Various Days — Guided Wetland Tours, By Reservation, at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). A wildlife naturalist will lead any group, school or organization on a half-mile route through the diverse wetlands of the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. General information includes wildlife identification, behavior patterns and conservation efforts. The experience can be catered to include requested information. The minimum group size is 18 people. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

Various Days — Ecological Reserve Tours at Elkhorn Slough, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville (95076). Volunteers lead walks 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. Groups of five or more should please 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.

Various Days — Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Access Permit Application Deadline for Multiple Hunting Opportunities. Wild pig, waterfowl, turkey, dove and quail hunts are available through the SHARE program. An $11.88 non-refundable application fee is charged for each hunt choice. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/share.

First Through Third Saturdays and Sundays of the Month — Sandhill Crane Wetland Tours at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, 7730 W. Woodbridge Road, Lodi (95242). Online registration has begun for those wishing to participate in guided tours, which run October through February. A one-day Lands Pass must be purchased to attend and instructions are available on the same website. Tours fill fast and registration may be done as much as six weeks in advance. To register or for more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/3/crane-tour.

Weekends through Feb. 9 — 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 cancelled in the event of heavy rain. No reservations are necessary for groups of fewer than 20 people. This land is part of the CDFW Lands Pass Program and its associated fee-for-use requirement. For more information on the Lands Pass Program, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/lands-pass. For more information on the tours, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

1 — Deadline to Report on Bear Tag. All bear tag holders are required to report on their tag regardless of whether or not they hunted for bear. The deadline for reporting on a bear hunt tag is Feb. 1. After the Feb. 1 deadline, the online reporting system will lock hunters out from reporting. Hunters who miss the online reporting window can and should still mail in their tags to the address on the tag. All bear tags postmarked after Feb. 1 will be considered late. Tags can be reported online at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/Internetsales/customersearch/begin.

1 — 2020 Commercial Fishing Licenses and Permits Available for Purchase. The 2020 commercial fishing licenses and permits are valid from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/commercial.

1-2 — Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days in the Colorado River Zone. Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days are intended to provide a safe learning environment for youth who are interested in hunting and to encourage youths and adults to experience the outdoors together. Each year, many wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges open for youth hunt days. Federal regulations require that hunters must be 17 years of age or younger and accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older to participate. All hunters must have a valid license and stamps as required by state and federal law. The daily bag and possession limits apply along with all other waterfowl regulations for the 2019-20 waterfowl season. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

7 — White and White-fronted Goose Late Season Opens in the Northeastern Zone. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

7 — California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group. The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group will hold a public meeting to provide information about their February 2019 assessment of marine life entanglement risk, including new information related to the risk assessment factors and any Working Group recommendations to the CDFW Director regarding management measures. There will not be a designated opportunity for public comment during the meeting, but feedback can be shared directly with CDFW by email at whalesafefisheries@wildlife.ca.gov. An agenda will be posted on www.opc.ca.gov/whale-entanglement-working-group. For additional details about the meeting, please contact info@cawhalegroup.com or ryan.bartling@wildlife.ca.gov.

7 — Duck Days Student Wildlife Art Exhibit – Opening Reception, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Davis Arts Center, 1919 F St., Davis (95616). California Duck Days officially begins with a welcome reception featuring an exhibit of outstanding wildlife art created by high school students of Yolo County and a display of the California Junior Duck Stamp contest. The reception is free and open to the public. California Duck Days tickets and t-shirts will be on sale. Drop by, see some beautiful art, try your luck in the raffle and pick up information about the Festival. For more information on California Duck Days, please visit http://yolobasin.org/californiaduckdays.

8 — White and White-fronted Goose Late Season Opens in the Balance of State Zone. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

8 — White Goose Late Season Opens in the Imperial County Special Management Area. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

8-9 — Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, Southern California and Balance of State Zones. Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days are intended to provide a safe learning environment for youth who are interested in hunting and to encourage youths and adults to experience the outdoors together. Each year, many wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges open for youth hunt days. Federal regulations require that hunters must be 17 years of age or younger and accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older to participate. All hunters must have a valid license and stamps as required by state and federal law. The daily bag and possession limits apply along with all other waterfowl regulations for the 2019-20 waterfowl season. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

11 — CDFW-OSPR California Oil Spill Study and Evaluation Program (COSSEP) Monthly Seminar Series, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., “Improving SCAT Reconnaissance Using a Portable, UAS-based, Multi-Camera Remote Sensing System.”  CDFW-OSPR’s Judd Muskat will present some of his research using drones and sophisticated cameras to improve shoreline cleanup and assessment of oil during a spill event. Online attendance is free. To join via Skype, go to meet.wildlife.ca.gov/bryand.duke/csgweop8. To join via phone, dial (916) 210-1965 and enter code 94138#. For more information, please email Bryand Duke at bryand.duke@wildlife.ca.gov.

11 — Free Cannabis Permitting Workshop, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Harwood Hall, 44400 Willis Ave., Laytonville (95454). Join CDFW, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the State Water Board for a cannabis permitting workshop. No registration is required. Doors open at 10 a.m. with presentations starting at 10:30 a.m. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/cannabis/events.

12 — Free Cannabis Permitting Workshops, 9 a.m. to noon and 3 to 7 p.m., River Lodge Conference Center, 1800 Riverwalk Dr., Fortuna (95540). Join CDFW, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the State Water Board for a cannabis permitting workshop. No registration is required. Presentations for each block of time will start 30 minutes after the doors open. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/cannabis/events.

13 — Evenings at the Estuary Lecture: A Love Letter to the Slough, 5:30 p.m.,1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville (95076). Celebrate your love for estuaries at this unique lecture. A lineup of speakers including department heads and watershed neighbors will share short stories of success from 40 years of conservation work around Elkhorn Slough. Participants will have the chance to contribute their own “love letter” to a temporary display in the Visitor Center for February. There is no admission cost. No reservations are necessary and seating is first come, first served. For more information, please visit the online calendar at www.elkhornslough.org.

21 — California Fish and Game Commission Meeting, 8 a.m., Natural Resources Building, First Floor Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento (95814). For more information, please visit www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2020/index.aspx.

22 — California Duck Days, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters, 45211 County Road 32B (Chiles Road), Davis (95618). CDFW, the Yolo Basin Foundation, the California Waterfowl Association, Yolo Audubon and the City of Davis are hosting this family-oriented, community-based outdoor festival with activities that include field trips led by experienced birders and naturalists. Onsite activities include interactive exhibits, wetland-themed arts and crafts, and trout fishing. For more information, please visit http://yolobasin.org/californiaduckdays.

22 — Small Canada Goose Late Season Opens in the North Coast Special Management Area. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

24 — CDFW Conservation Lecture Series, 1:30 to 3 p.m., “Mapping California’s Important Plant Areas.” The California Native Plant Society’s Important Plant Areas (IPA) Program Manager, Sam Young, will describe how the IPA Program engages regional experts and conservation stakeholders to create a map of California’s IPAs, which can be applied as a tool for preserving the state’s botanical diversity. Attendance is free. To register or learn more, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/lectures.

26 — California Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting, 10 a.m., Natural Resources Building, First Floor Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento (95814). The public is welcome. For more information, please visit www.wcb.ca.gov.

27 — CDFW’s Annual Salmon Information Meeting, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa (95403). The public is invited to attend CDFW’s annual meeting on the status of California Chinook salmon populations and the outlook for 2020 ocean salmon fisheries. A review of last year’s ocean salmon fisheries and spawning escapement will be presented along with the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries. The meeting marks the beginning of a two-month long public process used to establish annual sport and commercial ocean salmon seasons. A list of additional meetings and other opportunities for public comment is available on CDFW’s ocean salmon webpage at www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon/preseason. For more information, please contact Grace Ghrist at (707) 576-2375 or grace.ghrist@wildlife.ca.gov.

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Media Contact: Amanda McDermott, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8907