Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/61914
2B Daily News – Saturday, April 14, 2012 Outdoorlife living Californians have until April 16 to contribute to funds that benefit endangered wild plants and animals on their state income tax returns. By donating any amount (one dollar or more) you can support the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Rare and Endan- gered Species Preservation Fund and/or the California Sea Otter Fund. Make a voluntary contri- bution on line 403 and/or line 410 of your California tax return, and you will help save the west- ern lily, southern sea otter and other species from extinction. "These two funds have become especially vital during the current economic downturn, because other sources of support for these research programs have decreased or are no longer available," said DFG Wildlife Biologist Esther Burkett. "There are no conservation and funding sources available to con- tinue this important work." What you donate this year is tax deductible on next year's return. other dedicated state More information on the Rare and Endangered Species Preser- vation tax check-off program is available at www.dfg.ca.gov/tax- check. Many rare, threatened and endangered species have benefit- ed from these voluntary contri- butions. DFG has been working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Humboldt State University, Red- wood National and State Parks and other cooperators to study the nesting behavior and causes of nest failure for the forest-nest- ing marbled murrelet, a highly endangered seabird. "The contributions of Califor- nia's taxpayers provide extra conservation power because we often use the funds to receive matching USFWS, providing even more support for species on the brink, such as the marbled murrelet," said DFG Wildlife Biologist Esther Burkett. grants from the There are 387 listed plant and animal species, from insects that provide essential ecosystem ser- vices to the iconic California condor and sea otter. Hundreds Waterfall hike On Saturday, April 21, there will be a Day Hike to Little Hawaii Waterf alls/Bluf f Springs. Five-mile walk on dirt Ponderosa Way in Manton. Meet leader at 10:30 a.m. Reed's Market, Shingletown, or 10:45 a.m. at the Manton Store in Manton. Allow binoculars for birding, water, snacks, hard rain cancels. For more infor- mation call Marti Wei- dert (530) 474-4300. Exquisite springs; 4 hours; bring Mountain bike race The Annual Lemuri- an Shasta Classic Mountain Bike Race will be held at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area near Redding on Saturday, April 28. Whiskeytown Lake's Brandy Creek Marina will be the start/finish area for the event. On-site registration and check-in will open at 7 a.m. and the race will start at 9 a.m. Spectators and sup- porters of the racers/rid- ers are welcome. Founded in 1987, the The parking lot at & Donate money on tax returns to help save endangered species California Department of Fish & Game photo A California Sea Otter. more are at risk. Money raised through the tax check-off pro- gram helps pay for important DFG research and recovery efforts, including protection of nesting sites for the California least tern, a small, migratory seabird that nests in remnant protected areas along Califor- nia's coast from our southern border to the San Francisco Bay Area. The terns are now begin- ning to arrive along our coast from their wintering grounds, just in time to remind tax filers that they can still help make a difference. Since 1983, the tax check-off fund for Rare and Endangered Species has raised more than $18 million and supported numerous projects, including a captive breeding and release program for endangered riparian brush rab- bits using a newly discovered population of wild rabbits. The critical support of California tax- payers has enabled wildlife biol- ogists to achieve important recovery milestones to conserve our vulnerable species, and many species still need help. fund was created specifically to facilitate recovery of the Califor- nia sea otter, which is listed as a State Fully Protected Species and a Threatened Species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The most recent survey indicates there are fewer than In 2006 a second tax check-off The race will feature a 26-plus mile challeng- ing and difficult Long Course, a 20-mile Inter- mediate Course, and an easier 8-mile Short Course. Lemurian Shasta Clas- sic Mountain Bike Race is renowned for its epic loop, huge climbs and long, technical descents. Cash prizes and medals will be awarded to winners in the Long Course Pro category and medals will be awarded to the top three winners by age class of other categories. receive a finishing pin and a post-race meal . The event features gen- erous post-race raffle drawings. All racers will Last year the Lemuri- an Shasta Classic drew more than 378 mountain bike riders with most riders competing in the challenging 26-mile course. Tim Olson of Chico won last year‚s Long Course event. event‚s direct contribu- tion to the local econo- my, proceeds from the 2011 were donated to local non-profit agen- cies, including the Old Shasta Volunteer Fire Department, Shasta County Search and Res- cue, Sheriff 's Explor- ers, Sheriff 's Reserve Aside from the 2,800 sea otters remaining in California. This small popula- tion is extremely vulnerable to oil spills, environmental tion, predation by white sharks and other threats. Many sea otter deaths and ailments have been linked to pollution flowing from land to the sea, including fecal parasites, bacterial toxins and chemicals that have been linked to coastal land use. pollu- Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center Director Laird Henkel, donations to line 410 on state tax returns fund research such as a recent comparative study of sea otter food habits, behavior, health and survival in areas where there is high (Mon- terey) vs. low (Big Sur) human impact to the nearshore environ- ment. According to DFG Marine California Outdoors Q&A Raccoon house pets Question: Is it legal to have a raccoon living in the house? I have seen a raccoon in my friend's tree during the daytime (which is unusual) and they told me it belongs to their neighbor. My friend has a lot of grand- children running around outside and so I worry this is a health issue. I am not sure if they have a special permit for this little creature. Should a game warden come out to check on the situa- tion? (Debra M.) Answer: It is not only illegal Carrie Wilson to keep raccoons (or any wildlife) as pets or in cap- tivity, but it also may be dangerous. Wild animals such as raccoons can become very aggressive and dangerous to both humans and pets as they mature. In addition, they can carry diseases and parasites that can present health risks to humans. Wildlife need to be kept wild for their safety and well- being, as well as ours. Only people who are per- mitted by DFG (for example, licensed wildlife rehabilitators or exhibitors) may keep wildlife in captivity. To report this situation, please contact our CalTIP line at 1-888-334-2258. Can full Alabama rigs be legally ocean waters? (Zack P., Santa Barbara) Answer: Alabama rigs have been all the rage, as well as fished in ocean waters? Question: Can full Alabama rigs be legally fished in very controversial, in the bass fishing circuits this year. While in freshwater lakes and Delta waters the Alabama rig must be modified (only three hooks total allowed rather than the standard five), in ocean waters no modifications are required. However, if fishing for salmon or rockfish or if salmon or rockfish are in possession, the angler would be limited to only two hooks. government, university and non- profit organizations ensures that the California Sea Otter Fund is used effectively to maximize the benefits to sea otter research and conservation. You can support this research by making a contribution on line 410 of your state tax form 540, the California Sea Otter Fund. DFG works with Defenders of Wildlife to help promote the Sea Otter Fund. An excellent video about the sea otters' current plight is on their website, www.defenders.org OUTDOOR BRIEFS Deputies and the Friends of Whiskey- town. The Lemurian Shasta Classic was created by Shasta County bicy- cling enthusiasts and this year is again hosted by the Redding Moun- tain Biking Club, a non- profit organization. For more details, including registration information, visit www.shastalemurian.co m. SHARE program open to public feedback in November 2011. All comments received were considered and the second round of pro- posed changes are now available at: www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlif e/hunting/share. Collaborative work among Shooting from side-by-side carts on private property? Question: What are the rules for shooting from or off side-by-side carts on private property? Legal or not legal? (Ric) Answer: California Fish and Game laws prohibit shoot- ing from a vehicle when you are shooting at wildlife and you cannot shoot from any vehicle that is on a way open to the public. In addition, there are restrictions in the Penal Code against discharging firearms in certain incorporated or unin- corporated areas, even if you are on private property. Infor- mation regarding these Penal Code provisions are available online in the "Firearms Laws" (Booklet by California Department of Justice) (PDF) on the DFG Enforcement homepage (www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement). The one exception here would be for mobility impaired disabled hunters who qualify for a special hunting license allowing the person to use a motor vehicle to pursue game. The vehicle would still have to be stopped before the hunter could shoot from the vehicle. For more information on this special license, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/hunt- ing/huntdescrip.html. Selling bottle openers The public may sub- mit comments until 5 p.m. on April 20. Com- ments can be emailed to vbarr@dfg.ca.gov or mailed or hand-deliv- ered to: Victoria Barr, Department of Fish and Game, 1812 Ninth St., Sacramento, 95811. The SHARE program DFG's SHARE Program Now Available for Pub- lic Comment First Round of Input Com- pleted; Second Round Ready for Review The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has released the second round of proposed mod- ifications for its Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhance- ment (SHARE) pro- gram. The proposed modifications clarify the landowner enroll- ment process, the public application and permit issuance process as well as the general operating conditions for the SHARE program. The first draft of the proposed changes was needs input Proposed Changes to is a voluntary incentive arrangement in which landowners receive lia- bility protection and may receive compensa- tion for providing pub- lic access to or through their land for recre- ational use and enjoy- ment of wildlife. SHARE is dedicated to creating good relation- ships between recre- ational users and landowners, while pro- viding additional hunt- ing, fishing and other recreational access on private land in Califor- nia today and for future generations. All questions about the SHARE program and the proposed regu- lations should be direct- ed to Victoria Barr, Environmental Scien- tist, at (916) 445-4034 or vbarr@dfg.ca.gov. Answer: In general, it is not legal to buy or sell the parts of any game bird or mammal found in the wild in the state of California (Fish and Game Code, section 3039(a)). However, FGC section 3039(c) allows the purchase and sale of shed antlers or antlers taken from domestically reared animals that have been manufactured into products as long as the antlers are not complete, attached to a head, mount- ed for display, or in velvet. As far as your question, if the antlers are from sheds and are made into bot- tle openers, they would be allowed to be sold in Cal- ifornia. Another option would be to purchase antlers from animals such as caribou or moose, since they are not found in the wild in California. (246 words) made from antlers Question: I have a very small hobby/business of making (and at some point hopefully selling) bottle openers. I currently make them out of wood but I would like to make some of them out of deer or elk antlers or bone. There are companies on the Internet who sell antlers, but they say they cannot ship to California. What are the regulations concerning using antlers for hobby items such as this? What antlers are permissible for importing for use in a hobby/business of making bottle openers? Why are elk antlers not allowed to be imported into Califor- nia? Can elk antlers be legally gathered or pur- chased from within California? (Jeff M., South Lake Tahoe) Question: I want to make a turkey call from a box turtle shell. Would these be legal to possess in California? (Jeff H.) Answer: Yes. Turkey call Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone's questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov.