Governor Jerry Brown recently signed Assembly Bill 120 — a huge victory for the protection of California trout, steelhead and salmon.
CalTrout members responded in large numbers to a Trout Clout alert, bombarding the Governor with emails in support of the measure.
Assembly Bill 120 provides the following:
- Extends the current moratorium on suction dredge mining until June 30, 2016
- Requires that new regulations fully mitigate all identified significant environmental impacts including mobilizing toxic metals like mercury, destroying cultural sites and hurting wildlife
- Requires that permitting fees cover the program’s administrative costs
- Requires approval by the legislature and the Governor for any changes to fee structure for the program.