10500-10514
FISH AND GAME CODE
SECTION 10500-10514
10500. Except under a permit or specific authorization, it is unlawful to do any of the following: (a) To take or possess any bird or mammal, or part thereof, in any game refuge. (b) To use or have in possession in a game refuge, any firearm, BB device as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 12001 of the Penal Code, crossbow, bow and arrow, or any trap or other contrivance designed to be, or capable of being, used to take birds or mammals, or to discharge any firearm or BB device or to release any arrow or crossbow bolt into any game refuge. (c) To take or possess any species of fish or amphibian, or part thereof, in any fish refuge, or to use or have in possession in that refuge any contrivance designed to be used for catching fish. (d) To take or possess any bird in, or to discharge any firearm or BB device, or to release any arrow or crossbow bolt within or into, any waterfowl refuge. (e) To take or possess any quail in a quail refuge. (f) To take or possess any invertebrate or specimen of marine plant life in a marine life refuge. (g) To take or possess any clam in a clam refuge or to possess in such a refuge any instrument or apparatus capable of being used to dig clams. 10500. Except under a permit or specific authorization, it is unlawful to do any of the following: (a) To take or possess any bird or mammal, or part thereof, in any game refuge. (b) To use or have in possession in a game refuge, any firearm, BB device as defined in Section 16250 of the Penal Code, crossbow, bow and arrow, or any trap or other contrivance designed to be, or capable of being, used to take birds or mammals, or to discharge any firearm or BB device or to release any arrow or crossbow bolt into any game refuge. (c) To take or possess any species of fish or amphibian, or part thereof, in any fish refuge, or to use or have in possession in that refuge any contrivance designed to be used for catching fish. (d) To take or possess any bird in, or to discharge any firearm or BB device, or to release any arrow or crossbow bolt within or into, any waterfowl refuge. (e) To take or possess any quail in a quail refuge. (f) To take or possess any invertebrate or specimen of marine plant life in a marine life refuge. (g) To take or possess any clam in a clam refuge or to possess in such a refuge any instrument or apparatus capable of being used to dig clams. 10501. Before the commission opens any game refuge for the taking of deer, a public hearing shall be held at which at least one member of the commission shall be in attendance and such officers and employees of the department as are deemed necessary or are requested by interested parties, notice of which has been published at least once and at least 30 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation which is printed and published in the county, or one of the counties, in which the area lies. If there is no newspaper of general circulation in any such county, the notice shall be published in such newspaper of general circulation as the commission determines will be most likely to give notice to the inhabitants of the area and such determination by the commission shall be final and conclusive. 10501.5. (a) It is unlawful to fly any aircraft, including any airplane or helicopter, less than 3,000 feet above water or land over the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, and less than 1,000 feet above water or land over the A:o Nuevo State Reserve, the Farallon Islands Game Refuge, the Point Lobos State Reserve, the California Sea Otter Game Refuge, and Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, and San Nicolas Islands, except for rescue operations, in case of any emergency, or for scientific or filmmaking purposes under a permit issued by the department after a review of potential biological impacts. (b) This section does not apply to the landing of any aircraft, including any airplane or helicopter, on Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, and Farallon Islands for administrative or operational purposes of the National Park Service, the United States Navy, or the United States Coast Guard. 10502. The commission may: (a) Exercise control over all mammals and birds in any game refuge, and exercise control over all fish in any fish refuge. (b) Authorize the department to issue, under such restrictions as it may deem best, permits which authorize the person named therein to carry, use, and possess within any refuge, firearms, traps or other contrivances for taking birds, mammals, fish, or amphibia. (c) Except as provided in Sections 10502.5, 10502.8, 10655, and 10657, authorize the department to issue permits which shall authorize the person named therein to take birds, mammals, fish, and amphibia within any refuge. (d) Make additional regulations not in conflict with any law for the protection of birds, mammals, fish, amphibia, and marine life within any refuge. 10502.5. The director may appoint the Director of the Hopkins Marine Life Refuge. The Director of the Hopkins Marine Life Refuge may issue a permit to any person under which the person may enter the Hopkins Marine Life Refuge for the purpose of taking fish or marine plants under the conditions that the department determines necessary for the protection and propagation of fish and wildlife and related scientific purposes in that refuge. 10502.6. (a) The director may appoint a Director of the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no state funds, including, but not limited to, the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, shall be used to pay the compensation or expenses of the Director of the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge. A city, county, or special district may use any funds, including state funds appropriated to the city, county, or special district, to pay the compensation and expenses of the director and a public postsecondary educational institution may use private or state funds to pay the compensation and expenses of the director. (c) The Director of the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge may issue a permit authorizing any person to enter the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge for the purpose of taking fish or marine plants under the conditions that the department determines to be necessary for the protection and propagation of fish and wildlife and related scientific purposes in that refuge. (d) The Director of the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge shall erect and maintain signs identifying the boundaries of the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge. The signs shall contain notification regarding the permit requirements of the refuge. The signs shall specify that an access permit shall be obtained from the Director of the Dana Point Marine Life Refuge and a scientific collector's permit from the department in order to take any fish or specimen of marine plant life. 10502.7. (a) The director may appoint the Director of the Bodega Marine Life Refuge. (b) The Director of the Bodega Marine Life Refuge may authorize any person to enter the Bodega Marine Life Refuge for the purpose of taking fish, invertebrates, or marine plants for scientific study and to take or possess fish, invertebrates, or marine plants for scientific study. (c) The Director of the Bodega Marine Life Refuge may authorize any person to anchor a vessel in the Bodega Marine Life Refuge for the purpose of scientific study. 10502.8. (a) The director may appoint the Director of the Catalina Marine Science Center Marine Life Refuge. (b) The Director of the Catalina Marine Science Center Marine Life Refuge may authorize any person to enter the Catalina Marine Science Center Marine Life Refuge for the purpose of taking fish or marine plants under the conditions that the department determines necessary for the protection and propagation of fish and wildlife and related scientific purposes in that refuge. (c) The Director of the Catalina Marine Science Center Marine Life Refuge, upon recommendation of the Director of the Catalina Marine Science Center, may authorize any person involved in oceanographic and scientific research in and around Santa Catalina Island to anchor or moor a vessel in the Catalina Marine Science Center Marine Life Refuge. 10503. For the purposes of propagating, feeding, and protecting birds, mammals, fish, and amphibia the commission may do all of the following: (a) Accept, on behalf of the state, donations of any interest in lands within any refuge. (b) Accept, on behalf of the state, from any person owning and in possession of patented lands, except lands that are covered and uncovered by the ordinary daily tide of the Pacific Ocean, the right to preserve and protect all birds, mammals, fish, and amphibia on the patented lands. (c) Accept, on behalf of the state, donations of birds, mammals, fish, and amphibia, and of money given or appropriated. Those donations shall be used for the purposes for which they are accepted, and, as nearly as may be, for any purpose indicated by the donor. (d) Acquire, by purchase, lease, rental, or otherwise, and occupy, develop, maintain, use, and administer land, or land and nonmarine water, or land and nonmarine water rights, suitable for state game farms or game refuges. 10504. Any property acquired for game refuges shall be acquired in the name of the State, and shall, at all times, be subject to such regulations as may be prescribed from time to time by the commission for the occupation, use, operation, protection, and administration of such property as game refuges. 10505. The department shall do all things necessary to secure a valid title in the State to the property acquired for game refuges, but no payment shall be made therefor until the title is satisfactory to the Attorney General and is vested in the State. The acquisition of the property by the State is not prohibited by reason of rights of way, easements, or reservations, which, from their nature, in the opinion of the department, will in no manner interfere with the use of the property for the purpose for which it is acquired. 10506. Nothing in this code prohibits the possession of firearms, BB devices as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 12001 of the Penal Code, crossbows and bolts, or bows and arrows by persons when traveling through any game refuges when the firearms are taken apart or encased and unloaded and the bows are unstrung or stored separately from any arrow or bolt. When the traveling is done on a route other than a public highway or other public thoroughfare or right of way, notice shall be given to the department at least 24 hours before that traveling. The notice shall give the name and address of the person intending to travel through the refuge, the name of the refuge, the approximate route, and the approximate time when that person intends to travel through the refuge. 10506. Nothing in this code prohibits the possession of firearms, BB devices as defined in Section 16250 of the Penal Code, crossbows and bolts, or bows and arrows by persons when traveling through any game refuges when the firearms are taken apart or encased and unloaded and the bows are unstrung or stored separately from any arrow or bolt. When the traveling is done on a route other than a public highway or other public thoroughfare or right of way, notice shall be given to the department at least 24 hours before that traveling. The notice shall give the name and address of the person intending to travel through the refuge, the name of the refuge, the approximate route, and the approximate time when that person intends to travel through the refuge. 10507. It is lawful for any person who has given the notice provided for in Section 10506 to transport any bird or mammal, or part thereof, through a game refuge, if lawfully taken outside the refuge, and if the bird or mammal or part thereof is carried openly and during the time between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset. 10508. The department and the district attorney, sheriff, and all peace officers of the county in which any refuge or part thereof is situated, shall enforce all of the provisions of this code relating to such refuge, and institute and assist in prosecutions for violations thereof. 10509. Any refuge designated as a "fish and game refuge" shall be considered, for the purposes of this division, as both a game refuge and a fish refuge. 10510. No specification of an open season in any area authorizes the taking of any bird, mammal, fish or amphibia from any refuge within that area from which the taking is elsewhere in this code prohibited. 10511. Except as they may conflict with refuge provisions, the provisions of this code relating to a particular fish and game district shall apply to each refuge lying wholly, or in major part, within the boundaries of the district. 10512. The department shall cause to be prepared suitable notices to be posted under its direction on each state game refuge, containing a warning to all persons to refrain for the period named therein from violations of the provisions of this chapter relating to state game refuges. 10513. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting or preventing any person from taking birds, mammals, fish, or amphibia from or on navigable water in any state game refuge. 10514. All state game refuges shall, for all purposes of protecting birds, mammals, fish, or amphibia thereon, be under the control and management of the department, and the officers and employees of the department, all game wardens, and law enforcement officers may at all times enter in and upon such refuges in the performance of their duties.