(a)
The Legislature finds and declares that the department continues to be inadequately funded to meet its mandates. While revenues have been declining, the department’s responsibilities have increased in order to protect public trust resources in the face of increasing population and resource management demands. The department’s revenues have been limited due to a failure to maximize user fees and inadequate non-fee-related funding. The limited department revenues have resulted in the inability of the department to effectively provide all of the programs and activities required under this code and to manage the wildlife resources held in trust by the department for the people of the state.
(b)
The Legislature further finds and declares that the department has been largely supported by fees paid by those who utilize the resources held in trust by the department. It is the intent of the Legislature that, to the extent feasible, the department should continue to be funded by user fees. All fees collected by the department, including, but not limited to, recreational hunting and fishing licenses, landing taxes, commercial licenses, permits and entitlements, and other fees for use of the resources regulated or managed by the department, are user fees. To the extent that these fees are appropriated through the Budget Act for the purposes for which they are collected to provide services to the people of the State of California, these user fees are not subject to Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.
(c)
The Legislature further finds and declares that user fees are not sufficient to fund all of the department’s mandates. To fulfill its mandates, the department must secure a significant increase in reliable funding, in addition to user fees.