At its April meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission acted on several issues affecting California’s natural resources.

The commission welcomed newly appointed Commissioner Erika Zavaleta and acknowledged the reappointments of Jacque Hostler-Carmesin and Samantha Murray as commissioners.

Zavaleta has been a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department since 2016, where she was a professor in the Environmental Studies Department from 2003 to 2016. Zavaleta was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley from 2001 to 2003.

She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in biological sciences and a Master of Arts degree in anthropology from Stanford University.

During his regular report, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division David Bess announced Warden Jonathan Garcia as Wildlife Officer of the Year.

The commission adopted changes to waterfowl hunting regulations for the 2021-22 season. These changes include an increase to 101 day seasons in most zones to accommodate the Jan. 31, 2022, closing date and an increase in the brant season length to 37 days.

The commission and CDFW discussed partnerships with stakeholders to conserve waterfowl habitat on public, private and agricultural lands.

The commission received one-year status review reports on petitions to list three species – Clara Hunt’s milkvetch, upper Klamath-Trinity River spring Chinook salmon and northern California summer steelhead. The commission will consider listing these species under the California Endangered Species Act at its June meeting.

Commissioners granted CDFW six-month extensions to deliver the one-year status review reports on petitions for two species – mountain lion and Shasta snow-wreath.

The full commission – President Peter Silva, Vice President Samantha Murray, and Commissioners Jacque Hostler-Carmesin, Erika Zavaleta and Eric Sklar – was present.

The agenda for this meeting along with supporting information is available at www.fgc.ca.gov. An archived audio file will be available in the coming days. The next meeting of the full commission is scheduled for May 11.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Commission meetings through June 2021 will be held via webinar and teleconference.