Protected species: take: rough sculpin.

Existing law prohibits the taking or possession of any fully protected fish, except as provided, and designates the rough sculpin as a fully protected fish. The California Endangered Species Act prohibits the taking of an endangered or threatened species, except as specified. The Department of Fish and Wildlife may authorize the take of listed species if the take is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity and the impacts are minimized and fully mitigated. This bill would permit the department to authorize, under the California Endangered Species Act, the take of the rough sculpin (Cottus asperrimus) resulting from impacts attributable to replacing the Spring Creek Bridge in the County of Shasta if certain conditions are satisfied. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 5515 of the Fish and Game Code, proposed by AB 2001 and AB 2488, that would become operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2017, and this bill is chaptered last.