FORTY-THIRD BIENNIAL REPORT 



IS 



Not All Available 



Onlv 40 percent of California's land is readily avail- 

 able for public use toda\', and much of this is remote, 

 rough countrw Similarly, onl\' a portion oi California's 

 existing wildlife is available for wise use. The term 

 "wise use" is not confined solely to licensed fishermen 

 and hunters. All Californians, now and in the future, 

 should have the opportunity of enjoying their wildlife 

 resources. Students of nature, the photographer, the 

 skin diver, disciples of Audubon, and millions of other 

 citizens who do not actually "harvest" wildlife, all 

 have an equal right to share in this great heritage, and 

 it should be made available to them. 



Today fish and game of California is sustaining a 

 resource which at the end of the biennium was putting 

 an estimated $720,000,000 annualh- into California's 

 economic bloodstream bv sportsmen in their pursuit 

 of wildlife. In addition commercial fishing, fur trap- 

 ping and allied industries were pumping another 

 $280,000,000 into California business life. 



Even the most conservative estimates show that 

 in 1965 the State will have 2,580,000 license holders. 

 But experience has shown that the number of license 

 holders increase more rapidly than the population, and 

 for that reason the number of fishermen and hunters 

 ma\- reach 3,000,000 b\- that time. 



Ceiling Not Foreseeable 



These projections are based on estimates of popula- 

 tion increases, made b)' the Department fif Finance 

 and on the historical average percentage of increase in 

 license bu\ers over a 25-\'ear period. There is nothing 

 in the record to indicate what the ceiling might be. 

 Loss of fish and game, or lack of opportunity to make 

 wise use of the resource, are the only factors which 

 might materially change the above predictions. 



Now as to the past, future, and proposed expendi- 

 tures, this is the situation. From 1945 through the fiscal 

 year of 1955 approximateh' $62,050,000 will have been 

 spent for \\ ildlife. 



In this connection it should be noted, that except for 

 $12,000,000 made available from pari-mutuel revenue, 

 all of the above funds have come from buyers of 

 licenses, special tags (i.e., deer and pheasant tags), 

 commercial fishing taxes, etc.— none from general tax 

 revenues. 



If income for fish and game welfare for the next 10 

 vears continues from present sources at current rates, 

 and is projected on the accelerating line of license buy- 

 ing increase, there will be available from 1955 through 

 1956 a total of $93,500,000. 



Considering an average annual $9,350,000 income 

 foreseeable from the present rate base, the expenditure 

 to service and sustain the billion dollar industry for the 

 next 10 years is less than 1 percent annually. 



All signs point to the probability that wildlife will 

 not hold up under the anticipated pressures of the next 



LICENSED ^ToT8!c;So''''- 

 SPORTSMEN 

 IN CALIFORNIA 



ANGLERS IN 1965 

 2,094,776 



/HUNTERS IN 1975 



ANGLERS NOW/ j 248 000^ 



1,263, 000^/ _X 



VhUNTERSIN I965> 



936,025 /-^ 



^ HUNTERS NOW 

 — 639,000 



1930 



1940 



1950 1954 



1965 



1975 



license huyer^ fiove heen increasing of a fa^ier raie than the popula- 

 tion. Above is a projection of what faces f/ie State's wi/diife resources 

 in fhe future. 



10 years with the relati\clv small investment now being 

 made to sustain it. The present investment will be 

 absorbed simply in providing minimum services to the 

 new customers at present levels, increasing numbers of 

 customers with the increasing hunting and fishing pres- 

 sures will definitel>' result in demands and needs for 

 more and improved operation services— more fish and 

 game wardens, more \\ ildlife field men, more informa- 

 tion and education, more people to handle the house- 

 keeping chores of administration, plus additional 

 equipment. Some of this increased operational load no 

 doubt can be readil\- absorbed b\' the income from 

 new customers. But there's no point in ignoring the 

 fact that some of the present services of Fish and 

 Game administration could well be further improved. 

 And as the population increases new services will be 

 needed and demanded b\' the people. 



Over the vears certain expansions in personnel have 

 been unavoidable. For example, when federal aid funds 

 became available 1 5 years ago, a sizeable group of new 

 emploN'ees was added. Recently, with the addition of 

 new functions, especiall>' operation of expanded facil- 

 ities provided b\' the Wildlife Conservation Board 

 funds, additional cmplo\ecs were necessary to man 

 them. 



