Fish & Wildlife Advisory Commission

Role

The Fish and Wildlife Advisory Commission (FWAC) advises the Board of Supervisors on any matters pertaining to fish and wildlife in the county, including natural habitat, wildlife and general environment. The Commission also makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, consistent with the policies and regulations of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). These recommendations concern expenditures from the County Fish and Game Propagation Fund, created by Fish and Game Code Sections 13003(b) and 13100 for the propagation and conservation of fish and wildlife in the county.  The FWAC is managed in accordance with the following:

Note: This Commission is not part of CDFW.  If you would like to contact a CDFW representative, please call the Bay and Delta Region office at 707-428-2002.  If you would like to report poaching or pollution of waterways, please call the CALTIP hotline at 888-334-2258.

Commission Structure

The Commission consists of ten County residents, with each Supervisor appointing two commissioners. The County staff person assigned to the Commission is Sean Abbey.  If you wish to communicate with someone on the commission, please send an email to FWAC@santacruzcountyca.gov

Current Commissioners - as of May 28, 2024

INCUMBENT/APPOINTEE (District): APPOINTMENT DATE: TERM EXPIRATION DATE:
Sam Adelson (1) June 28, 2022 April 1, 2025
Chris Berry (1) April 13, 2021 April 1, 2025
Warren Barry (2) June 13, 2023 April 1, 2025
David Somerton (2) June 11, 2019 April 1, 2025
Susan Elizabeth Alter (3) October 20, 2020 April 1, 2027
Jon Jankovitz (3), Chair January 12, 2021 April 1, 2027
Brooke Sampson (4) August 8, 2023 April 1, 2027
Daniela Suarez (4) August 8, 2023 April 1, 2027
Jenni Gomez (5) October 22, 2019 April 1, 2025
Jen Michelsen (5), Vice-Chair April 16, 2019 April 1, 2025

Regular Meeting Information

Times and dates: The Commission meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each active month:  2024 Meeting Schedule

Location: Solarium Conference Room, at 1060 Emeline Avenue. Members of the public are encouraged to use the remote option via Teams

Agendas: Agendas are publically posted at least 72 hours in advance of meetings and are distributed to all interested parties. Persons wishing to comment on an item should review the Commissions Public Comment Policy  Current and past agendas can all be found through the link below.

Biennial Reports:

Every two years, the Commission submits a biennial report to the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrative Officer. This report highlights the activities, accomplishments and future goals of the Commission.