The California Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) draft Wildlife Action Plan will be available for public review and comment until June 18. Three meetings are scheduled in early June to provide information about the plan and to solicit public comment. The plan, created in cooperation with the Wildlife Health Center at UC Davis, is available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/habitats/wdp. Comments may be provided via email through this Web site or regular mail sent to: Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife Action Plan Comments, 1416 ??Ninth St., 12th Floor, Sacramento, 95814.

DFG has scheduled meetings in Redding, Sacramento, and Riverside where an overview of the plan will be provided. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and make comments at the meetings. Meeting times and locations are:

?Ģ Sacramento ??? Tuesday, June 6, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the East End Building, 1500 Capitol Avenue. ?Ģ Redding ??? Wednesday, June 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Veteran's Hall, 1605 Yuba Street. ?Ģ Riverside ??? Thursday, June 8, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hunt Park Community Center, 4015 Jackson Street. Questions regarding the review process, comment submission or the public meetings may be directed to a voicemail line at (916) 651-0603.

Each state has been asked to develop a wildlife action plan, (known technically as a comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy), to examine the status of wildlife conservation and prescribe actions to conserve wildlife and vital habitats before they become too rare and costly to protect. These plans are directly linked to the State Wildlife Grant program that Congress created to provide essential funding for priority wildlife conservation. California currently receives these federal funds and is using them for critical wildlife conservation efforts. California's action plan identifies five key issues: 1) integrating wildlife conservation into local land-use decisions; 2) restoring and conserving riparian habitats; 3) providing essential water for wildlife; 4) controlling invasive species; 5) and expanding conservation education.