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<br />11.A .5 <br /> <br />REPORT <br /> <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />April 24, 2000 <br /> <br />Subject <br />Report on Waterfowl Hunting Overview. <br /> <br />Recommendation <br />This report is for informational purposes only and no recommendation is made. <br /> <br />Background <br />The history of the ordinance allowing waterfowl hunting predates much of the residential <br />development in the Redwood Shores area. Redwood City Code 37.8, established in 1974, <br />regulates the discharge of firearms within the city limits. The ordinance was amended in 1975, <br />allowing the hunting of waterfowl to licensed hunters during waterfowl season in accordance with <br />State and Federal regulations. Hunting is allowed within submerged lands and tidelands of the San <br />Francisco Bay. There are several geographical areas within the city limits in which hunting is not <br />allowed. Relative to Redwood Shores, these areas include Steinberger Slough, Belmont Slough, <br />Smith Slough, most of Corkscrew Slough, and Redwood Creek. In addition, hunting is prohibited <br />within 500 yards of a residential or industrial building and within 500 yards of a marked navigational <br />channel. <br /> <br />According to California Department of Fish & Game, Bair Island is a State Ecological Reserve, and <br />as such, hunting is prohibited on that land. Some portions of Bair Island are also Federal WIldlife <br />Refuge property on which hunting is prohibited. <br /> <br />The remaining area within the boundaries of Redwood City that currently allows waterfowl hunting <br />are as follows: State of Cal!fornia controlled waterways located on the San Francisco Bay side of <br />Bair Island which do not fall under any of the above listed restrictions. The area would begin 500 <br />yards from the nearest residential or industrial building and extend east to the Federal WIldlife <br />property along Redwood Creek. <br /> <br />The California Waterfowl Association was contacted for input on this report. The position of the <br />Association is to support and preserve any waterfowl hunting opportunities within the San Francisco <br />Bay. <br /> <br />Experts familiar with shotguns report that the range for a shotgun pellet used to kill waterfowl to be <br />effective is approximately 50 yards. None of these pellets travel more than 100 yards in the air. <br /> <br />Duck hunting is a seasonal sport and most recently was allowed from October 16, 1999 to January <br />23,2000. Each season is different and the exact dates are not generally known until approximately <br />two weeks before the actual season opens. The reason for this uncertainty is based on the <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />r"~J <br />