New law creates a dedicated fund for Type A and Type B wildlife areas and strengthens the connection between hunting-generated revenue and management of public hunting lands
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1987 into law on September 30, 2026, approving legislation aimed at directing revenue generated through public hunting programs back toward the wildlife areas where those programs operate. The bill was authored by Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and Heather Hadwick and passed both houses of the Legislature without opposition.
For California hunters, the most significant provision is the creation of the Waterfowl Management Areas Operations and Maintenance Fund. Under the new law, revenue from waterfowl hunting reservation applications and daily and season-long entry passes for Type A and Type B Wildlife Areas must be deposited into the new fund. Once appropriated by the Legislature, that money is to be used for operation and maintenance of those wildlife areas and reasonable administrative costs directly associated with their public hunting programs.
Importantly, the legislation says this funding is intended to augment rather than replace existing spending on Type A and Type B wildlife areas. That provision is designed to keep hunter-generated revenue from simply substituting for money already being spent on these areas.
Agricultural Revenue Stays Connected to Wildlife Lands
AB 1987 also changes how revenue from agricultural leases on CDFW-managed lands is used. CDFW sometimes leases portions of wildlife areas for compatible agricultural activities such as grazing or farming. Under the new law, money generated by those leases will continue to be deposited into the Wildlife Restoration Fund or Fish and Game Preservation Fund, but, once appropriated, it must be used for the management, maintenance, restoration and operation of department-managed lands.
That can matter directly to hunters. Agricultural activities on wildlife areas can play a role in habitat management, particularly on properties managed for waterfowl and other game species, while revenue generated from those lands can help support roads, wetlands, facilities, habitat work and other management needs.
Hunters Get More Input on Wetland Conditions
The legislation also expands the annual opportunity for hunters to provide input on CDFW public hunting programs.
Existing law requires CDFW to give licensed hunters an opportunity to comment on public hunting programs and anticipated habitat conditions on Type A and Type B wildlife areas. AB 1987 specifically adds anticipated wetland flood-up conditions to the subjects on which hunters can provide comments and recommendations.
For waterfowl hunters, flood-up timing can be especially important. Water availability and the timing of flooded habitat can substantially affect where birds concentrate and what conditions hunters encounter when wildlife areas open for the season.
More Flexibility for Conservation Partnerships
AB 1987 also expressly allows CDFW to enter into contracts or agreements with qualified nonprofit conservation organizations and resource conservation districts for the management and operation of department-managed lands.
Those agreements must remain consistent with approved management plans and with the purposes for which the lands were acquired. Changes to management plans would remain subject to public review and comment.
The law also protects existing cooperative agreements and partnerships entered into before January 1, 2027, including programs involving restoration, education and public access.
More Accountability for Where the Money Goes
Another notable provision requires CDFW to report to the Legislature by October 1, 2033 on expenditures associated with department-managed lands.
The report must include annual spending on operations, maintenance, administration and hunting or public-use programs for fiscal years 2026–27 through 2031–32. It must also identify revenue sources—including the new Waterfowl Management Areas Operations and Maintenance Fund and agricultural leases—and provide expenditures by location.
That should provide hunters and lawmakers with a clearer picture of how much money is generated through these programs and how it is ultimately spent on individual wildlife areas.
What AB 1987 Means for California Hunters
AB 1987 does not create new hunting seasons, change bag limits or open additional wildlife areas to hunting. Its effect is primarily on how California manages and funds the public lands and hunting programs already operated by CDFW.
For hunters who use California’s Type A and Type B wildlife areas—particularly waterfowl hunters—the central change is straightforward: money generated through waterfowl reservations and entry passes will now have a dedicated accounting structure intended to support the operation and maintenance of those wildlife areas rather than being mixed more broadly with other funding.
Governor Newsom signed AB 1987 on September 30, one day after the Legislature’s 2025–26 regular session concluded its final round of legislation.
Hunterizer Helps You Know What Is Open Before You Hunt
Funding and maintaining California’s wildlife areas is one part of providing hunting opportunity; knowing what you can legally hunt, where and when is another. California’s overlapping seasons, hunting zones, wildlife areas, weapon restrictions, shooting hours and species-specific regulations can make planning a hunt complicated.
The Hunterizer app helps California hunters quickly see what species are open at their location and date, along with season dates, zones, legal weapons, bag limits, shooting hours and other important hunting regulations. Before heading to a wildlife area or planning your next hunt, check Hunterizer to see what is currently open and which rules apply where you are hunting.
