you.

We have the Lonesome Pond fishing derby.

It went very, very well.

Heather was there with her son, and he I think his picture's in here somewhere.

Yeah. Yeah. With his fish that

he caught. Pretty exciting. Anyway, rained right up

until the start, and then

it stopped. So that was good. I think, what was it, about twenty minutes before the start, there wasn't anybody there. Yeah.

We we thought nobody was gonna show. Yeah. It was like ghost town.

So But, anyway, I'm gonna pass some photos around. There's a photo I'm I'm particularly fond of, and that's oh, and this is the city of Placerville, and they had lots and lots of advertising, and we did it. And I wanna thank Myrna, by the way, for bringing the stuff up that day. But this one, I really, really like this this one here. This is a mom.

We got here. And this is just a photograph of our board of the kids that turned in fish, and then you'll see ages four to six. Actually, it was probably three to six. But, anyway

Three to six.

So, yeah, the breakdown.

Two to six. Yeah. That's right.

The breakdown there, and I thought that was great because there was lots of little kids. Anyway, I went past the little kid. Yeah.

One of the littlest girls caught the biggest fish.

Oh, yeah. I mean, it's amazing. Giant. Yeah. Twenty twenty two.

It's six foot.

Yeah. It's pretty wide. Yeah.

That's right. 24. Another was a point

of football. It was like a rugby ball.

Yeah. It

was just so

fast. Yeah. And then and then some another little kid caught one, and they go down with this nylon net and net it out, and and it went right through the net. Both of Yeah. And they lost the fit. Oh. Anyway, so there was Larry and Pat and I, and Heather was there. It was just a lot of fun. So it's Bob. I'm not

I didn't

counted 230 people. Mhmm. Wow. Yeah. I'm just before insurance.

I guess it was just about a 100 signed up. Yeah. So Yeah. It's

I think I have our banner. I'll have to look and see. Okay.

You know what? It just was the way they have it on the on the pop up. If we have a banner that we can put on a pop up like that or if we have a pop up with the with the banner.

We have pop ups,

and we

have a banner. I'm pretty sure.

I will let you know.

I don't know who's having the best. Don't worry about it

next year because you're having the next one.

Yeah. I don't know. The other

two derbies, let me know. Oh, what? That's

Hold on. I was

gonna talk about that. I checked checked our website, and the derbies aren't list the only two that are listed are Allen's. Oh. All the other ones that's at well, Pat says the first weekend in June, we should double check. Let's see if that's our. Is that Or

So that Walton Pond.

Yeah. Lake Walton. Walton.

That's Walton Pond. Walk there's, like, George

Town. Yep.

June 6, so it's the same day as the Sawmill Pond.

Yes. The Oh, really? About the same day.

I think I think all three of them are the same day. Those pictures. I think so.

Yeah. They could be

And I have them contact the folks in Alpine County so that that didn't

Yeah. Because the but it it should show on the CSD. Illinois Health Community Services is posted there, but I'm pretty sure it's the third. All three of them are gonna be the same day.

Janice, you wanna go next?

Oh, I'm sorry. Okay.

I just have a couple of things. On our list of commissioners, past commissioners, we need to add Larry Nelson. That's probably the best submission in that. Had contact through a third party about the kids summer fishing classes at Wachamuchi. And right now, last Saturday, I gave away another seven or eight rods in reels, and I I don't know if I'm gonna have enough to supply their efficient activities, and I may be asking for funds to purchase 15 or 15 inexpensive rods and reels.

Put that on the agenda for next time.

When do you need these by, Dennis?

I'm sorry?

When do you need them by?

I don't know. I have I just got a call saying that they apparently, they found out that that our commission is giving away free fishing rods and reels.

Okay.

And so I have got all the information, but I will get back with you. Mhmm. And then I'll wait for them. I should have a

shirt that

Stocking in the ponds. Perfect. Oh, the other thing I forgot to tell you is that I've been involved the Serrano Country Club purchased 10 Bluebird boxes and have stationed around all around the golf course, which I thought was amazing. I was out to service those boxes, and six of the 10 had birds in it. One of them was so unusual, was packed to the top with acorns.

You know? And the mushroom was big. You know? And it actually had and I understand it could have been a flicker. I actually pushed acorns up towards the roof. It was oh, that's that's the opening of the hole. And I thought that was pretty interesting. I'll probably go next week or the week after and make sure all the boxes are ready for next year's season.

Nice. So they so they won't have to watch it.

Yeah. But I was pretty pretty happy that the Shawano cut took the time and effort to put those boxes around the golf place. Nice. That's all I have.

Patrick? See, but the only thing I did was attend the the derby at. Jim gave a good presentation on that. Did I did have an opportunity to observe alligators in Georgia. Then for this discussion.

But he wants but he's been cover his mind, and I can I can mention what Steve has been working on if you want to give him a kind of a presentation?

You mean the symposium? Yeah. That's on the agenda.

Okay.

Yeah. That's all. Larry?

Me too. Just the derby, so I won't say this too much. We just had a good time. Was a lot of fun, and can't wait for the next one. It was a lot of

fun. Awesome. Cool. Hi. Also into the fishing derby. The only thing I will add is, of course, five minutes after it ended, the biggest fish was caught. Probably he was probably, what, 11? Watched him reel it in the whole time. Great fight. Huge fish. It was monster. But of course, it didn't count. No. Did I've ordered my milkweed seeds, so waiting for those to come. Should be planting them next month if I get them in time.

Working on that. Also gonna be working on updating working with everyone to update the website to get the dates so the dates aren't updated. So I will be pestering you. I got the date. Three of them are on June 6. So that's a fun time for us.

There was two ladies at Home Depot that were passing out little milkweeds and little containers to plant. Oh, nice. Yeah. And and I'll give you get a copy of the brochure that they passed out with also. I thought was kind of interesting.

Why?

They set up a sunshade, and they had I don't know how many plants, and they were giving away right right right and left.

That's great. I got four.

Counted I counted three plants that survived what she did with last year's. But just today, I kinda

Nice. My little bed. So I have a ton of butterflies on my property right now. Nice. Butterflies and bees, they're going crazy. All the flowers on our property, it's great to see.

Have you seen a lot of green bees?

Yes.

We do. I haven't. I've seen I've seen bumblebees, lots of insects, and not really any honeybees. I have a

time that I planted a pollinator growing. Oh, god. We get we have a bee complaint. It's like, no. Could go fit. Or he can help you with that.

Is that all, Heather? Yes.

Only thing I have to say is, as I reported last month, I'm involved in a wildlife coexistence effort through the city of South Lake Tahoe. And I sent you all a copy of or access to all of the documents that were presented to the city council at the last meeting. The one that's the most important is the chief's report, which if you have a chance to go through it, he made a great report. It's just lengthy. The best thing that they're doing right now is increasing the fines for lack of securing the trash.

So now instead of a couple $100, the first or the second fine is a thousand dollars and then $2,500, and these are for residential properties if you don't secure your trash. So I think that's going to get some attention and make some differences for sure.

They're going to find out that they don't secure their trash.

Yeah, you don't secure your trash, yeah, exactly. And they already have a finding progress, but the enforcement has been lacking it. So now the city's going to bump it up and really, really make a concerted effort in conjunction with South Tahoe Refuse and the Clean Tahoe Program. So I think that's going to help. Unfortunately, however, we have a huge obstacle to the progress of this group and that's the Bear League. They are making life difficult. They are not cooperating. They're not sharing data. And they're presenting items that go totally against what all the science presents. So that's gonna be a little bit of a struggle, but more to follow on that.

And then the one thing I am pushing for is cooperation between the city of South Lake Tahoe and at least the surrounding counties. Because as I presented to the city council, it's like fire prevention. If you have great defensible space but your neighbors don't, your house is probably still gonna burn down. And the same is true with bear and wildlife issues. So we really, really need to be cooperative and to start having the Tahoe interagency bear team as a big part of this conversation. All right, that's all I got. Oh, I'm sorry.

I just have a comment. Two things. One thing I wanted to ask you, where's Barren Lake or Lake Barren?

Lake Barren is in Myers.

So it's close to Sawmill Pond?

No, They're about a mile apart as the crow flies, but it is part of the Tahoe Paradise Park District.

Man, you are a popular guy.

You're an oldie. That's what it was called. And what was the other thing that was gonna just yeah.

Is there anything? Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

You have to pay a fee

to park, but it's public.

Was thinking about that with Cameron Park Lake. You have to pay a fee to park.

Yeah. Which is brand new. It's only been the last two years that they've done it, but they they're trying to raise funds for a bathroom. So that's why they did that.

Oh, between now and next month, I'll remember where it was I wanted to ask.

Can always keep Oh, no. Had

a comment too. So last winter, last fall, son bought a house in Motel.

Oh.

And he and another another fellow that he works with. Anyway, so they bought this house. They were really excited about it.

There was a renter

in it. The renter left and said that, you know, anything in the house that was left was theirs. Well, he left it full food.

A what? No. Full of food.

Oh. Full of food. They go up there this spring to start to clean it out. Right? And here's the refrigerator's full of food. Everything's full of food. Nothing touched it. Nothing touched it. Okay. So

they load it all in

a 30 yard dumpster, you know, and they take it down to the trucky dump. Anyway, so a week later, they go up there to do some work on it, and they get up there. And and someone had taken the the sliding glass door off,

lifted it off,

set it over, and it was a bear. Figured out how to

Oh, yeah.

Lift it off Oh, yeah. And move it over.

And you had to push them open.

That's right. I mean, that's terrible. And the other the

only the only damage he did was he was he he had slid a window open, but then pushed in the street.

Oh, okay.

Yeah. There was no food in it. There was nothing. So, obviously, wandering around and no it all covered. Oh

my god. It's terrible.

Seven different vehicles, doors, left them all open. Got in every one

of them. Yep. Whoever I

So do we have any ad hoc committee reports? Anybody? Okay. You guys. Go for it. First.

I'm gonna start with the

promise of Myrna. I think my phone rang.

I think it

was a Sunday night. It was Myrna. And she saw someone the truck was driving down. Saw someone hacking the head off of a deer.

She she

called me, and she's like, I'm gonna get their license plate. And she turned around and discovered it was one of our employees out getting.

Right on top of this.

And she called me up right away. So props to Bernardo for the junior warden badge. Love it. That is awesome.

FYI, if you see headless deer on the side of the road, it's probably us collecting chronic wasting disease.

Yeah. Your boss is supposed to share with me the file where if they log all that stuff, so I knew it, but never take anything.

So it's okay if we cut the head off a giant buck if we're doing chronic wasting.

Just days. Know?

Well, happened at Mount Auca, and a friend of mine lives out there, and he said, there's this giant buck. He took a picture of it. He said, when I went by it, it was gone.

That's funny because we we reported this about three years ago.

Yeah. I remember that. On Highway 50, they

were taken Yeah. It was

just one that It happens regularly Yeah. Throughout the county.

Especially up the rest of

it. Can't at all.

They can't. Yeah.

In the fall time, it's it's regular. We get regular calls for that. Our transfers, I think I might have my spot, which was the new board position here in the county field here shortly. I should find out this month this week. Unfortunately, I think I'm losing one of our Colorado County wardens, so I'll be in debt, not gained of anybody, but I've been told they're gonna keep flying transfers quickly. So, hopefully, we'll be four officers from Illinois County within a short period of time. But I I I it's not I don't wanna say who it is yet because it's not had to come through. But I he should be, I believe, senior on some of the things he put in for. So looking just to do something. Nothing against Colorado County like something.

He just wants something better than this. David Fryer let me know about that anchor update. The department sent out that it misidentified that the the South Fork at the American River was in the open for fish income fish miss. Oops. I got the department to issue a update, correction on that. But in doing so, then they inadvertently said that you can fish on the Petruchi and take fish. Oh, nice. And I brought it in different tension again, so I'm not sure what's, like, gonna happen. So Thank you,

though. I

missed that part. Yeah. The update. I didn't realize so I know somebody that fished up was fishing on the East Side Of The Sierras, and they they did relatively well. This was, like, two weeks ago. And I went, season hasn't opened, but you can catch and

take fish out of streams on the East Side of your

Yeah. South Fork as well. You can catch and release artificial barbos. Right. But you can't keep them. Can't keep it.

Yeah. Catch and area?

But in the Marklebyville area, can you catch and release, or else can you catch and keep? Carson East Carson

and the West Carson, you can catch and release downstream of the Hangmans Bridge, what they call the Hangmans Bridge on Highway 89 Bridge. You can that's a year round open to to fishing. To to fish, it's 14 inch minimum. Okay.

So you can skip them all. Okay. Yeah. Okay. That's what okay. And I know That's a far less hook area.

It's a far less hook area. Yeah.

Then anything of 49, you can. So American River West Of 49.

Well, no. The regulations have been simplified a few years back where now it just says the American River doesn't that Highway 49 designation is gone. It just now talks about waterways. Yeah. So South American American River even below Highway 49 is the same regulations as above Highway 49 now.

So they really messed that one up, didn't they?

Well, they it it was

Could have said fishing's great in Eldorado County, fishing in American River.

Exactly. And it's obviously, as we know, doesn't And doesn't Saturday proceeding. It's all those tributaries too.

Yep. Isn't it?

South Fork is generally the one that gets the most attention for fishermen. The the department was gonna plant it leading up until the the fishing season, and I got them to delay the planting on that till the week prior to it actually opening. Because, normally, they would plant it plant

at Sacramento is the only place I've ever seen. Well, Silver Fork.

But, yeah, a couple spots at Coastal Light.

But this the Silver Creek where it comes out of

Ice House or Union Valley, they don't plant any

of that. No.

Silver Fork's trying Are those also closed? Are those also closed? Because they're tributary to these

Well and so I was having this discussion recently with with another officer. Think a lot of it and and I'd probably really have to get an opinion on from our lawyers on it as far as what's tributary. Is that tributary to a tributary? Tributary to the main stem? If it's above an impoundment, let's say, above Ice House Reservoir, well, that's above Ice House Reservoir. It's above Uni Valley Reservoir. It's above Camino Reservoir before it gets to the south fork, like, where but I think, really, in the reality of it, it's still a tributary Yeah. Because that water does flow down there. Yeah. So it'd still be still be considered closed until the Saturday preceding Memorial Day. It's all all trip territory.

Day this year, like, the twenty third, something like

Yeah. Yeah. May so.

Just the weekend before it?

Saturday before Memorial Day. Okay. Yeah. Self self work, and the tributaries will open to take. Yeah. So but with that, activity has been actually kind of quiet on the fishing front. This odd weather we've had, warm, cold, warm, cold, even has the bass bite kind of hit miss out at Folsom Lake. Not a lot of activity going on that front. The turkey season was really pretty quiet as well. I didn't see a hunter harvested turkey the whole season. They're

I didn't harvest them, but I had some of the

Yeah.

Yeah. So there was a few. I I heard from them. I didn't see them, but it was really quiet. We didn't get our normal calls for service like we normally do, trespassing and people shooting from roads and whatnot, so it was it was quiet on that front. And then Dennis' favorite topic here, we had a couple part cases wrap up. I had previously reported about our decoy operation as well as our night flight operation, all those cases wrapped up at court. The gentleman who shot the decoy, and if you remember we had our meeting with Miles Perry, was there, we talked about how much the decoy costs and restitution and whatnot. And so that gentleman's gonna pay. I think I haven't I was trying to find my email to Miles.

I think it's the full restitution price of the decoy, and it it's all payable to the commission here. So there'll be that will be coming in. He's been making payments. I think it was starting to start here in April. So we'll start to see some of that on your finance sheet.

So when that comes in, we have to make sure that it goes it's appropriate to get you another vehicle? It it do what you know the finance committee?

Even as you as you folks Mhmm. Will you request If at some point we need some equipment, then I would have to go through my chain of command, and

we could potentially So but we don't have the airplane? You don't have the airplane. Okay.

No. It it might be a tip-off, though, if we use the same one, it just has a Band Aid.

It might be a tip-off. Yeah. But as of right now, that decoy is still fully operational. It didn't damage any of it. So You know what the court

says, the value of that decoy here? So his fine was gonna be $1,655,

1,655. Don't sell me a decoy. Plus he got some no hunting terms there for for some time. The spot letter's all wrapped up as well too. They had varying works.

So

fines, but those those were all earmarked to you folks.

Okay. So that's all good.

So it's all I think some of it had April payments to start payments, some of it had May. So you'll start seeing some of that on on your finances coming in. And then there was a gentleman who shot that was hunting too close to a house. I think he was gonna pay about $655 to the commission for hunting too close a residence. So I know it's is his favorite topic, so I wanted to make sure I did leave him out on that. So that's It's

it's my Christmas card list getting a little full.

I guess I can't ever get on the Christmas card list. No big progress. Okay. Okay. We're getting closer.

So it's it's 400 feet from my house.

A 150 yards.

Uh-oh. He's doing the math. Three feet. 100 Big

time straight at four fifty. Yeah. Four Yeah. Four fifty. But this children was caught on a Ring camera. It was backflipsed.

Oh my goodness. Yeah.

So he so yeah. But if if he has the landowner's permission

If he has the landowner's permission Yeah. Then no problem. But the in this case, the landowner was very adamant about charges being filed on the lender, so we we went forward with it. So that's all I

have for you. What's the distance to the house? Three fifty?

150 yards. 450. So four hundred and Three fifty. House for it. I'll build these

on property. Three.

So if you have a a barn or a livestock building, it's still 150 yards from that, unless you have permission from the person who owns it.

That's barn or anything. Yeah. Yeah. That could be any building outside.

Outhouse. Shelly? Okay.

Good morning. House. I just wanna let you guys know that Amador County has a fishing game commission now. Did you know that? No. I ain't. So and Bob has been there.

Yeah. They're they're meeting four times a

year, reporter.

So I know you guys have been interested in going or even listening in to other counties, which I highly recommend doing because there's some stuff happening in all the different counties.

Well, that's not gonna happen. I guess I can't break it up, but I think we ought to make an honest effort to form a couple of teams and at least once or twice a year go to their their adjacent counties just to show an interest number when they find out what they're doing. We did it years ago, and it was very informative. And we had a lot of communications between the counties. Like I said, I'll put it on the agenda for May, but if you're gonna really consider

And I hate to say this, but can we make it June? Because May is gonna be really The Tahoe agenda is gonna be super tight.

That's a personal problem I

can't get.

In the end, wake you up now.

I'm trying to get the SACB article sent off.

Okay? Yes, sir.

We the way I understand it, before we engage with another official government organization, we're supposed to have permission from somebody above us. What are we talking about? If we start going to other commission meetings. County commission meetings, I think.

I think that the only issue, and I can double check on this, Kaylee might have more thoughts on it, is that you guys I was just reading the Brown Act stuff. You guys can go to other informational meetings. There's rules if it was a quorum of you that went. But I think it's just you could go and listen. You can't talk on behalf of the or take action on anything.

It's a member of the public.

You can't talk about any items that you're gonna take action on here.

There's county policy as well.

It's in the committee and commission handbook. Yeah. And I think it also speaks to just, like, making it known to the rest of the commission that a commissioner is attending.

No. It was there.

Great. Shelly, do have Yes, please.

So Sarah Holm is the connectivity biologist for our region. And she and Kathy and myself went on a field trip last week, and basically drove the entire county. And she showed us all of the barriers that they have prioritized within our state and within the region. And we talked about, you know, the length of those barriers and different things we could do in different places and some monitoring that Caltrans is doing. So it was a good overview of what they're focusing on at the in that program.

So that was a good trip. And then I was I worked at the or I volunteered at the Natural Connections Day, which is El Dorado High School's Natural Resource Program. They have a day and gyms there too, where they bring seventh graders in to show them the program and train the kids on all the different professions in sciences. So that was kind of fun. Kanaka Valley turkey hunts, I've worked those this year. There were two turkeys harvested on Kanaka Valley. So it was kind of a weird season this year for turkeys because I felt like it was early before the season even started where the turkeys were kinda early. It was early. Yeah. But and then we've been picking up a lot of mortality collars from our collared deer.

Just working on grabbing those collars. And then we're gonna be doing a trap tag haze bear trapping in Tahoe in a couple weeks. We're starting that. And we're also pair trying to trap bears for our statewide monitoring program to put collars on that stuff.

The collar deer what what what killed them? No.

Most most of them we think predators, but a lot of times we don't get to them in time. They're pretty remote. A lot of them were in the exomes. So one of them was near Topaz Lake on the Nevada side. Actually, Eric Elliott, who used to be the warden over there, picked it up for me. And he he suspects lion, but but the bears scavenged on it, so I'm not sure. And then there's another one on the backside of Monitor Pass, which I can't access because I think

Monitor's still closed.

I think it's closed from the Mono County line downhill.

Okay.

Oh, actually, no, I think that back end was just up there. It's closed on the Alpine side too.

That's what I thought, like recently, because it opened and then it

Thrilled up to Heaton and it was passed away.

Okay. Anyways, I have another one to get on that other side. So we have a couple of, yeah, mortality. But this is, the mortalities we're picking up all over. Like there's just deer dying everywhere. And we're suspecting that most of them are predation.

That's all my reports. Any questions for me? From the handbook, says that boards, committees, and commissions must gain approval from the executive director, liaison, or clerk of the board prior to engaging with other jurisdictions such as counties, cities, blah, blah, blah. So we do have to get approved. From the clerk of the board, And I would I thought that when I asked the courtroom to

the board that she said me, I'd give Yeah. I I I'll follow-up on it, but I don't believe that. I believe you can go you just can't do it. It'd be better if you didn't do it as a gorm.

If you didn't do it as a

individual member. So only Let's put a form.

Yeah, two people. Okay,

onto the next agenda item number three, permission to conduct a preliminary review of the proposed twenty six-twenty seven budget requests prior to formal consideration of the July meeting. Unfortunately, Myrna's not here, and she was gonna be the primary lead on this, but Kaylee and I had a discussion, and I don't even wanna cover. And they're on a list that's in everybody's packet of the last year's requests that were submitted. So if there's anything in addition to that, we would need to know to add it for the July agenda for the final review and adoption.

So is the plan to go around to each commissioner?

We could go through and just verify if there's any changes to the list. Changes, additions, removals. Two.

I haven't changed here. You haven't changed yet.

Was going

Dennis, is this the same change that you're requesting on the agenda item, or is this the change?

I don't know what protocol is, but what I am proposing for the future budget is to transfer the thousand dollars off of the governor's pawn for the. That's under.

So that's item four. So we'll discuss that.

Okay. So Yeah.

So my understanding with this item is that if there's any changes to what we wanna request dollar wise for next year, this

is the place. Just the

place to do it, yeah, with the caveat that we have to be careful with the budget.

Exactly. But is it now? Or

Well, so your specific item is on the agenda separately.

That's for this year's budget. Yes. I'm talking about next year's budget.

Oh, we are too. I'm sorry. Yes.

So what I'm until we get the River Otter issue settled, I wanna transfer that thousand dollars to stocking of the Release Green Pond.

Right. And that's next on our agenda. No. He's talking about for next year also. Oh, I understand. I saw the agenda for for this year, but he's asking for the change for next year's budget to remove the Serrano Parkway Derby Governor's Bond and add that funding to the Serrano Village Green. Copy. Okay. For a total of 2,500. Okay. Thank you. Sorry. I misunderstood. Okay. Jim, did you have any changes? I guess we'll just kinda go around.

Yeah. I'm good

to go. Alright.

I was I was going to add another $200 to what last year's amount was, bring it to $3,400 not to exceed. And that's just in the event that when it comes time next year, anticipating

increase.

And which one is that for?

That's the Wolfer Georgetown. And then, also, I I want to add in on behalf of commissioner Schwarzbach $2,500 request that we'll discuss with respect to the Mountline Supplies Okay.

Alright. Is anybody else good? We have well, Commissioner Davy said he doesn't have anything, and then I received your forms that are staying the same for two. So the only change, really, is that and then the addition of the symposium.

Linda's not here. No. Do we I don't know that we need to fill these out every time. She's already got all that information for the existing programs. May need to fill one out for if we do a symposium.

Yes, correct. So everything that's on this list, Myrna has all the information for. Unless something changed, she does not need a new form. But if there's any new So if I'm gonna add, so you'll need one for Walton since you're gonna increase the funds.

I'll need to fill out the whole thing again just because of the decrease? Yeah.

Just so there's not confusion. And so that there's documentation and Merna doesn't get in trouble. That means you also have to do it. Yeah. You'll have to fill out the form because you're making the change.

K.

And there's a form in the packet. You lost Christmas card, Liz. I don't think I've ever been on it, so it's like Okay. There you go. Sorry, Bob. You can't take my time.

Every day, I went to the post office box and checked for the Christmas card, and I didn't get one. I'm on

a fixed income.

Dennis, there's a form in your packet. Oh, thank you. Gave you so big. I don't

care about parts. Was just

Never. About the vibe. Okay. At the end of the discussion regarding this, now we'll go to public comment. We are now taking public comment on agenda item three. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the commission. We will begin with comments from individuals present in the meeting room followed by those participating on Zoom. If you're joining on Zoom, please ensure to unmute yourself when called upon. If you're joining by phone, press 9. If you're on Zoom, use the raise hand button.

We ask that you voluntarily state your name for the record before beginning comments. And we have no comments from the meeting room, so now taking public comment from Zoom participants. I'm not seeing any public comment. Excellent. Okay, so we need a motion office.

Don't know No, we need it's just a discussion. Okay, so we can move on. So item four, Commissioner Byrne, this is all you. Item number four is Commissioner Byrne recommending the commission approve the reallocation of previously approved funds for fish stocking at Serrano Parkway Governors Pond, approved 07/30/2025 to instead support fish stocking at Serrano Village Green Pond due to the presence of river otters at Governors Pond.

Well, that's the proposal. We need a motion.

Yeah. We'll have to take public comment first. Are there any discussions? So any discussion?

Yes. Where where is the Rosegreen Pond? Is that the one that's right in town?

Yes. Right there across from the library. How do they get to a depiction? That's not the pond. The Governor's Pond is a different pond. It's a two part pond that New New York Creek comes in through it, and I don't know where they're coming from. They're coming off that creek, And this they're such small ponds that they decimate the whole population within two or three days.

Which one is the Village Green Pond?

The Village Green Pond is around next to the ladder. The Gumner Farm is off of El Dorado Hills Boulevard. Okay. Cool. I get it. Alright.

And to confirm, so you have two fishing derbies. So it's changing two to one and just increasing the amount of fish that we've been in. You said it was a small pond. Can pond handle about double the amount of fish?

We're gonna look at a couple different species. We haven't been putting we we haven't put any bluegill in there quite some time, so I'm gonna see if I can get some bluegill to offset the.

Are we allowed to stock bluegill?

Bluegill everywhere. They

are. Just not in for visceral. Please.

We only need to be cold out there.

I do. I don't know. Not so much anymore.

Yeah. Does that change the permits? I'm sorry? Does that change the permits? Doesn't Ben Ewing have to deal with the permits for for for our agency? No. If changing the species

No. I've never had to.

Because you're

planning to

I know. Myrna's got that copy of the permit, so we'll have to have her look at it.

Have we ever stocked anything besides Trep?

Yes. Okay. Was the

last time?

I'm not gonna answer that.

Not anymore.

Is it is it catch and release, or is it catch and keep?

Catch and release. Yeah. We've we've stopped in the past years, we've we've had a problem with the availability of bass, so we've stopped catfish, and we've stopped moving it on occasion through the years. I can't predict the number of years, but it's probably been eight or nine at least, maybe ten years.

There was a Boy Scout troop up the Village Green Pond about two weeks ago. They were catching something. Right. Yeah. Not many, but they were catching

something. Good.

So do we need to check with murder first, can we proceed with this item?

You could word it so that if his permit doesn't say that he can have any species other than whatever it is, you know, I'm proposing to stock with multiple types of species unless the permit says I can only have drought or whatever. There you go.

I could be wrong. Uh-huh. But, you know, I used to be able to stay home and take this abuse. I wouldn't have to drive home.

Happy to help. I

think that I could be wrong, but I think the entity that's stalking the fish is the one that has to get the permits, not the sponsor.

Don't you don't we already have a permit? It's my understanding, Myrna usually has a copy of the permit. Yeah.

She has Got it.

I believe she files for it.

Feel I I think she files for them, so I think we'd have to follow-up because you're actually the entity stocking the fish.

I'm sorry?

You're paying to get the fish. So When are

you planning to do the stocking?

July? Thursday before the event, which is June 6.

Okay. That's true. Well, why don't you guys

on a Saturday. Pardon me? Yep. June 6 is a Saturday. That's wagon train day. That's good. I know because I'm volunteering. Yeah.

He has three three Derby's that

gold panties. Busy Busy day. They continue.

So can you guys word it so that if it only allows you to stock, let's say, trout, you you you can have that. But if it allows you to stock more than that, you could open it up.

Who do you want me to check with, Bernadette?

Bernadette, you need a motion now after we

do this.

We'll just

we'll make a motion saying that we receive approval based on whether or not the permit allows for multiple species.

And if not, we go back to just the just whatever you were stocking originally. Yeah. We

make a motion.

Can you

make that motion? What

I said. I make a motion to transfer funds from the Governor's Bond stocking program to the BilliStream stocking program. And?

What? To research multiple stocking multiple different types of fish if the permit allows. Perfect.

What she said.

Actually, Heather said it much better. It was concise. It was. It was. I couldn't go there without her. Okay. And so we have a motion. Seconded. And a second?

Second. Oh,

I'll second I thought another said did you second it? Yeah. Okay. Okay. It's been moved and seconded. All of whom approve to say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay, motion carries unanimously.

So before we go on, I just want to go back to you guys going to other Fish and Wildlife Commission meetings outside of ours. It just says, and I think this is where the clerk of the board was saying that I could do it, engaging with other jurisdictions and public officials, boards, committees, and commissions must gain approval from the executive director, liaison. I am your liaison. Prior to engaging with any other jurisdictions such as other county, cities, advisory bodies, elected officials. Just let me know when you guys do decide to do it, and I'll just send it up to the CAO should she know. We're all covered.

Thank you. Mhmm.

And that makes better sense than the clerk of the board.

Yeah, lists the executive director liaison or clerk of the board, but I think I'm your liaison. Perfect. Thank you. For fifty six

We'll Move on to agenda item number five to discuss the May. Sorry. What? Yeah. We do. Sorry. What do think? We are now I'm sorry.

Don't feel bad.

We are now thinking of the comments mentioned to item four. Each speaker will have three minutes to We address the will begin with comments from individuals present in the meeting room followed by those participating on Zoom. If you're joining by Zoom, please ensure to unmute yourself when called upon. You're joining by phone, press 9. If you're on Zoom, use the raise hand feature to indicate your interest in speaking. We ask that you voluntarily state your name for the record. Do we have any public comments from Zoom participants? No public comment. Okay, so you're okay with the vote as it stands? Should I do a need Dennis, can you say the motion again?

I just haven't tapped her all of it. Oh, can you say the motion again? Because we were supposed to have public comment before. It was my bad. But can you reiterate your motion?

I'll have this lady

right now.

She could do the motion. You could be the second.

Sure.

Okay. Motion to transfer funds from the Governor's Pond to the Serrano Village Green with researching multiple fish option types for stocking if the permit allows.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Seconded. I'll second this.

Okay, I've moved and seconded. All for a vote. All who approve, say aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay, passes unanimously. Thank you. Thanks, everyone. All right, item five, commission to discuss May twenty seventh South Lake Tahoe meeting agenda. So we have a very, very tight agenda if we're gonna be able to see all of the stuff that we're gonna see.

So this is what I've got so far. We meet at Lake Valley Fire Protection District's training room, which is right downtown Myers at 02:00. And then at 02:15, we will go to the California Tahoe Conservancy lot, which is right next door so we can walk, have a program regarding the aquatic invasive species and the permanent inspection station that is proposed. Then at 02:45, we'll move to the Upper Truckee Marsh, which is right in the middle of town next to the river. We arrive at three At 03:15, they start a presentation regarding the marsh restoration. And then at 04:00, wager. Does anybody have any questions, issues, problems?

What's your address?

I'm gonna send all of that stuff out via Kaylee before you I will ensure that you get a phone call from me with all of the information. Yeah.

I have question.

Yes. Would you be able to post the agenda there once I get it finalized? Because I

have a physical copy posted, I believe.

Yeah. I'll take care of Yes.

Just remind me. That's all. And then how do we get access to the room ahead of time so that can I have the code? Okay. So I'll meet you there early. Okay. Great. Do you need a bigger pencil? I know. Just getting every meeting. Anyhow, that You're picking up cheap. Okay? So I just

don't know regular meeting then. It's just the field trip?

It's a regular meeting, but it's starting at Lake Valley's training center. Oh, okay. Yeah, and then we're just gonna see all this stuff. Okay. So just a reminder, after we leave Lake Valley, we have no permanent structures to go to, so there's no bathrooms unless I can arrange for

a porta potty, but I

kinda doubt it. So prepare for the weather. I'm gonna try and have pop up tents at all of the locations with chairs, so if we need to sit down, we can do that, and some waters. So if anybody else thinks of anything that needs to happen, hopefully the weather will be good. It's supposed to be, but

What was the weather like yesterday?

Up there? Cold but clear. Like, 58, seven degrees.

Do you have enough paw pips?

Oh, you know? Yeah. If I don't, I will let you know. Let me know also. I have other Okay. I just I'm gonna have to pick it up early and take it out there beforehand. I think it's early. Or yeah. Maybe. Okay. Okay. Right. If that's a possibility. Okay. Yeah. If they don't if CTC doesn't have one, then I'll make sure and do that.

I have a couple available.

Okay. Alright. And pro I'm gonna direct you to where to park at Lake Valley, then you're gonna walk to the meeting room. Then we're gonna walk back to where you parked, basically, and then we can meet. But I think it'll be really informative. California Tahoe Conservancy is really anxious to have us all there. They're very thrilled that we're gonna be doing this. So they said to say thank you for considering them. Anything else about this meeting? We don't need a vote on anything.

We need an address or where to go.

Yeah, I'll send you all that stuff with maps and everything. Ketac Street or Yeah. That's really 211 Ketac. Yeah. But I also wanna get you the address for the Yes. So I'll have a map. Okay. Public comment. Yes. We are now taking public comment on agenda item five. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the commission. We will begin with comments from individuals present in the meeting room, followed by those participating on Zoom. If you're joining by Zoom, make sure to unmute yourself when called upon. If you're joining by phone, press 9. If you're on Zoom, use the raise hand feature to indicate your interest in speaking, and please voluntarily state your name for the record before beginning comments.

Do we have any public comment from our Zoom attendees? Seeing any public Okay, go on to item number six. Clerk of the Board staff recommending that the Commission discuss the process for requesting an agenda item and review and discuss the legal requirements under the Brown Act concerning agenda item descriptions. And this came about because I had a conversation with Myrna and Kaylee about how can I make their jobs easier? What can I do as the chair to make it so that things are a little more efficient, etcetera?

So we talked about the Brown Act. And I fully understand that the Brown Act is a queen in the ass. That's the way it is. But it's for our benefit and for the benefit especially of the public. Because if you look at what the Brown Act does, it makes it so that the public understands what we're gonna be discussing so if they have concerns or questions or comments that they want to make, they can be involved.

I mean, that's what democracy is all about. And I liken it to the I don't know if you guys remember, but we had a presentation, I think it was by you guys, or maybe it was Leanne, but it was about the pamphlet that we did or that we supported for feeding deer, against feeding deer. And we had a meeting, we thought the pamphlet was great, but then a veterinarian or a vet tech popped up on our meeting on Zoom and said, excuse me, but can you include some information in your pamphlet about the fact that annually, a lot of dogs are killed or injured by deer because people are feeding them and bringing them into their property. We all went, Oh my gosh, what a great idea. Well, that person never would have known that we were gonna be discussing that topic and bring that to us had we not been following the Brown Act and making sure that it was on the agenda appropriately.

So it makes us work a little harder. We have to think a little more in advance, but I think it does its job and keeps us in line. But yes, it's a pain in our collective asses. So I asked Kaylee to talk a little bit about the first piece, discussing the process for requesting an agenda item. So what makes it easy for you? Well, of course, commissioners oftentimes will mention an agenda item at the meeting, and that's great if you have something that

you want to put on

the next agenda. You just need to have some consideration for how full the agendas can get sometimes. So just knowing if it can be something that can be pushed out a month or two and having an idea of when it needs to be on the agenda is helpful. I do try to stick to the deadline of having items two weeks prior to the meeting agenda being published, so two Wednesdays prior to the Wednesday before the meeting, because I have to get the draft agenda together. It gets sent out to the chair, the vice chair, and then it also goes to the ag commissioner for review.

So there is some time. We need to have enough time for everybody to review it and make modifications. You can send an email to me, to the chair, vice chair, to request an agenda item. If you don't include enough information for transparency, I'm gonna send you emails with questions. So I know a lot of times I'll get just like a brief, wanna add this to the agenda, and I'm like, But what does that mean?

So if you can be as descriptive as possible for somebody who doesn't know about the topic, that's picking up the agenda and reading it, that they can clearly know this is what they're talking about, they're either gonna take action or this is gonna be a receive and file information only. So those are my requests. And keep in mind, believe it or not, we're not the only commission that she has to babysit. So she's got other jobs that she has

to do. That's what she likes us.

I But she loves us. We

can have an agenda item that is both discussion and

action. Absolutely. Yes, that's a great point. Yes, thank you for mentioning that. So for the second part, talking about the legal requirements under the Brown Act, there are just a couple of things that are good reminders for me and for everybody. First of all, each agenda item shall include a brief description of the business to be discussed, which should be supplied by the requesting commissioner, which is what she just said. The description must provide enough information for the public to know what the legislative body will be considering during the meeting. The item must include whether or not it will be discussion or action must taken by the commission, which we just discussed. In other words, if it requires a vote. And we cannot take action on any issue that is not included on the meeting agenda.

So even though we bring up something in a commission report or whatever, we can't take action unless we have funding job. Basically, just trying to make the process a little more efficient. So did anybody have any questions, comments, concerns?

Nope, that's pretty much how we do it. We're good to do it.

Alright. Perfect. Let's go for public comments. Okay. We are now taking public comment on agenda item six. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the commission. We will begin with comments from individuals present in the meeting room followed by those participating on Zoom. If you're joining by Zoom, please ensure to unmute yourself when called upon. If you're joining by phone, press 9 to raise your hand. If you're on Zoom, use the raise hand feature to indicate your interest in speaking. We ask that you voluntarily state your name for the record before beginning your comments. Do we have any public comment from our Zoom participants? I see no public comment. All right. We'll move on to item seven, permission to discuss supporting a mountain lion education permit. Patrick?

Yeah. And and I'm kinda speaking here on behalf of commissioner. As as you know, he's put a lot of time and effort in time that he's been on the commission into the issue of of mountain human conflict in El Dorado County. And in the process of that, he's developed quite a list of collaborators as he's as he's moved forward with this. And and Steve and I were discussing next steps on this, and it bubbled up that there's a lot of information that's going to be forthcoming from the people that he's been collaborating with.

And it might be interesting to have a symposium where we bring these people together and have, like, a panel discussion and invite the public or all the interested parties to do it in a venue to be determined but large enough to accommodate a lot of people and and develop the funding and the timing on this, the the logistics. But, you know, the idea is is to really document and and inform interested parties about the work of the the the collective expertise that is emerging as a result of Steve Zepard. Through the proposed invitees or the prevention of the document, Jim Williams, wildlife biologist, one more efficient. Alright. He's the author of Path of the Put It Over Some of this Red.

Excellent book. Doctor. Najera, he's a UC Davis car carnivore program staff. Julie Young, who we we we're familiar with, She got a graduate student here from Utah State University doing research on pacing of April Woods, and she's the the graduate student of doctor Young. Witten Mark was living with lions in North in the North, experienced with reducing leopard conflicts in South Africa.

Here's a fellow who's kinda spent his life working on with big cats, and Steve has developed a a relationship with him and is quite impressed with this fellow's knowledge. And then a PhD candidate at UC Santa Cruz who's studying. And and I think doctor Will Wilmers is part of the Santa Cruz project. It's interesting that you may recall there was a house cleaning at Mountline Foundation, and they've got a new director. And, apparently, one of the reasons why there was this housecleaning is because the the powers that are exerted over that organization felt there was too much emphasis on urban mountain lions and wanted somebody who had a a more global perspective about issues relating to mountain lions and not lying in the conflict.

And Steve's developed has been in communication with that person, seems to be impressed with the what he's he's been able to discuss with this person. So that may be somebody else who would be. Anyway, that's kind of the background. And as we go forward, we'll we can have discussions and see if this is something we wanna support.

How many people do you take over the camp?

I mean, I, you know, I think back on when the when the board of supervisors had that meeting after the incident. It was very heavily attended. And I think depending on promotion publicity, it could be heavily attended. There Steve is soliciting monies from other organizations. Apparently, the rural company, the is interested also organization out there. The is interested in in helping the sponsorship. There'd be multiple sponsors.

I don't know how we'd go about it or if it's even possible to use.

Well, I mean, that's one of the possible venues, and this is something going forward we should discuss.

I don't think it's big enough.

Oh, I'm just and that's why I asked

the question. Well, the the thing about the supervisors is if it's not big enough, then they also have students. Outside? Outside. Yeah. You you're outside participating. Outside. Yeah. Have no idea. The logistics and everything. Yep. I

mean, I I know this is probably gonna be down here because most of the conflict issues are on the West Slope, but we have several venues in Tahoe that would work perfectly that are very large that are set up for stage, sound, etcetera. So something to think about. Yeah.

Think we're going forward. We'll have discussions and agendaize this issue. You think Want me to weigh in? Do you want me to

weigh in a little bit? Yes, please. So I followed up on this because they had come across I don't know. Kaylee and I, and we were like, how do you guys do this? This is not in your in the resolution for what you guys are. You were an advisory board body to the board. So as we look at it, I actually have a date on the agenda in May May 19, I think, to go to down here, to go to the board. And if you so wish, you would go through me to get to the board to to pitch this idea Yeah. And get their support. You have to be directed by them to do this.

You would also any funding that you're proposing, you would have to request to be able to use it because it's not in your budget right now. I did talk to Mark Egbert last week. It hasn't gone to the RCD board, so they haven't approved that yet either. So there's a lot of moving pieces. So probably May 19 is a little bit optimistic. What's May 19? I have a I have a a placeholder to go to the board for this.

What's that? I you know, again, I'm this is just an introduction. I know there's lots of lots of hurdles to go over as go forward determining whether or not this is appropriate for our our commission to be involved with getting getting appropriate permissions and so on and so forth. Commissioner Schwartz Schwartzbach just wanted me to introduce the

Sure. I just wanted to make sure that you had I I put a placeholder in because the board meetings are getting really jammed. So if we wanted if you I didn't know how fast you wanted to do it. There wasn't a lot of info. But so one

of your powers of duty fast. Steve wants to

do it. So I'll probably tell him to to nix that one, but just to understand that that's what you would have to do. And I wouldn't so the sheriff just actually, the Cameron Park you were there, weren't you? The Cameron Park I was Cameron Park CSD, I think it was, Because we were having so many mountain lion problems in Cameron Park, sponsored a meeting, an educational event. And they had pretty good turnout.

The sheriff went and talked. I would advise that from my standpoint that you guys should have, you know, law enforcement in there of some respect. Just about that. But but it was well attended. And the other thing I wanted to say is that your powers and duties are performed such duties and functions as the board may direct. So this was where that would fall, but you'd you'd wanna put together a formalized thing. And I I think you'd wanna have how much are you looking at for money? If it's $2,500, well, it's gonna cost more than that to put this on. And so what about

That's where the cosponsorships would get.

And so I I think I'd almost want those in place. Yeah.

No. This this is down the road. Mhmm.

And so I'll be out here June 26, but the my successor will be able to take it to the board, and and that's you guys will be making your presentation to the board to get approval. Right.

So I have unless you have more questions about it.

No. Well, just a comment. This was years ago, but and there aren't that many supervisors that were part of it, but we were told that if we had a special issue that was not in the budget that we could present that to the board for their approval. Right. Just trying to know.

Public comment? Ready? Go for it. Now taking public comment on agenda item seven. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the commission. We will begin with comments from individuals present in the meeting room followed by those participating on Zoom. If you're joining by Zoom, please ensure to unmute yourself when called upon. If you're joining by phone, press 9. If you're on Zoom, use the raise hand feature to indicate your interest in speaking. We ask that you voluntarily state your name for the record before beginning your comments. Are there any public comments from our Zoom participants? Not seeing any public comment. All righty. We don't need a vote, so we'll move on to legislative reports. Anything?

There's another bill that's focusing on nonlethal. I think it's kind of an avenue to get our agency some more funding I can't remember what the bill number I saw it when I was looking at it. Yeah. It was advertised kind of in a way that if you look at it, you're like, What the heck? No.

All the advice we're talking about saving animals from mutination and

stuff like that. If we saw that, But if you actually I don't think that

was the real focus of the bill

It at was more to try to fund fish and wildlife in their conflict efforts to just deal with that. Yeah. So that's something that to be looking at and, yeah, supporting.

Yeah. It came up when I was looking at the grizzly lion or grizzly grizzly lion.

But I think the ideal, like I said, is to just just to fund It was like

educational efforts or something like that.

Nonlethal education and but it it's I think they want I think if they're leaning towards the comp, dealing with the comp throughout the state, like funding that, so I'd have to read. I haven't read it yet, but

I just know that Interesting.

SB eleven thirty five, the California Wildlife Coexistence Act Mhmm. Aiming to reduce wildlife euthanasia by promoting non lethal deterrent to build focuses on funding proactive measures like electric fencing, livestock I think I saw some crazy amount of money with it. The bill focuses on funding proactive measures like electric fencing, livestock guardian dogs, range riders to manage human wildlife contact, moving toward the coexistence model. They also had their wolf hazing authorization, but they had a I wanna say it was a crazy amount of money for loss mitigation.