Report 2008-102 Recommendation 9 Responses

Report 2008-102: Office of Spill Prevention and Response: It Has Met Many of Its Oversight and Response Duties, but Interaction With Local Government, the Media, and Volunteers Needs Improvement (Release Date: August 2008)

Recommendation #9 To: Fish and Wildlife, Department of

The spill office should ensure that the wildlife network identifies and trains a sufficient number of staff to carry out recovery activities outlined in contingency plans in the event of a large spill.

1-Year Agency Response

The spill office noted that Assembly Bill 2911, approved by the governor in September 2008, adds proactive oiled wildlife search and collection rescue efforts as a primary focus of the wildlife network. This bill also requires the spill office administrator to ensure that the State has the ability to identify, collect, rescue, and treat oiled wildlife according to specified requirements, including training volunteers, stocking emergency equipment for rescue, and providing additional staffing. Funding for the wildlife network increased from $1.5 million for fiscal year 200809 to $2 million for fiscal year 200910. The wildlife network says that it has conducted a number of workshops, trainings, and refresher courses, and hired a wildlife field operations assistant to perform readiness activities during non-spill periods and support wildlife rescue efforts during oil spills. (2010-406, p. 196)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

All Recommendations in 2008-102

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.