O’Connell Named to Conservation Board

State Sen. Jack O’Connell on Wednesday was appointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board, an arm of the state Department of Fish and Game that buys land for wildlife protection and outdoor recreation.

O’Connell (D-Santa Barbara) said he is honored to be “appointed to this prestigious board,” which “has a key role to play in preserving and enhancing our precious natural resources for the use of future generations.

O’Connell is one of three senators who will sit on the nine-member board, which evaluates properties to be preserved as wildlife refuges or developed into game farms, fish hatcheries or other recreational uses.

In 1992, for instance, the board helped finance the renovation of the historic Ventura Pier. O’Connell’s district encompasses the western and northern portions of Ventura County, including the cities of Ojai, Santa Paula and Ventura.

Senate Pro Tem Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward), who appointed O’Connell to the board, praised his colleague as “a leader in efforts to preserve valuable wild lands and other resources in California.”