FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



Commissioners who molded Fish and Game policies throughout most of the biennium. Left to right: Harley E. Knox, elected commission president in 

 January, 1956; Cor/ F. Wente; William J. Si/vo, elected president in January, 1954, and re-elected the following year; We/don Oxley; and Andy Kelly, 



who succeeded Lee F. Payne, whose term expired in December, 1954. 



(Fish and Game Photo) 



A comprehensive history of the California Fish and 

 Game Commission and its various predecessors, stem- 

 ming from the State Board of Fish Commissioners 

 established in 1870, was published this biennium as a 

 part of the administrative survey of the agency by the 

 Legislative Auditor. 



This history detailed various historical changes since 

 passage in 1852 of the first California fish and game 

 law. It also reviewed the most recent basic change in 

 1952 which accompanied reorganization of the agency 

 into a department, relieving the commission of respon- 

 sibilities other than policy formulation and regulatory 

 functions. 



In 1956, the late Harley Knox, Commission Presi- 

 dent, invited the Attorney General's opinion as to the 

 responsibilities of the commission. This opinion held 

 that the department's budget and fiscal matters, as they 

 reflect the programs and activities of the department, 

 are matters of policy for which the commission is 

 responsible. On this basis, the commission actively par- 

 ticipated in the planning of the 1957-58 Fiscal Year 

 budget and programs, and formally approved the 

 budget prior to its presentation to the Legislature. 



At the biennium's end the commission was studying 

 various ways and means of increasing revenues in 

 preparation for recommending appropriate changes to 

 the Governor and Legislature. 



Also pursuant to said advice, the commission revised 

 its state-wide trout policy in April of 1956 by stipulat- 

 ing that everything possible shall be done to aid and 

 protect natural production by protection and improve- 

 ment of habitat. It further decided that artificial trout 

 propagation will be used where necessar\-. It also estab- 

 lished a minimum of 7'/2 inches in length forcatchable- 

 size trout, and determined that such trout will be 

 planted only in heavily fished roadside lakes or streams 

 where at least 50 percent or more will be taken by 

 anglers. 



The commission concurred with the U. S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service in establishing a coot and widgeon 

 special season in Imperial \'alley to relieve crop depre- 

 dations and also concurred in the establishment of a 

 similar season on coots for certain counties in the San 

 Joaquin X'alley. 



In order to provide protection to a larger number 

 of nursery stock, the commission increased the mini- 

 mum size limit on striped bass from 12 to 16 inches. 



