Report 2018-119 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2018-119: California Department of Fish and Wildlife: It Is Not Fulfilling Its Responsibilities Under the California Environmental Quality Act (Release Date: June 2019)

Recommendation #3 To: Fish and Wildlife, Department of

To ensure that it consistently prioritizes and reviews projects with potentially significant impacts on the environment, the department should develop ongoing training for environmental scientists that covers subjects including the complexities and technical aspects of CEQA review by June 2020.

1-Year Agency Response

The Department has finalized internal Departmentwide Policies for prioritizing CEQA document review and comment and for identifying the Departmentwide expectations for CEQA review and comment. The Department held two training opportunities to review the policy and answer questions from staff, one in January 2020 and one in February 2020. Additionally, the Department has implemented a CEQA Training Policy that formalizes ongoing training requirements for staff working on CEQA relate activities and has made all of the CEQA training materials available to our staff through the Department's CEQA intranet website.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

The department developed a CEQA training policy that includes a requirement for ongoing training.

6-Month Agency Response

The Department has finalized internal departmentwide policies for prioritizing CEQA document review and comment and for identifying the departmentwide expectations for CEQA review and comment. The Department will be holding two training opportunities to review the policy and answer questions from staff, one in January 2020 and one in February 2020. Additionally, the Department has begun an evaluation of the current CEQA training opportunities with the intent of formalizing a standard approach to initial and ongoing CEQA training for Department personnel.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The Department has begun drafting a Departmentwide Policy for prioritizing CEQA document review and comment and the procedures that outline the Departmentwide expectations for CEQA review and comment. Once finalized, the Department intends to begin development of region-specific policies and procedures, as appropriate. The Department has not yet determined whether the new policies and procedures, once final in substance, will need to be promulgated as regulations consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act. Additionally, the Department has begun an evaluation of the current CEQA training opportunities with the intent of formalizing a standard approach to initial and ongoing CEQA training for Department personnel.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2018-119

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.