January 2016 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Calendar

Weekends — Sandhill Crane Wetland Tour at the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve. CDFW docent-led public tours are available to view greater and lesser sandhill cranes at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve outside of Lodi, W Woodbridge Road (95242). Self-guided tours are also available and are enhanced with interpretive panels. For more information about tour times, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/3/crane-tour.

Weekends — Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve. Volunteer-led walks are scheduled every Saturday and Sunday, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Binoculars and bird books are available for the public to borrow at no cost. The visitor center and main overlook are fully accessible. The day use fee is $4.12 per person, ages 16 and older. Groups of five or more need to notify staff that they are coming and groups of 10 or more can request a separate tour. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/lands/places-to-visit/elkhorn-slough-er.

Weekends — Guided Wildlife Tours at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948), 12:30 p.m. The 90-minute walking tour covers slightly more than a half mile through this premier birding spot that highlights migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife. Tours are canceled in heavy rain. No reservations are necessary for groups of less than 20 people. A $4.32 day use fee is required for visitors without a valid annual CDFW pass, or California sport fishing, hunting or trapping license. There is no additional cost for the tour. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

Saturdays — Tundra Swan Tours at District 10, a 23,000-acre expanse of privately owned rice fields and restored habitat in Yuba County, north of Marysville (95901). The free tours are led by naturalists and last about two hours. Tours for up to 30 people are held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. Registration is required at www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/2/swan-tours. For more information, please call (916) 358-2869 or email interpretiveservices@wildlife.ca.gov.

Various Days Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Access Permit Application Deadline for Multiple Hunting Opportunities. Wild pig, turkey, dove, waterfowl and quail hunts are available through the SHARE program this winter. A $10.50 non-refundable application fee (plus handling fees) will be charged for each hunt choice. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/share.

1 — Online Harvest Reporting Begins for Abalone, Steelhead, Sturgeon and North Coast Salmon Report Cards. Anglers who were issued report cards for any of these species and also abalone divers must report their harvest or effort by Jan. 31, 2016. Anglers and divers may report online or mail their report cards to the address printed on the report card. To report online, please visit www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/customersearch/begin.

20 — Refugio Oil Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees Meeting, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Santa Barbara Public Library, Faulkner Gallery, 40 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara (93101). The purpose of the public meeting is to answer questions about the NRDA process, provide preliminary results of assessment studies and seek suggestions for restoration projects that will compensate for injuries caused by the oil spill. For more information, please visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/filehandler.ashx?documentId=111070&inline or www.wildlife.ca.gov/ospr/nrda/refugio, or contact Steve Hampton at steve.hampton@wildlife.ca.gov or (916) 323-4724.

21 — Informational Workshop on CDFW’s Draft Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California, 5 to 8 p.m., Miner’s Inn Convention Center/Best Western, 122 E. Miner Street, Yreka (96097). The plan was drafted by CDFW scientific and wildlife experts with help from a diverse stakeholder group. This workshop is designed to provide information and to solicit views about the plan. Interested parties are encouraged to review CDFW’s website with information about gray wolves in California, including the legal status of wolves under federal and state law, the migration of the first documented wolf in the state in nearly 100 years and CDFW’s announcement about the Shasta pack this summer. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/mammals/gray-wolf.

26 — Informational Workshop on CDFW’s Draft Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California, 5 to 8 p.m., Pointe Conference Center at CSU Long Beach, Walter Pyramid (entrance on Merriam Way), 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach (90840). The plan was drafted by CDFW scientific and wildlife experts with help from a diverse stakeholder group. This workshop is designed to provide information and to solicit views about the plan. Interested parties are encouraged to review CDFW’s website with information about gray wolves in California, including the legal status of wolves under federal and state law, the migration of the first documented wolf in the state in nearly 100 years and CDFW’s announcement about the Shasta pack this summer. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/mammals/gray-wolf.

31 – Deadline for Big Game Tag Reporting. Hunters who were issued big game tags must report their harvest or effort by Jan. 31, 2016 even if they were unsuccessful in harvesting. Hunters may report online or mail their report cards to the address printed on the report card. To report online, please visit www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/customersearch/begin.