Recreational Take of Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) and Lingcod Emergency
Summary
SCH Number
2025080695
Public Agency
California Fish and Game Commission
(CDFGC)
Document Title
Recreational Take of Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) and Lingcod Emergency
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/18/2025
Document Description
The emergency regulations restore access to fishing depths that have been closed to recreational fishing for rockfish, cabezon and greenling (RCG) and lingcod since 2023 to avoid encounters with quillback rockfish; set a sub-bag limit for canary rockfish; and add the cryptic-species sunset rockfish to the list of federal groundfish species.The purpose of the project is to restore access to fishing grounds based upon updated scientific stock assessment information for the quillback rockfish stock off California, implement a sub-bag limit for canary rockfish, and add sunset rockfish limits. Overall, the proposed actions preserve natural resources and are protective of the environment.
Contact Information
Name
Melissa Miller-Henson
Agency Name
California Fish and Game Commission
Job Title
Executive Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Del Norte, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Ventura
Regions
Statewide
Other Location Info
California State Ocean Waters
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, sections 15307 & 15308
Reasons for Exemption
Based on review of all available information, the Commission also concluded that the relevant exceptions to categorical exemptions set forth in California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15300.2, subdivisions (b) though (f), do not apply. Cumulative Impacts: The Project presents no risk of cumulative impacts from successive projects of the same type. All fishery management measures that would impact the fisheries affected by this regulation must be consistent with the mandates of the federal Magnuson– Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the state Marine Life Management Act. Both of these statutory schemes require that management measures maintain stock levels that will effectuate optimum yield (OY) and maximum sustainable yield (MSY). These management measures and future management measures will maintain the OY and the MSY to ensure that significant impacts will not occur through continued operation and management of the state nearshore fishery and the federal Pacific coast groundfish fishery. In short, due to federal and state regulation of fishery management for the affected species, there is no risk of cumulative impacts from successive projects of the same type. Significant Effect: There is also no reasonable possibility that the regulations will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances, based on the California Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Berkeley Hillside Preservation v. City of Berkeley. Compared to the activities that fall within Classes 7 and 8 generally, which include natural resource enhancement activities such as the regulatory effort here, there is nothing unusual about the emergency regulations. In addition, even if there were unusual circumstances, no potentially significant effects on either a project-specific or cumulative basis are expected. The emergency regulations are intended to protect RCG and lingcod stocks from experiencing overfishing, localized or otherwise. Scenic Highways: There will be no impacts to scenic resources within designated scenic highways because the action will only affect the marine environment. Hazardous Waste Site: The Project is not located on or near a hazardous waste site that is on a list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the California Government Code because the Project only affects recreational fishing activity in the marine environment. Historic Resources: The Project will not impact the significance of any historic resources because the Project only affects recreational fishing activity in the marine environment. Since none of the circumstances described in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2, subdivisions (b) through (f) exist, none of the exceptions to the Class 7 and Class 8 categorical exemptions apply
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.