76 



DEPARTMENT OE FISH AND GAME 



Certain key recommendations were included in tlie 

 report whicii suggested that: 



"1. Positions of Fish and Game Warden be budg- 

 eted on the basis of one such position for each 7,500 

 angling and hunting licenses sold, this ratio to be exclu- 

 sive of supervision. 



"2. Positions of Patrol Captain be budgeted on the 

 basis of one such position for each nine warden posi- 

 tions. 



"3. The use of warden personnel to staff certain 

 types of nonenforcement activities be critically re- 

 viewed by the Department of Fish and Game. 



"4. A training program be established for wardens, 

 both at the time of entering the service and on a 

 refresher basis. 



"5. The Department of Fish and Game develop and 

 install a method of time and activit\' reporting which 

 will reflect the time devoted to the major phases of the 

 enforcement program." 



In accordance with these recommendations, the de- 

 partment asked the 1955 Legislature for an additional 

 75 wardens and 10 patrol captains. Operating capital 

 for the positions \\ould have derived from the State's 

 share of pari-mutual horse racing monev. While agree- 

 ing that an increase in personnel was justified, the 

 Legislature considered it unwise to commit monev 

 from the horse racing fund to other than capital out- 

 lay items, therefore turned down the request. 



Meanwhile, the steady growth of California's hunt- 

 ing and fishing public had resulted in constanth- 



greater demands on the wardens' time. By 1955 each 

 warden was committed to the recreational pursuits of 

 10,392 license bu\'crs. 



\Nardens Added 



A request was made in the 1956-57 Fiscal Year 

 budget for 25 fish and game wardens and five patrol 

 captains. Recognizing the need for additional person- 

 nel, the Legislature authorized an increment of 30 

 wardens and six captains. Plans were made for the new 

 personnel to join the department in the 1956-57 Fiscal 

 ^ ear, and a wardens' training program was under- 

 taken. 



Departmental in-service training began in March, 

 1955, at the wildlife protection supervisor level. By 

 the close of the biennium training had been given 

 through the warden level, and training classes, com- 

 prised of personnel from the various branches, had 

 been inaugurated. Plans were formulated for the 

 training of new wardens and captans authorized in the 

 1956-57 Budget. 



Consideration was given to a method of time report- 

 ing w hich would reflect the amount of time spent bv 

 w ardens in carrying out various components of their 

 jobs. It is anticipated that the labor distribution system 

 drawn up will be put into use early in 1957. 



ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES 



Arrests for violations of fish and game laws in- 

 creased over those made during the previous biennium 

 by 15 percent. The tendency of the public to travel 

 greater distances in search of hunting and fishing recre- 

 ation, the opening of formerly inaccessible areas 

 through construction of logging roads and unimproved 

 thoroughfares and the increased use of rugged vehicles 

 capable of penetrating into remote places all had their 

 impact on the arrest record. 



Some of the persons apprehended had violated fish 

 and game law s apparently only because they had trav- 

 eled a long way from home and wanted to return 

 with amounts of fish or game in keeping with the 

 effort thev had expended in reaching their chosen 

 hunting or fishing area. Others found themselves in 

 almost virgin hunting and fishing areas where compe- 

 tition w as light and populations of fish or game heavy. 

 Thev succumbed to temptation. 



Since it is true that fish and game law violations are 

 committed by a small minority of the hunting and 

 angling public, the number of hunters and fishermen 

 afield during the biennium is evidenced by the arrest 

 figures: 8,775 in the 1954-55 Fiscal Year, 9,427 in 

 1955-56. 



California courts assessed an average individual fine 

 of S31.57 during the 1954-56 biennium. Total fines 

 collected during the two-year period of this report 

 amounted to 1574,596.10, a decline of 2.4 percent from 

 fines of the previous biennium. The number of cases 



