22 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



CONSERVATION EDUCATION 



Durinc the bienniuni, greater emphasis was placed on better coopera- 

 tion Avith the State Department of Education and the state colleges and 

 schools. Five leaflets Avere prepared and published : ' ' California Valley 

 Quail , " " Beaver, " " Salmon, " " Trout, " and " Striped Bass. ' ' All were 

 written and styled for the fourth and fifth grade levels, and each con- 

 tains a color print of the species, and maps or sketches to illustrate the 

 text. Distribution is handled by the Bureau of Textbooks and Publica- 

 tions of the Department of Education. Response from teachers has been 

 tremendous, with requests for "more leaflets on more subjects." 



Three of the division's motion pictures were re-edited and the nar- 

 rations rewritten, especially for use in schools. These have been given 

 ' ' XX-Excellent ' ' ratings by the Audio-Visual Division of the State De- 

 partment of Education ancl are being widely used. 



Active participation by the supervisor in conservation educational 

 conferences, with lectures and pictures at workshops conducted by the 

 vai'ious state colleges, and at teachers' institutes held in many counties 

 lias undoubtedly aided in furthering the proposed program of integrat- 

 ing the teaching of conservation of natural resources in the schools and 

 state colleges of California. 



PUBLIC INFORMATION SECTION 



losing primarily the mass information media, the public information 

 section attempts to inform and educate license buyers and the general 

 public concerning their obligations toward fish and game conservation. 



To better fulfill this mission, headquarters of the public information 

 officer was transferred from Sacramento to San Francisco in March, 1949. 

 The new location permits easier contact ancl closer liaison with important 

 news media, division personnel, and the commercial fishing industry. 



The 1949 Legislature authorized the appointment of an editorial 

 assistant in the information section. Partly because of a shortage of 

 eligibles willing to accept the comparatively low salary, the post was 

 not filled on a permanent basis. 



A major step toward standardizing the information program was 

 accomplished in the spring of 1949. At that time, the public information 

 officer took over the duties of distributing publications which were for- 

 merly handled from five or more separate places. Aside from technical 

 matters, the section now handles state-wicle distribution of bulletins, 

 publications, photographs, maps, and abstracts of regulations. In addi- 

 tion, most telephone calls and letters requesting general information re- 

 ceivf'd at the San Francisco office are processed, as are requests for back 

 issues of California Fish and Game, the quarterly magazine. These 

 duties are performed by an intermediate stenographer-clerk at San 

 Francisco. 



Siiu-p inanrruratina- the standardized distribution program, an aver- 

 age of ."i.OOO pieces of literature were distributed by the section each 

 month. ]Mail requests averaged 450 per month, telephone requests 125 

 per month, and personal requests at the counter, 200 per month. In 

 addition, litoratnre was provided for distribution at division offices and 

 license agencies, and at fairs and sportsmen's shows. 



