California Wildlife Conservation Board

 A Brief Overview

The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) was created by legislation in 1947 to administer a capital outlay program for wildlife conservation and related public recreation. Originally created within the California Department of Natural Resources, and later placed with the Department of Fish and Game, the WCB is a separate and independent Board with authority and funding to carry out an acquisition and development program for wildlife conservation (California Fish and Game Code 1300, et seq.). The Board consists of the President of the Fish and Game Commission, the Director of the Department of Fish and Game and the Director of the Department of Finance. Legislation that created the Board also established a Legislative Advisory Committee consisting of three members of the Senate and three members of the Assembly, which meet with the Board, providing legislative oversight.

The primary responsibilities of the Board are to select, authorize and allocate funds for the purchase of land and waters suitable for recreation purposes and the preservation, protection and restoration of wildlife habitat. The Board approves and funds projects that set aside lands within the State for such purposes, through acquisition or other means, to meet these objectives. The Board can also authorize the construction of facilities for recreational purposes on property in which it has a proprietary interest.

The Wildlife Conservation Board's three main functions are land acquisition, habitat restoration and development of wildlife oriented public access facilities. These activities are carried out under the following programs: