Latest news with #PeterTira
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
CDFW Releases New Wolf Map
( — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a new map that tracks the movement of collared gray wolves. 'Our main goal was to help support our livestock producers in northeastern California,' said Peter Tira, spokesperson for CDFW. 'Knowledge is power.' The system tracks and collects the approximate location of 14 GPS-collared wolves four times a day, though CDFW said there are dozens of wolves in the area. Amaroq Weiss with the Center for Biological Diversity said this new coexistence tool is helpful for all Californians. Woman pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts in Grand Theft case 'Wolf conflicts are rare in any state with wolves, but both ranchers and wolves will benefit if we can make those conflicts even more rare by giving a heads-up when wolves are in the area,' Weiss said. When viewing the map, not all 14 trackers may appear. CDFW explains this may be due to collars falling off, malfunctions, animals moving beyond the range of active cells, or even crossing state borders. But for ranchers and officials dealing with gray wolves on a daily basis, these maps confirm what they already know. 'The map is a good start- it's got some bugs, but I want to say that Fish and Wildlife is trying to put something out there,' said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue. Rayno Nel becomes first South African to win World's Strongest Man Sheriff LaRue and Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher, who have been at the forefront of the issue, say fewer than a handful of wolves in their counties are currently being tracked. 'If there isn't a GPS reading on a particular ranch, that doesn't mean wolves aren't present—it just means that one of the three collared wolves isn't on that ranch,' Sheriff Fisher told FOX40. 'We've estimated 70-plus wolves in our community,' Sheriff LaRue added. The Sheriffs from Plumas and Lassen counties have joined them in meeting with the California Natural Resources Secretary and the Director of CDFW on Wednesday in Sacramento to discuss wolf management. They said the meeting brought hope. 'We discussed various options today on, you know, hazing, and various plans,' Sheriff Fisher said. 'I felt refreshed a little bit and reassured that we are going to be heading in the right direction,' said Sheriff LaRue. The Sheriffs are scheduled to meet with state officials again next week to discuss next steps. 'What I would like [residents] to know is that their local representatives, both their Board of Supervisors and their elected Sheriffs, are down here in Sacramento meeting with those who have the ability to effect change on the management,' Sheriff Fisher concludes. ' It was a very productive meeting.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
State wildlife officials to shut Northern California fish hatchery, citing costs
California wildlife officials will shut down a state-run fish hatchery in Humboldt County, ending more than 50 years of operations due to rising costs, aging infrastructure and federal limits on steelhead production. The Mad River Fish Hatchery, which raises a modest number of steelhead and rainbow trout and serves as an access point to the picturesque Mad River for recreation and fishing, will close in June after decades of financial challenges, said Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 'It's a bit of a sad day for us here,' Tira said Friday from the hatchery near Arcata, about 200 miles northwest of Sacramento. In addition to financial woes that led the hatchery to be briefly closed during a state budget crunch in 2004, the facility needed $40 million in repairs to fix old wells, broken concrete and other infrastructure, he said. The hatchery, the smallest of the state's 21 hatchery facilities, opened in 1971 and initially raised Chinook and inland salmon in addition to steelhead and rainbow trout, the agency said in a news release about the planned closing. Because the Northern California steelhead found in the Mad River are federally protected as a threatened species, the hatchery is limited to raising only 150,000 fry per year under regulations meant to preserve the wild DNA of fish that breed naturally in the waterway, the agency said. By comparison, it raises and releases 450,000 steelhead and 4.6 million salmon every year at its Trinity River Hatchery near Lewiston, some 60 miles inland. The hatchery stopped breeding salmon years ago because the fish were not returning to the Mad River to spawn, Tira said. The reason turned out to be inherent in the structure of the hatchery: it was built to operate with well water rather than river water. This led the baby fish to imprint on the well water; when the time came to come back from the ocean to spawn, they did not know where to go. In addition to $10 million in immediate repairs and $30 million in longer-term infrastructure fixes, the department estimated that it would need an additional $1 million a year to continue to operate the hatchery. The facility also required upgrades to meet federal requirements, including the development of a genetic management plan for the steelhead, Tira said. While most of the state's other hatcheries are owned by the federal government or other entities, the Mad River facility is owned by the state, so California is on the hook for any needed repairs, Tira said. 'Quite simply, the steelhead program is no longer viable,' said Jason Roberts, inland fisheries program manager for the department's northern region. 'The Mad River Fish Hatchery is no longer providing much, if any, conservation benefit to the species nor the intended recreation or sport fishing benefits in the Mad River.' The hatchery will release its remaining steelhead into the river later this spring, and cease operations in June, Roberts said in the statement. The hatchery property will remain open for tourists and local residents for whom it is a popular place for picnics, birding and river access, CDFW officials said. Its parking lot is often used by people spending a day hiking or fishing in the area. 'A few people have pointed out the irony of a government agency complaining about government regulation,' Tira said Friday. 'It's the reality here.'
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
State officials release thousands of critical fish species after 50-year-long absence: 'This is history'
Once abundant in California's Central Valley, the Sacramento perch was driven out of its native waters 50 years ago by disruptions to its natural habitat. Thanks to a state pilot project, though, the fish is making a long-overdue comeback, CBS reported earlier this month, as 3,000 young perch were stocked in the pond at Granite Regional Park. "This is history, returning the Sacramento perch to Sacramento where it was so numerous once upon a time," California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Peter Tira told CBS. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The Sacramento perch has an unusual conservation status. Though rare in its natural habitat, it has been successfully introduced into lakes and ponds across Western states. Lynette Williams Duman, a doctoral candidate, and Mason Rogers, a staff biologist, of the University of California Davis described the perch's expatriation as "a story of hope in an era that desperately needs it." As Duman and Rogers noted, the changes to the perch's environment are irreversible, but the situation is far from hopeless. It may not be viable to fully restore the environment the Sacramento perch once thrived in, but there is still a great deal that can be done regarding environmental reconciliation. Such efforts are an important way to combat biodiversity loss caused by environmental degradation. In addition to contributing to human needs such as food, fuel, and shelter, a vibrant ecosystem provides key services such as pollination, seed dispersal, and climate regulation. Community-led efforts such as this show that not only can big changes start locally, but they can also be enjoyable for all. The Sacramento perch offers good sport for anglers, and its high tolerance for alkaline conditions and fluctuating temperatures makes it a perfect candidate to be stocked in cold waters that other sportfish cannot tolerate. As the aptly named CDFW scientist Mark Fish put it, "They're just a really cool fish that everybody seems to get excited about." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
