Preliminary 2008 salmon data released last week indicates a continued and significant reduction in the return volume of Sacramento River fall Chinook stock.

The California Department of Fish and Game estimates that 66,200 Sacramento River fall Chinook adults returned in 2008 — the lowest recorded return since comprehensive monitoring of Central Valley hatchery and natural escapement began in the 1970s.

The salmon stock information was collected in early February by DFG and was forwarded to the Pacific Fishery Management Council to help the council begin its annual ocean salmon season setting process.

The data focuses on the return of both Sacramento River fall Chinook and Klamath-Trinity River System fall Chinook salmon in 2008.

Preliminary data indicates that approximately 31,000 adult fall Chinook returned to spawn in Klamath-Trinity River System natural areas during 2008, well below the 2008 management objective of 40,700 required by the PFMC.

Each year, DFG provides extensive information and scientific assistance on California salmon stocks to the PFMC for the evaluation and setting of ocean salmon seasons.

The California Fish and Game Commission uses this information for season-setting as well.

The 2009 ocean salmon season regulatory process includes public and scientific meetings starting in February and ending in April.

In 2008, all ocean salmon seasons were closed for the first time in California history.

The closure was enacted to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook stocks, considered a primary driver of both commercial and recreational salmon fishing off the coast of California and most of Oregon.

DFG will hold a public salmon information meeting March 3 in Santa Rosa to present information pertinent to California salmon fisheries and gather public input regarding the 2009 season.

Conservation funding protected

The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance and its members and partners have successfully fended off efforts to “borrow” $30 million from the Fish and Game Preservation Fund — the account into which all hunting and fishing license monies, all bear tag monies, a significant portion of deer tag funds, and many other hunter/angler generated revenues are deposited.

Last month, in an attempt to plug budget holes, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed to “borrow” $30 million from the Preservation Fund.

Had the proposal been approved, it would have undermined DFG’s ability to carry out its wildlife conservation mandates and provide adequate enforcement in the field.

The proposal would have had severe negative impacts on hunting and fishing opportunities in California.

To address this serious concern, COHA — working closely with the United States Sportsmen’s Alliance, California Waterfowl and other partners — repeatedly brought these concerns to the attention of members of the California Legislature Outdoor Sporting Caucus and other state legislators in an effort to protect valuable wildlife conservation funding for the department.

Efforts by DFG, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and COHA to warn the governor about the potential loss of millions of dollars in federal matching funds was also key to getting it removed from the final state budget.

In other good news, the final state budget maintained millions of dollars in state subventions to counties for the Williamson Act — one of the most successful land conservation programs in California that currently protects about 16.4 million acres of private farmland.

The ongoing effort to maintain the Williamson Act has been led by the California Farm Bureau, and COHA was pleased to work with it and many other conservation groups to maintain the financial integrity of the program.

Guy Carl is a CPA and partner with BDCo Accountants and Advisors in St. Helena (www.bdco

cpa.com). Contact Guy at GC.outdoors@sbcglobal.net.