Exhibit_A.docx

Exhibit A – Inland Selection of Regulations Description of existing GIS data representing fishing regulations Two layers of information currently contain features that describe fishing regulations.

· RFRInlandLines – 327 features. Name, Category, and Parenthetical fields.

· RFRInlandPolygons – 298 features. Name, Category, and Parenthetical fields.

Information in both layers accumulated over a long period of time by the efforts of multiple staff members. Originally, features describing regulations for trout, salmon, and black bass (sections 5.00, 7.00, 7.40, 7.50) were created to a seemingly high standard of quality but for no clearly articulated uses. The regulations that define these features are generally referred to as ‘special waters’. Special waters include exceptions to statewide regulations and are generally displayed by regulation parenthetical value as clearly defined seasons, gear restrictions, bag limits and size limits presented in tables. The features themselves represent lakes, and stream reaches but also polygons of tributary areas. About 7 years ago, a web application called sportfishingregs was created to present regulations indexed geographically by these special waters to the public.

The sportfishingregs web application never displayed these features. Rather, a pre-processed table created by GIS overlay correlated a special water feature’s regulation parenthetical value with a HUC 12 ID. The sportfishingregs web application intersected a user defined point with the HUC 12 layer, obtained selected HUC IDs, and then looked up all the parenthetical values it touched in the pre-processed table. An application-in-memory copy of the California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations pamphlet provided detail about all the parenthetical values captured. Regulation display formatting mimicked the pamphlet.

Currently, rather than preprocess HUC 12 ID/regulation parenthetical spatial correlations, we use a 5-mile buffer around a user defined location to intersect the regulation features directly. We also maintain the traditional display formatting of the pamphlet. The idea is to aid the user’s search by providing a geographical indexing method. The regulation information is displayed verbatim. No analysis or summary of regulation information is made.

In the past several years more geographic features have been added to the regulation layers with the intended use of aiding in this indexing process. We do not draw the regulation features. Features created for all sections excluding 5.00, 7.00, 7.40, and 7.50 cannot be considered for uses beyond the intended use of geographic indexing for large, buffered selections.

Recommendations for use of GIS Regulations data in the RFR project It is important that the limits of our GIS data are understood by everyone involved in the RFR Mobile application project. I recommend the following cautions apply moving forward.

Originally, the GIS data for sections 5.00, 7.00, 7.40, and 7.50 had no defined intended use case. However, they are good candidates for promotion to an enhanced, point tolerance selection process. A thorough review must be undertaken of each feature before such promotion. Current quality is likely suitable for application development purposes. A review of quality must be undertaken before production delivery to the public.

Additionally, regulation information for sections 5.00, 7.00, 7.40, and 7.50 is already presented in a manner desired for the RFR project. Presentation of regulations focusses upon seasons, gear restrictions, and bag limits. No interpretation or analysis is necessary to create RFR rules which link to the geographies beyond the content as stated.

Because both geographic quality and language formatting align in concept with the needs of the RFR project, these specific sections may satisfy desired RFR requirements for development. Further quality checks of the GIS data should be undertaken before production deployment.

Minimum suggested list of requirements for RFR Mobile regulation selection and display methods

1. The map in RFR Mobile must provide 2 regulation selection and display modes:

a. Pamphlet Mode

b. Rule-Based Mode

2. Pamphlet Mode

a. Present the map at small scale with basemap only.

b. Present CA_Streams and CA_Lakes features and labels at appropriate large scales.

c. Allow user selection of any location on the map.

d. Respond to user input with addition of a point graphic and a 5-mile buffer graphic to the map.

e. Present all captured fishing regulations in traditional pamphlet format.

3. Rule-Based Mode

a. For sections 5.00, 7.00, 7.40, and 7.50 all seasons, gear restrictions, bag limits, and size limits must be entered into rfr.wildlife.ca.gov as:

i. Fishery Season Rules

ii. Take Method Rules

iii. Bag Limit Rules

iv. Size Limit Rules

b. Present the map at small scale with basemap only.

c. Present CA_Streams and CA_Lakes features and labels at appropriate large scales.

d. Allow user selection of water body on map.

e. Respond to user input with addition of a point graphic.

f. Present selected water body information

i. Including stream reach definition if the feature is a stream.

ii. List of rules entered as rules in the RFR database.

iii. Group rules under species they apply to.

4. Some ways of blending these two approaches need to be developed.

5. Allow the Rule-Based Mode to apply to more sections as improvements in data quality and rule entry commence.

6. Queries on Fisheries Season Rules may color code or otherwise include or omit relevant regulations for presentation.

7. Drawing of GIS regulation features on the map can be achieved only after each feature is reviewed thoroughly for accuracy.

8. The drawing of GIS regulation information if desired after quality is assured will need to be strategized for optimal communication. Many features overlap.