Siskiyou supervisors approve consent agenda and ratify data-sharing agreement with state wildlife agency

The Board of Supervisors approved the balance of the consent agenda and ratified a data-sharing agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after brief discussion about county liability.

During the consent discussion, the board removed items 5c and 5d from the consent calendar and a supervisor moved to approve the remaining consent items; the clerk recorded five ayes and the motion carried.

Item 5e, a data-sharing agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, drew specific comment. A supervisor raised concerns about section 7.4, noting the county could be exposed to costs “of up to $25,000” if county personnel were found negligent and argued the county is performing much of the work on “our dime.” The supervisor also emphasized the county should ensure the state is meeting its responsibilities for wolf population management.

After discussion the supervisor moved to approve the agreement and the board seconded and recorded an aye vote to ratify the data-sharing agreement. The board did not alter the agreement on the record.

Why it matters: The data-sharing arrangement formalizes information coordination with the state agency but prompted supervisors to flag financial and operational risk in carrying out interagency activities.

What’s next: The agreement was ratified with the recorded vote; the county will continue to coordinate on wildlife-related data under the terms of the executed agreement.