In California, a state of 37.4 million people, there are 190 Fish and Game Wardens in the field working to prevent & prosecute polluters, and protect fisheries, wildlife, fauna, and our citizens. This staffing level is the same as in the 1950’s in actual personnel. This state level of wardens per capita to the general populace is the worst in America. Maryland, with 5.3 million people, has 225 wardens.

The impacts of these historic low CA Warden levels can be seen everywhere across the state. For example, between the mouth of the Klamath and Yreka, a distance of nearly 200 river miles; not to mention all the tributaries and river stems in between, there are no Wardens residing to stop brazen salmon poaching. Vulnerable salmon on their spawning grounds lie totally exposed to criminals. The DFG patrol boat based in Eureka to regulate commercial and sport fishermen in the ocean on the north coast remains un-staffed. The result is absolutely predictable-historic low levels of salmon that will only continue to decrease unless there is protection by Wardens.

The catastrophic low levels of salmon in the Klamath river system has led the Governor to declare many counties disaster areas. Tourism, restaurants, local businesses and commercial and sport fisherman all suffer.

Marijuana plantations in California have soared to record levels. Wardens are the environmental cops whose beat is naturally intertwined with this drug trade and historically combat these traffickers. But the Warden numbers decline regardless, resulting in more and more illicit drug operations in the wild, which not only corrupts the state but endangers recreationists.

California is becoming internationally infamous for its black market in wildlife exploitation. The illegal, underground trade in wildlife flourishes in California. Abalone, sturgeon, bear, reptiles, deer and endangered species of plants are illegally obtained and sold without ever leaving California’s borders.

International wildlife smuggling in foreign countries also has an end destination in the Golden State. Our ports of entry are prime destinations for endangered species from foreign countries. The scope of the illegal underground wildlife trade is second only to the drug trade. And, the two often go hand in hand with Game Wardens forced to deal with both. The international wildlife black market is estimated to range up to $20 billion a year. In California it is estimated at $100 million a year.

Warden ranks in California to combat this illegal wildlife trade are decimated. In the last six years, the Wardens in California have lost 1/3rd of their officers. In the next 3 years, 40% of the current officers will be eligible for retirement. In the meantime, Warden recruitment per year lies in the single digits. It does not take a population dynamics major to see what the future holds for California’s natural resources as a result.

The founders of the State of California recognized in 1871 what pollution can do to the water quality and fisheries of this state. Wardens were created to stop the horrific damage from hydraulic mining in the gold fields. Wardens, in fact, were the first state law enforcement officers, well before CHP came into existence in the 1930’s. To give a sense of the time frame- the Gunfight at the OK corral was in 1881
For more than 15 years the Department of Fish and Game has sought to bring the salaries of its law enforcement officers into parity with salaries for comparable law enforcement positions. A newly-trained game warden currently earns about $37,000 per year – compared to new highway patrol officer’s pay of $53,808. Given the higher level of education and training required for wardens, it has been increasingly difficult to recruit and retain the wardens critical for both public safety and natural resource protection throughout the state.

Responding to an intensive grassroots education campaign by the CFGWA along with the publication of the Warden “Expose”; the state legislature has leapt into action. During the 2006-07 budget negotiations, both the Assembly and Senate budget subcommittees acted to address the dire and immediate need to address the fish and game warden recruitment and retention crisis. A total of $10 million was originally included in the Assembly version of the budget for enhanced warden compensation. The Senate proposed even more for this purpose: $17.5 million. Ultimately, in light of the increasing crisis; $30 million was dedicated to solve recruitment and retention problems..

While the Legislature ultimately agreed to the Administration’s more general compromise language pertaining to recruitment and retention of certain state employees, the need to dedicate substantial funds for fish and game warden compensation remained a core component of the final budget agreement.
Despite this agreement – and despite letters from key budget committee members and stakeholders to ensure that the agreement was honored – the October 10, 2006 compensation “plan” developed by the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) failed to devote the minimum $10 million for warden recruitment and retention. Rather, the plan allocates monies more generally to fund the Bargaining Unit 7 Memorandum of Understanding ratified via AB 1373. Wardens only received $2 million after all these efforts.

While wardens received a 15% pay increase effective January 1, this does little to close the compensation gap with other law enforcement agencies. CHP officers got a 10% boost on a much higher base pay – so the gap has widened, not narrowed. Consequently, warden recruitment and retention continues to suffer. At the top end of the salary scale, CHP officers receive an average of 70% more pay than their counterpart Wardens and often times much more when overtime is considered. CHP and Wardens recruit out of the same hiring pool of the population. So, the Warden recruitment dilemma starkly emerges.

Fish and Game Warden applications continue to plummet – causing vacancies to skyrocket. The continuing lack of sufficient funding for warden pay is having devastating impacts on warden ranks. Applications for the state’s game warden training academy have fallen to just one-third of last year’s levels – with only 98 applications received for the 2008 academy, versus 300 applications received for the 2007 academy. Only 14 of the 2007 applicants passed the rigorous testing process. Just a few short years ago DFG Warden applicants ranged in the thousands per year. The CHP feels that only one out of every 100 of their applicants will ultimately be hired after going through the hiring process. The future is pretty clear for Wardens. Many are leaving the force to take better pay with city and county police agencies.

The Department of Fish and Game’s Wardens are among the most highly trained law enforcement officers in the state – possessing a minimum two-year college degree, deputized as federal law officers who protect migratory wildlife, trained in enforcement of hunting and fishing regulations and prepared to handle a wide range of rural crimes from drug trafficking to pollution and homeland security.

Given California’s long-time leadership in wildlife and resource protection – and in light of the Administration’s strong emphasis on strong enforcement of environmental laws and regulations – it makes little sense to fail to fund the wardens who are on the front lines of protecting our public and private lands throughout the state.

Additional mandates that this Administration has placed on the Wardens without more funding includes ocean protection and marine mammal protection. Water quality threats associated with dumping and pollution increase without the oversight of Wardens.

If DFG wardens are to remain a viable public safety and natural resource protection resource, it is critical for the Legislature and the Administration to ensure that the 2006-07 budget agreement is honored as soon as possible. This is a first step toward conservation of Fish and Game Wardens, the front line of conservation for California.