Hecklers Cause Cancellation of CA Fish & Game Commission Meeting over COVID

[bigtex]

Background:

The California eastern sierra trout season is set to open at the end of the month. The event is known amongst many as "fishmas" with thousands of people pushing into some of California's most rural counties for a few days. Two counties (their county council, health officer, and sheriff) sent letters to the CA Fish & Game Commission asking that they delay the opening of trout season until after the Coronavirus saga calms down. Quite simply they didn't want a rush of out of town folk into the counties and potentially getting their citizens sick or clogging up rural hospitals.

Unlike in WA where the WDFW Director has the authority to modify seasons/limits on an emergency basis, in CA only the F&G Commission can do emergency modifications. Due to the coronavirus and the request from the counties the F&G Commission was set to vote on a temporary rule allowing the CA DFW Director to modify seasons as a result of the coronavirus. In the proposed rule it stated the CDFW Director could only do season modifications after consulting with local authorities.

And then the rumor mill started

People were posting all over the internet that CDFW was looking at closing fishing statewide (similar to WDFW) contrary to what the CDFW Director and F&G Commission President was saying.

Today: Today the CA F&G Commission met via teleconference to vote to give the CDFW Director authority to close fisheries on a county level, however they were unable to mute people on the conference line and the conference line was so full by fishermen that commission members weren't able to call in. On top of that people were cussing out commissioners, playing background music, etc. It eventually caused the meeting to be cancelled and scheduled for next week, likely in a manner where public comments will be severly limited.

Audio of the meeting: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article241897916.html?fbclid=IwAR2OeudnOtmMlHORVSsFLChkF1vI4uaJKTm9x1DpXZfeRsyhg886eYyfByA

[hunter399]

All these closures are just silly ,unless your gonna put an all out travel ban it's just outrageous. Who's to say west side bear hunters are not on the east side of the state right now scouting for bear and Turkey hoping for a may 4 opener.
The director for Washington has the power to change seasons in a emergency .But he sure can't extend seasons when he screws over fisherman/spring bear and Turkey hunters .Not one word about trying to make things right and give people what they paid for.Its a joke I tell ya.

[jrebel]

All these closures are just silly ,unless your gonna put an all out travel ban it's just outrageous. Who's to say west side bear hunters are not on the east side of the state right now scouting for bear and Turkey hoping for a may 4 opener.
The director for Washington has the power to change seasons in a emergency .But he sure can't extend seasons when he screws over fisherman/spring bear and Turkey hunters .Not one word about trying to make things right and give people what they paid for.Its a joke I tell ya.

I know for a fact people from King County have travelled to small communities already to escape the crazy covid scare.  100% unequivocally true......if there was a way to look at second / vacation homes power usage you could prove it.  Inslee and WDFW shut down hunting and fishing as a knee jerk reaction to the way west side people reacted when told to stay home.  They flooded state parks and ignored social / physical distancing orders.  To me it was super simple.....shut down parks, or recreation areas that promote large gathering.  DON'T SHUT DOWN THE ACT OF HUNTING AND FISHING!!!!   For once California folks have done a positive thing and stood up to their liberal commie government.   

[bigtex]

I know for a fact people from King County have travelled to small communities already to escape the crazy covid scare.  100% unequivocally true......if there was a way to look at second / vacation homes power usage you could prove it.  Inslee and WDFW shut down hunting and fishing as a knee jerk reaction to the way west side people reacted when told to stay home.  They flooded state parks and ignored social / physical distancing orders.  To me it was super simple.....shut down parks, or recreation areas that promote large gathering.  DON'T SHUT DOWN THE ACT OF HUNTING AND FISHING!!!!   For once California folks have done a positive thing and stood up to their liberal commie government.   

Except it's the rural (conservative) CA counties wanting select fisheries in their area closed.

[Stein]

The big difference is that CA sportsmen seem to be much better organized.  I was just thinking that there needs to be one or two organizations taking the lead that are much better funded.  I know NMTA and the fishing clubs do what they can, but I think most of us don't support things for fishing like we do for big game. 

Maybe there should be a push to pick a few that are efficient and start throwing more money their way.  Any ideas?