Countywide : D.A. May Get Funds for Wildlife Cases

Because of budget cuts, the Ventura County district attorney’s office has declined for more than a year to prosecute misdemeanor violations filed by state fish and game wardens.

The Ventura County Fish and Game Commission appealed to county officials last week to reconsider the policy, and on Tuesday a prosecutor said a solution may be at hand.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Donald D. Coleman said legislation passed in 1990 allows county wildlife funds--collected in the form of fines from violators--to be used to cover the cost of prosecution.

Appearing before the county Board of Supervisors, Coleman said he hopes to have a funding proposal written early next year. He said the money might be used to pay for a prosecutor who specializes in fish and game cases. The plan would require approval by the supervisors.

In a letter to supervisors last week, Drew Madrigal, chairman of the Fish and Game Commission, complained that prolonged lack of prosecution would deplete the county’s fish and wildlife resources.

“It is our understanding,” he said, “that wardens of the Department of Fish and Game are demoralized to the point that they are reluctant to pursue” Ventura County cases because of the district attorney’s policy.

Frank Anderson, manager of Channel Islands Harbor and executive secretary of the commission, said the panel has not had time to discuss using money from the fund to pay for prosecution.

Such an arrangement probably would deplete the fund, leaving little money for the fish and wildlife projects it now supports.