Hi gang, had a chance to talk with some people in R3 (this is the Bay Area region). Here's what I learned...

1. DFG is pretty understaffed in this region.

2. Trout stocks are all on hold right now.

3. They've divided up the stocking waters in to categories. Category 1 is places that there's confidence no threatened species will be impacted. They're hoping to get those places cleared for stocking soon, as in a few weeks.

Category 2 waters are places like San Pablo, Loch Lomond, Stevens Creek, and Coyote. Those are places where threatened species are likely present and will need big evaluations. Whether they will ever stock again there is unknown. It will depend on whether an acceptable biological diversity mitigation plan can be put in place. What that would look like, I do not know at this time. These evaluations may take months or years.

4. As far as I can tell, groups like the Center for Biological diversity will not be allowed to conduct the pre-stocking assessments. However, regional parks and lake management groups like counties will provide data to the DFG. So, Santa Clara County will likely provide data for Coyote and Stevens Creek, and EBPARKS will provide data for their lakes, etc.

5. If trout stocking is put on hold for too long, or not enough waters are available, current hatchery fish will have to be killed because the fish will grow too large and be unsustainable in the hatcheries. This is a real concern, and there is a real concern with how these new stocking rules will contradict Hatchery Bill AB7's mandates of more trout. If 1/3 of license revenues are spent on hatcheries and they wind up having to kill the fish, that's a big issue.

There are a couple of avenues that could be used to fight on these issues. I am researching and formulating some plans. Please always remember in this that DFG is caught in the middle and NOT the ones who initiated this.