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The OWCN is headquartered at the Wildlife Health Center, part of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis.
Staff
OWCN's team includes Director Michael Ziccardi, Response Veterinarian Greg Massey, Volunteer Coordinator Yvette Hernandez, Administrative Coordinator Lavonne Hull and Facilities Coordinator Don Ballard.
Participating Organizations
OWCN includes 26 participating organizations located throughout California. Click here for map of each organization's Web site.
Advisory Bodies
The OWCN has an Advisory Board and a Scientific Advisory Committee.
Other Partners
The OWCN has developed partnerships with stakeholders across the spectrum, ranging from scientists to response veterinarians to policy makers to indistry representatives. It is our belief that we can be most effective in our mission to provide the best possible care to oiled wildlife by including all our partners in our efforts.
Volunteers
Volunteers are trained on a regular basis; the OWCN also welcomes convergent volunteers from the general public in the event of an oil spill. Please see the volunteer page for more information.
Overview/History
Due to the potential risk to California from oil spill events, the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act was passed in 1990. This act required the administrator of California Department of Fish and Game, Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) to establish rescue and rehabilitation stations for aquatic birds, sea otters, and other marine mammals. This legislative mandate was reaffirmed in 1993 when Senate Bill 775 (Watson) was passed. The OWCN is sponsored by OSPR from interest earned on the state's Oil Spill Response Trust Fund, and its management is a collaborative program with the Wildlife Health Center located in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Mission
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network strives to ensure that wildlife exposed to petroleum products in the environment receive the best achievable treatment by providing access to permanent wildlife rehabilitation facilities and trained personnel that are maintained in a constant state of readiness for oil spill response within California.
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