Petition Process

1. Under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, the Commission cannot discuss or take action on any matter not included on the agenda, other than to schedule issues raised by the public for consideration at future meetings. Thus, petitions for regulation change generally follow a two-meeting cycle of receipt and decision. The Commission will determine the outcome of petitions received at today’s meeting at the next regularly scheduled Commission meeting.

2. October 11 & 12, 2023, San Jose Meeting – Tentatively accept the petition.  An accepted petition is a petition which (1) is submitted on the proper form, (2) contains the necessary information in the required categories listed on FGC 1, and (3) pertains to regulations under the Commission's authority.

3. December 13-14, 2023, San Diego Meeting (It is likely our petition will be on the December 14 agenda)

   1. If the Commission finds that the petition does not provide sufficient information to indicate that the petitioned change may be warranted, the Commission may deny the petition.

   2. If any petition requesting a functionally equivalent regulation change was considered within the previous 12 months and no information or data is being submitted beyond what was previously submitted, the Commission may deny the petition.

   3. If the Commission finds that the petition provides sufficient information to indicate that the petitioned change may be warranted, the Commission may grant the petition for further consideration and add the petitioned change to its rulemaking schedule.

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October 11th, 2023, San Jose FGC Meeting

• Address: Scottish Rite Center, 2455 Masonic Drive, San Jose, CA 95125

• Dress Code: Must wear PFD (Personal Flotation Device).  We want to show that we are one group.

• Arrival Time 8:00 AM (The meeting starts at 8:30 AM, but we need 30 minutes to organize the final details.)

• Parking Information: There is ample parking on site.  Park near the building and void Amazon Van parking area.

• Primary Speakers -(1 or 2 from F&S members, 1 or 2 from NCKA members, 1 or 2 from impacted business owners): each speaker is allowed 1-3 minutes to speak (you can watch the previous meeting recording for additional information: https://cal-span.org/meeting/cfg_20230822/#wrapper  Watch from 0:10:00 to 0:45:00. We need spokesperson volunteers from F&S and business owners.  Please email your name and email address.

• • • The presiding commissioner may allow up to five minutes to an individual speaker if a minimum of three individuals who are present when the agenda item is called have ceded their time to the designated spokesperson, and the individuals ceding time forfeit their right to speak to the agenda item.

    • If you decide to speak at a Commission or committee meeting, please begin by giving your name and affiliation (if any) and the number of people represented by your organization (if applicable). Then tell the Commission your concerns in the time allotted by the presiding officer – usually two to three minutes. Time allotted for each agenda item depends upon the number of speakers and length of the agenda. The Commission is interested in your views; don't worry about how to say them. If several people have spoken, try not to be repetitious. If there are several speakers with the same concerns, please appoint a spokesperson. The Commission is particularly interested in the specific reasons you support or oppose a proposal.

• Make signs for the meeting (You will receive a separate subgroup email)

• Contact TV and newspaper reporters (You will receive a separate subgroup email)

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Letter Writing Campaign:

1. Send an email of support to the following state agencies:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Charlton H. Bonham, Director

• Go to URL: https://wildlife.ca.gov

• Click “Contact Us” at the top right corner of the home page

• Click “Email the Director” in the middle column of the page.

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California Fish and Game Commission: Melissa Miller-Henson, Executive Director

• Use your email to email the Executive Director at fgc@fgc.ca.gov

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California Natural Resources Agency: Wade Crowfoot, Secretary

• Use your email to email the Secretary at Secretary@resources.ca.gov

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Office of the Governor: Gavin Newsom, Governor

• Go to URL: https://gov.ca.gov

• Click “Contact Us” at the top right corner of the home page

• ​Topic: Select Animal Issues/Concerns

• ​​Check: Leave a Comment

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Your local State Representative: 

Copy and paste the following or a similar message of support:

• Subject: Lack of Equity in Recreational Groundfish Rules

• Message:

As a kayak angler in the nearshore waters (less than 50 fathoms) of the California coast, I am very concerned about the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) August 11, 2023, announcement closing the nearshore groundfish fishery in the Northern Management Area, followed by its August 21, 2023, announcement closing the nearshore groundfish fishery for the Mendocino, San Francisco and Central Management Areas. I call on CDFW to grant an exception to those closures for non-motorized watercraft anglers.

Effectively, CDFW has created a two-tiered system of regulation that is fundamentally lacking in equity. If you are privileged enough to have access to a powerboat that can speed its way to and from 50 fathom-plus waters, you can continue to fish for groundfish. If you have access only to a non-motorized vessel such as a kayak, for all intents and purposes, you do not have access to fishable waters. Typically five-plus miles from shore, the 50-fathom line is far too distant for those without a motor. Making the roundtrip journey without a powerboat is a practical impossibility for most of us, and a safety hazard for those you are encouraging to try with your announcements. CDFW can, should and must create EQUITABLE access to our recreational groundfish fishery, not just access for the privileged few who can speed their way to deep water with the help of a motor.

I am all for conservation efforts, and if the quillback rockfish is under threat, please address that threat with equitable measures. Please ban the take of quillback (which is already illegal). Please require the use of descending devices for the release of groundfish. And please encourage the party boats and other powerboaters to fish waters deeper than the quillback’s usual habitat. But in addressing the threat, CDFW can and must balance any protective measures against the public’s right to equitable access to recreational resources. We nonmotorized watercraft anglers are not nearly so numerous as the powerboaters, do not pose nearly as great a threat to the quillback as the powerboaters, and will gladly use descenders if asked. Protecting the quillback need not mean denying us equitable access to recreational groundfish opportunities.

CDFW should create an immediate exception to the nearshore groundfish closures for nonmotorized watercraft anglers so we can restore equitable access to our state’s recreational resources. CFGC should follow suit with corresponding amendments to its regulations. CDFW and CFGC can act by following the road map outlined in the petition for regulation change on this subject, submitted by a group of concerned citizens to CFGC on September 15, 2023, a copy of which has been sent to you. The petition has every rule change the CDFW and CFGC need to make to address my concerns.

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