California DFG Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Hunter Education Instructor Incentive Program Regulations
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is proposing new regulations to support an increase in the number of hunter education instructors in the state. Currently, there are not enough instructors to keep up with the public’s demand for mandatory hunter education classes. The regulations would create an incentive program to help recruit new instructors and to retain current ones.
The proposed regulations, which would be added to the California Code of Regulations Title 14, establish specific criteria to participate in the hunter education instructor incentive program. These criteria include employment status, length of service, in-service training requirements, compliance with existing game laws and payment of an application fee.
The proposal also creates a drawing system to equitably distribute the incentive opportunities. These incentives include, but are not limited to, fully guided hunts, limited-entry big game tags and firearms. Eligible instructors would be assigned a random number for the drawing. Those with the lowest numbers would receive the highest-rated opportunities. The proposal also establishes a system to redistribute tags in the event any instructor is unable or unwilling to utilize the opportunity provided.
The proposal rewards long-term service as a hunter educator by providing additional entries per drawing. For example, instructors must complete three years of service in order to participate in the incentive program and they will earn an additional entry for each additional 10 years of service.
The proposed regulations are available for comment period from Dec. 10, 2012, until Dec. 26, 2012.
The proposed regulations are available on the DFG website at www.dfg.ca.gov/HunterEd/Instructor_Incentive.
