Extension of Emergency Regulations Regarding the Recreational Take of Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) and Lingcod

2025121194

California Fish and Game Commission (CDFGC)

NOE - Notice of Exemption

12/30/2025

12/30/2025

Melissa Miller-Henson

California Fish and Game Commission

Executive Director

Lead/Public Agency

PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

(916) 653-4899

Melissa.Miller-Henson@fgc.ca.gov

State ocean waters

Categorical Exemption

Title 14, sections 15307 and 15308

At its December 2025 meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) took final action under the California Fish and Game Code and the Administrative Procedure Act with respect to the above-named project. In taking its final action for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.), the Commission adopted amendments to sections 1.91, 27.25, 27.30, 27.35, 27.40 and 28.55 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) (“Project”), relying on the categorical exemptions for “Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources” and “Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment” contained in CEQA Guidelines sections 15307 and 15308 (class 7 and 8 categorical exemptions in CCR, Title 14). Class 7 and 8 categorical exemptions apply to agency actions to protect natural resources and the environment. The extension of the emergency regulations maintains the removal of unneeded depth constraints that were put in place to protect quillback rockfish north of Point Conception (34°27’ N. lat.). The previous unwarranted restrictions highly constrained and concentrated recreational fishing access and efforts to a limited area of the state’s waters. The readopted regulations maintain the removal of these unneeded constraints, thereby alleviating this risk of redirection of recreational fishing efforts and pressure on RCG and lingcod stock in both federal and state waters. Based upon an updated and more robust understanding of the stock, the depth restrictions are no longer warranted. Adoption of scientifically based seasons, depth constraints, and other management measures provides for the protection of populations of quillback rockfish and other RCG species and lingcod to ensure their continued existence. The readopted regulations continue to implement a sub-bag limit for canary rockfish and clarify sunset rockfish limits which also serve to protect these rockfish species. Overall, the actions continue the preservation of natural resources and the protection of the environment. No Exceptions to Categorical Exemptions Apply 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, subsections (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 2 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 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, subsections (b) through (f) exist, none of the exceptions to the Class 7 and Class 8 categorical exemptions apply.