California Department of Fish and Game Policies Affecting Fish Management in High Mountain Lakes and Wilderness Areas

Betsy Bolster California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA

As the trustee agency for California's flora and fauna, the mission of the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) is to "manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public." The public consists of 33 million people, many of whom use and enjoy the state's diverse resources by fishing for trout introduced into many formerly-fishless high-elevation lakes--lakes that frequently contain native frogs and other unique fauna. Although a number of state policies relate to CDFG's management of fisheries and of native species, none specifically address the issue of fish planting in wilderness areas/high mountain lakes and impacts to native species (except native trout). In this context, I will summarize existing policies and their shortcomings, some recent changes in fishery management, and new cooperative management efforts to improve both the fisheries and the status of at-risk native species.

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