The California Department of Fish and Wildlife manages more than 1.1 million acres. State law authorizes the establishment and imposition of an entrance-of-use fee, called a Lands Pass.
The CDFW charges a Lands Pass fee for visitors to certain areas who do not possess a hunting, fishing or trapping license. For 2016, a daily Lands Pass costs $4 and an annual pass is $22.50.
The Lands Pass applies to only seven CDFW areas. The closest to Idyllwild is the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, located between the Ramona Expressway and Gilman Springs Road. The other six areas are the Gray Lodge, Grizzly Island, Los Banos, Imperial, Elkhorn Slough and Upper Newport Bay wildlife areas.
At its June 23 meeting, the state Fish and Game Commission will discuss expanding the Land Pass program to 28 other areas. At the August meeting, the commission will vote on adopting regulations to expand the program.
The additional 28 areas arew Ash Creek, Bass Hill, Battle Creek, Butte Valley, Cache Creek, Crescent City Marsh, Eel River, Elk Creek Wetlands, Elk River, Fay Slough, Hollenbeck Canyon, Honey Lake, Hope Valley, Horseshoe Ranch, Lake Earl, Mad River Slough, Mendota, Mouth of Cottonwood Creek, Napa-Sonoma Marshes, North Grasslands, San Felipe Valley, Shasta Valley, South Spit, Tehama, Upper Butte Basin, Volta, Willow Creek and Yolo Bypass wildlife areas, and Batiquitos Lagoon, Boden Canyon, Bolsa Chica, Buena Vista Lagoon, Canebrake, North Table Mountain, San Elijo Lagoon and Woodbridge ecological reserves.
