Fish & Game Commission 05/5/2026

The Mendocino County Fish & Game Commission held a meeting on May 5, 2026, primarily focused on reviewing and approving grant proposals for various wildlife and environmental projects. Commissioners discussed funding allocations for projects including the Bill Townsend Conservation Hatchery, Eel River Recovery, Mendocino Fawn Rehabilitation, the Noyo Center for Red Abalone breeding, and Reef Check California. They deliberated on the total budget, which was proposed to be increased to $82,521, and agreed to submit all five top-rated grant applications to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for approval, acknowledging that CDFW may reject some proposals. The commission also discussed geographic distribution of funded projects and the challenges related to enforcement and prosecution of abalone poaching. A motion to approve the increased budget and grant recommendations was passed unanimously, with plans to forward the proposals to the Board of Supervisors and then to CDFW.