Legislative Analyst's Office

Analysis of the 2000-01 Budget Bill
Department of Fish and Game (3600)

The budget includes $1.2 million for capital outlay for the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). This amount consists of $667,000 from the Fish and Game Preservation Fund (FGPF) (entirely reimbursed for minor projects), $375,000 from the General Fund for two major projects, $40,000 from the Fish and Wildlife Pollution Account, and $93,000 of federal funds for minor projects.

Schaeffer Fish Barrier Reconstruction

We withhold recommendation on $66,000 for working drawings for this project pending receipt of the preliminary design study and preliminary plans. (Withhold recommendation on Item 3600-301-0001 [1].)

The budget provides $66,000 for working drawings for the Schaeffer Fish Barrier Reconstruction. The future cost is $1.8 million for construction. No preliminary plans have been funded for this project but DFG advises that the Department of Water Resources prepared a preliminary design study. We recommend this study and preliminary plans be available to the Legislature before approving working drawings. Accordingly, we withhold recommendation on this item pending receipt of the preliminary design study and preliminary plans.

Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery Structural Retrofit

Recommend $309,000 funding for preliminary plans and working drawings be shifted from the General Fund to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. (Delete $309,000 from Item 3600-301-0001 [2] and add to Item 3600-301-0200, subitem [3] Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery Structural Retrofit--preliminary plans and working drawings, $309,000.)

The Governor's budget includes $309,000 from the General Fund for preliminary plans and working drawings for the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery Structural Retrofit. Provisional language provides this amount shall be a loan to DFG to be repaid from the FGPF as funding becomes available. The future cost is $1.6 million for construction.

The department has provided no information to explain why this expenditure must be funded by a General Fund loan to be repaid with FGPF funds, rather than directly by appropriation from the FGPF. The budget estimates the FGPF will have reserves of $12.4 million in June 2000, and the FGPF has previously been used for capital outlay as well as support funding. Without information showing there will be insufficient funds in the FGPF to fund the work included in the current budget, we recommend the Legislature fund this project from the FGPF rather than the General Fund.


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