Controlling the movement of people’ for a large number of rural California counties

By Katy Grimes, April 7, 2020 8:40 am

Last week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife delayed opening California’s recreational ocean salmon fishery through the month of April, despite plans made earlier this year for the fishery to open in some locations as early as this Saturday, April 4, because of the state’s “physical distancing requirements.”

The current coronavirus case numbers are:

Today, Charles Bonham, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to postpone the sportfishing season through May in rural areas, the Sacramento Bee reported. “I myself want to go outdoors and recreate, but I’ve decided personally my duty is really to stay home, stay healthy and help save lives,” Bonham said. “On one hand, the outdoors is a place of solace and reinvigoration, for some folks, it’s very spiritual. We need those things in these desperate times. Conversely, if we’re not responsible and thoughtful of how we’re being outside, we can increase the risk in a moment of crisis.”

“This is so extremely stupid I go fishing in the mountains and I do not see anyone for miles,” one man commented on the article. “I am not going out into the mountains to visit people in the country, I am go to go fishing. Totally unnecessary and an abuse of authority!”

California Globe looked at the state County map of COVID-19 cases by KCRA:

• Del Norte County: 2 cases reported, 0 deaths
• Siskiyou County: 4 cases, 0 deaths
• Shasta County: 21 cases, 3 deaths
• Humbolt County: 49 cases, 0 deaths
• Mendocino County: 4 cases, 0 deaths
• Tehama County: 1 case, 0 deaths
• Plumas County: 3 cases, 0 deaths
• Butte County: 12 cases, 0 deaths
• Glenn County: 2 cases, 0 deaths
• Lake County: 1 case, 0 deaths
• Colusa County: 2 cases, 0 deaths
• Yuba County: 11 cases, 0 deaths
• Sutter County: 16 cases, 2 deaths

Southern CA Rural Counties show far more cases and deaths:

• Inyo County: 11 cases, 0 deaths
• Tulare County: 135 cases, 6 deaths
• San Bernardino County: 530 cases, 16 deaths
• Riverside County: 946 cases, 25 deaths
• Imperial County: 68 cases, 3 deaths

“Increased and irresponsible public usage of public lands by those who either ignore or misunderstand the orders put forth by public health officials … is creating unique challenges,” Staci Heaton, of the Rural County Representatives of California, said in a letter to Bonham.

“Heaton noted that rural communities are particularly at risk of being overwhelmed by a surge in COVID-19 patients. Many small hospitals have just a handful of ventilators necessary to keep patients breathing, and they are particularly at risk of having a shortage of healthcare workers should they start to come down with symptoms of the disease.”

RCRC’s mission is: “RCRC provides the rural county perspective on a myriad of issues during the legislative and regulatory process, including land use, water and natural resources, housing, transportation, wildfire protection policies, and health and human services. The core of RCRC’s mission is to improve the ability of small, rural California county government to provide services by reducing the burden of state and federal mandates, and promoting a greater understanding among policy makers about the unique challenges that face California’s small population counties.”

With the significantly greater number of cases and deaths in the southern region, the focus should be on those rural areas rather than shutting down the entire parts areas of the state to sport fishermen.  This is bureaucracy and command and control at its ugliest.