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CDFW dismantles wildlife trafficking operation with endangered species in Central Valley

CDFW dismantles wildlife trafficking operation with endangered species in Central Valley

The CDFW Wildlife Officer Academy graduated and pinned badges on 54 new officers today in Paradise, Butte County, the largest academy graduating class in CDFW history. The academy is California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified and offers training consistent with every law enforcement agency in California. In 2008, CDFW partnered with Butte College to provide peace officer academy training for prospective wildlife officers. That partnership provided CDFW with a state-of-the-a

The CDFW Wildlife Officer Academy graduated and pinned badges on 54 new officers today in Paradise, Butte County, the largest academy graduating class in CDFW history. The academy is California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified and offers training consistent with every law enforcement agency in California. In 2008, CDFW partnered with Butte College to provide peace officer academy training for prospective wildlife officers. That partnership provided CDFW with a state-of-the-a

17.4K viewsAug 1, 2024

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CDFW wrapped up wolf capture and collar operations recently in northern California that resulted in a record-number 12 wolves now outfitted with satellite collars on the landscape. That collar data is expected to provide a wealth of information to better understand wolf movements, diet, dispersal, pack formations and help mitigate conflicts with livestock producers. Learn more: https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-captures-and-collars-12-gray-wolves-in-northern-california | California Depar

CDFW wrapped up wolf capture and collar operations recently in northern California that resulted in a record-number 12 wolves now outfitted with satellite collars on the landscape. That collar data is expected to provide a wealth of information to better understand wolf movements, diet, dispersal, pack formations and help mitigate conflicts with livestock producers. Learn more: https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-captures-and-collars-12-gray-wolves-in-northern-california | California Depar

125.3K viewsFeb 14, 2025

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Big news - CDFW has launched a web-based platform called the California Inland Recreational Angler Survey, or CIRAS, that will provide the public with helpful fishing information driven by data submitted by anglers. CIRAS is powered by anglers for anglers. It allows anglers to submit data regarding their fishing trips and provides immediate access to aggregated sport fishing data through an interactive “Ready to Fish” dashboard. As a crowdsourcing platform, CIRAS requires a high level of partici

Big news - CDFW has launched a web-based platform called the California Inland Recreational Angler Survey, or CIRAS, that will provide the public with helpful fishing information driven by data submitted by anglers. CIRAS is powered by anglers for anglers. It allows anglers to submit data regarding their fishing trips and provides immediate access to aggregated sport fishing data through an interactive “Ready to Fish” dashboard. As a crowdsourcing platform, CIRAS requires a high level of partici

3.2K viewsJan 22, 2025

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CDFW is pleased to announce the launch of the CDFW License App for mobile devices. The new application allows residents and nonresidents to display sport fishing licenses and validations on their mobile phones and other mobile devices in lieu of a physical license. Users can download the application on their mobile devices through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store or by accessing the direct download links from CDFW’s License App web page. Download and install the app today! https://wildli

CDFW is pleased to announce the launch of the CDFW License App for mobile devices. The new application allows residents and nonresidents to display sport fishing licenses and validations on their mobile phones and other mobile devices in lieu of a physical license. Users can download the application on their mobile devices through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store or by accessing the direct download links from CDFW’s License App web page. Download and install the app today! https://wildli

1.9K viewsMar 20, 2024

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More than 60 nature enthusiasts joined CDFW, California Natural Resources Agency, the California Academy of Sciences and Effie Yeaw Nature Center’s volunteers on a Bioblitz adventure at Effie Yeaw Nature Center riverfront and hiking trails. Attendees spotted raptors, lizards, vibrant plants, and towering trees along the American River. As citizen scientists, they documented findings on iNaturalist contributing to their understanding of local biodiversity. Check out the project here: https://www.

More than 60 nature enthusiasts joined CDFW, California Natural Resources Agency, the California Academy of Sciences and Effie Yeaw Nature Center’s volunteers on a Bioblitz adventure at Effie Yeaw Nature Center riverfront and hiking trails. Attendees spotted raptors, lizards, vibrant plants, and towering trees along the American River. As citizen scientists, they documented findings on iNaturalist contributing to their understanding of local biodiversity. Check out the project here: https://www.

855 viewsSep 9, 2023

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CDFW is making a difference with its innovative program, Cutting Green Tape. The goal? To make it faster, easier, and more affordable to launch environmental restoration projects across our state. By cutting through the complex red tape, Cutting Green Tape is removing unnecessary barriers that often delay or block vital habitat restoration work. Instead of letting paperwork get in the way, this program is helping important conservation projects get the green light quicker and with less hassle. I

CDFW is making a difference with its innovative program, Cutting Green Tape. The goal? To make it faster, easier, and more affordable to launch environmental restoration projects across our state. By cutting through the complex red tape, Cutting Green Tape is removing unnecessary barriers that often delay or block vital habitat restoration work. Instead of letting paperwork get in the way, this program is helping important conservation projects get the green light quicker and with less hassle. I

3.2K viewsApr 10, 2025

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CDFW is in the middle of a three-year project that’s meant to rebuild deer habitat in fire-damaged Mono County. That work is happening at the department’s Slinkard/Little Antelope Wildlife Area, where several thousand acres of land burned in 2017 and 2020. Reseeding is happening on the ground where tractors are able to deliver seed, and through the air where helicopters carry seeding equipment over rugged terrain. A major element of the work is removing invasive species that contribute to the fa

4K viewsMar 28, 2022

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There are three ways you can have your deer or elk harvest sampled for CWD testing. One of the ways is at a CDFW office or sampling station. All you need to do is bring the harvest, or head with about 4-6 inches of neck. If you intend to taxidermy your harvest, it should be caped out prior to having the samples collected. You can find information such operating times and locations and the other methods for sampling your harvest for CWD by visiting wildlife.ca.gov/CWD. Enjoy hunting, and please d

3.4K views7 months ago

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CDFW is hiring wildlife officers and it’s not too late to apply for the 2025 academy! Be sure to submit your STD 678 application and PELLETB T-Score before May 1. If you still need to take the PELLET B, no problem, exams are being given across the state, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Enforcement/Career/Apply to learn more. Have questions? Email ledwardenhiringunit@wildlife.ca.gov | California Department of Fish and Wildlife

7.4K viewsApr 3, 2024

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CDFW has completed the release of approximately 23 million fall-run Chinook salmon raised at our four Central Valley anadromous fish hatcheries. That’s a 15 percent increase over the roughly 20 million fall-run Chinook salmon we raised and released in 2022. Beyond the increased hatchery production, we carried out several new, innovative and experimental release strategies to improve survival and take advantage of some of the best water conditions in years, including Parentage Based Tagging of so

20.1K viewsAug 23, 2023

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CDFW-permitted wildlife rehabilitators play a critical role in helping injured, orphaned and sick wild animals return to the wild. CDFW considers them partners in the conservation of California’s native wildlife. On Sept. 26, two bald eagles were returned to the wild thanks to the dedicated wildlife rehabilitation team at Tri-County Wildlife Care. Other partners assisting CDFW in these eagles’ success story are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and East Bay Municipal Utility District. Watch the

6.4K views6 months ago

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On June 11, CDFW fisheries staff released about 800,000 fall-run Chinook salmon smolts from the Mokelumne River Hatchery into the San Francisco Bay. The goal is to improve smolt survival rates and increase the number of adults returning to the Central Valley in future years. The smolts were marked and implanted with coded wire tags so CDFW can track their returns. CDFW hopes these smolts survive so they can contribute to commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as hatchery and natural area

1.3K viewsJun 21, 2023

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A CDFW reminder that grunion fishing is a HANDS ONLY recreational fishery. Only your hands can be used to capture grunion, no equipment or nets may be used to capture them. Additionally, no holes or pits can be dug to aid in capturing them. Remember that a valid California sport fishing license (and an Ocean Enhancement Validation south of Pt. Arguello, Santa Barbara County) is required to capture grunion if you are 16 years or older, even if you plan to release the fish. Please follow the regul

30.4K viewsJul 2, 2021

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It might seem like a harmless gesture – putting out a bit of food for one of the deer living nearby, but CDFW Capt. Patrick Foy offers a number of reasons (for one, it’s illegal) NOT to feed deer. Please watch. | California Department of Fish and Wildlife

18K viewsApr 16, 2021

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Update 5/17/2025: CDFW observed the mountain lion making its way back into the wild late last night. CDFW is on scene in Santa Clarita, monitoring an approximately 7-month-old mountain lion kitten spotted in a tree in a backyard. Earlier today, homeowners reported the sighting, prompting a response from wildlife officers. Upon investigation, it was determined the kitten likely got separated from its mother, and will look to reunite after dark. CDFW officials plan to wait until nightfall, as the

257.8K views11 months ago

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CDFW, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the Wildlands Conservancy, recently took a big step in securing the future of an endangered and fully protected fish species. More than 200 unarmored three spine stickleback were caught with nets and crayfish traps at one small lake in the mountains of San Bernardino County, then released hours later into another nearby lake in the San Gorgonio Mountains. That translocation of stickleback was made possible after the Wil

2.6K viewsSep 22, 2023

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Amid sunny skies and with ideal river conditions, CDFW this week successfully released approximately 500,000 juvenile salmon into the Klamath River below the Iron Gate Dam. On Tuesday, joined by leaders of the Karuk, Yurok, Shasta Indian Nation and the Quartz Valley Indian tribes, CDFW released approximately 90,000 yearling coho salmon into the river, the first coho salmon release since dam removal began in earnest late last year. In this video, Jason Roberts, Inland Fisheries Program Manager fo

9.1K viewsApr 18, 2024

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When a dozen CDFW staffers took part in a Desert bighorn sheep capture, collar and release project late last year, they could only hope their research would provide promising results. There isn’t just one piece of good news, there are two – as the herd living on San Gorgonio Mountain (San Bernardino County) is showing evidence of surviving both the drought and a mysterious respiratory disease that killed more than 30 percent of the sheep in 2019. At the height of the crisis sheep in the wild cou

1.6K viewsJun 15, 2023

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CDFW warden drove through flames to save baby, woman from Valley Fire

Ex-warden of Bay Area women's prison convicted of sex abuse

NEW YORK POSTPatrick Reilly

CDFW conducts mule deer helicopter captures to collect critical data for management of the state’s deer populations. During these captures, staff collect physiological (bodily functions) and morphometric (size/shape) measurements, samples for disease surveillance, and body condition in a way that can predict population performance. Animals are also fitted with GPS collars for geospatial tracking. The collars help CDFW understand movement and survival of the animals. They also are instrumental fo

20.3K views10 months ago

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Not every California lake bottom is home to underwater vegetation that’s inviting to fish. Which explains why CDFW recently added artificial habitat to Castaic Lake, located about 40 miles north of Los Angeles. Hundreds of concrete blocks with tubing attached are now 30 to 60 feet below the surface of the lake. The flimsy tubes resemble underwater cattails, and offer cover for juvenile and adult fish. Habitat fields like this are also designed with anglers in mind, so they’re generally placed in

3.7K viewsSep 27, 2024

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California hunter education doesn't begin and end with obtaining a hunter education certificate and buying a hunting license. It's really about lifelong learning and to that end, CDFW offers a variety of Advanced Hunting Clinics and webinars throughout the year to present ethical, conservation-minded and successful hunting practices and strategies. They cover traditional how-to topics such as how to turkey hunt but also how to hunt the backcountry for big game and taxidermy care. Some of the mos

14.6K viewsJan 9, 2025

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CDFW Warden Mark Rose and his K9 partner, Allee, a nearly 4-year-old Belgium Malinois scent detection dog, help combat the spread of golden mussels by assisting with inspections at the California Department of Water Resources’ North Thermalito Forebay watercraft inspection station in Oroville, considered key in keeping Lake Oroville and the Feather River watershed mussel-free. Allee is trained to detect quagga and zebra mussels as well as golden mussels and is a popular, friendly ambassador of t

4.5K views9 months ago

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Fish rescues are one of the many duties performed by CDFW fisheries and regional staff. During wet years, sturgeon swimming upstream to spawn in the Sacramento River will use flood plains as a shortcut; however, they can get stuck in human-created structures when the water recedes. The large size of these prehistoric fish can make it difficult for them to get past these artificial barriers and reach the river on their own. Recent alterations to these structures, such as the Fremont Weir Adult Fi

75.6K viewsApr 22, 2025

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The vessel was named after California’s bright orange state marine fish, the R/V Garibaldi and CDFW crew have been serving our coastline with dedication and heart for 25 years. From supporting fisheries research and monitoring, to helping protect California’s incredible marine resources this vessel has been a true workhorse for our state. Here’s to the crew, the mission, and the many safe journeys ahead! Thank you, R/V Garibaldi, for being a vital part of California’s coastal stewardship of the

8.9K views6 months ago

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With deer season currently upon us in some areas and quickly approaching in the rest of the state, we need to stay vigilant about testing your harvest for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) both for mandatory hunt zones where it’s required and all the other hunt zones across the state. You can have your harvest sampled for CWD at CDFW sampling stations and offices, participating meat processors and taxidermists and you can also collect your own samples and submit them to us. Find more information abo

3.9K views7 months ago

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It's "Waterfowl Wednesday" -- CDFW's periodic check-in with the hunting and waterfowl migration taking place at our various wildlife areas throughout the state. This week, Derek Schiewek fills us in on the latest conditions and hunting results at the Little Dry Creek Unit of the Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area in the Sacramento Valley. | California Department of Fish and Wildlife

28.2K viewsDec 18, 2019

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The fish ladder is now open at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville, and CDFW has started spawning spring-run Chinook Salmon. The best times to visit and watch all the activity is between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on most weekdays. These spring-run Chinook Salmon have been holding in the Feather River nearby the hatchery after migrating from the ocean this past spring. Spawning, which occurs both in the river and at the hatchery, is the final act of their noble lives. Spawning of the more numerou

5.2K viewsSep 24, 2024

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