Valley farmers taking measures to curb metal theft [Fresno Bee]
California farmers are laying down spike strips and forming agricultural watch groups as ways to battle metal theft, several growers testified Friday during an informational state Senate hearing in Fresno.
Sens. Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, and Anthony Canella, R-Ceres, held the meeting as part of the Senate Committee on Agriculture… Canella said at least five bills have been introduced that deal with cracking down on metal theft. Although California has created laws to combat metal theft, including a bill authored by Berryhill that makes it tougher to recycle metal, the problem continues and may be getting worse… Agricultural-crime detectives said the punishment for stealing metal is not severe enough. If a criminal steals something valued at less than $950, it is a misdemeanor.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/05/19/2842707/valley-farmers-taking-measures.html
Mad-Cow Quarantines Lifted at Two Dairies [Associated Press]
Quarantines were lifted on two Central California dairies associated with a case of mad-cow disease after investigators found no link between the illness and food the diseased bovine might have consumed, federal officials said Friday. Tests performed by the World Organization for Animal Health also confirmed what U.S. labs had found: The cow had a random mutation of the illness that was unlikely to affect other cows in the herd… "If that's true, then it's even more important to increase surveillance since the feed ban could not be expected to prevent future cases," said Dr. Michael Greger, director of public health and animal agriculture with the Humane Society of the United States. He said adopting the European model of testing all older cattle, or the Japanese model of testing every cow slaughtered for human consumption would add mere pennies per pound of beef sold and lower the risk of human cases of the fatal disease.
Legal threat, foes force MID to hold off on SF water sale vote [Modesto Bee]
Facing the threat of legal action by the city of Modesto and strong opposition from others, the Modesto Irrigation District has canceled Tuesday's planned vote on a water sale to San Francisco. The district announced Friday that the sale would be delayed while contract talks with San Francisco resume. MID spokeswoman Melissa Williams said she could not say exactly what details are being reconsidered.
Critics have said the draft contract had no protections during drought for farmers or the city, which provides treated MID water to homes and businesses.
http://www.modbee.com/2012/05/18/2206087/modesto-irrigation-district-postpones.html
Wine, ag prepare for new erosion regulations [North Bay Business Journal]
State water-quality regulators are developing new rules that would require North Coast agricultural property owners or operators to develop, follow and update ongoing, multiyear plans for controlling and reversing erosion into ecologically sensitive waterways. San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, which governs activities connected to waterways that flow to the bay, has released a few stakeholder drafts so far, most recently in February, of a conditional waiver of waste discharge requirements for vineyard facilities in the Napa River and Sonoma Creek watersheds… “It’s been through three or four iterations, and it is getting more usable for vineyard owners,” said Scott Greenwood-Meinert, a Fairfield-based attorney with Gaw Van Male and member of the Napa County Farm Bureau’s Natural Resources Committee… Meanwhile, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is developing an agricultural activities permitting program for all the Northern California watersheds that flow to the ocean. The effort began in December with the creation of a stakeholder group of more than 60 regulators, resource agency representatives, agricultural scientists, trade groups, farmers and environmentalists.
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/54463/wine-ag-prepares-for-new-erosion-regulations/
Congressmen call for investigation of Wildlife Services agency [Sacramento Bee]
Two U.S congressmen – one a Republican, the other a Democrat – are calling for a congressional investigation of the federal government's wildlife damage control program. Citing a recent series of articles in The Bee, Reps. John Campbell, R-Irvine, and Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., say they plan to ask Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to conduct a hearing on the federal Wildlife Services program, which specializes in killing animals deemed to be a threat to agriculture, the public and the environment… Peter Orwick, executive director of the American Sheep Industry Association, reacted differently. "I was just very, very disappointed," he said. "It's just rolling out the animal rights agenda and all their unfounded attacks on the agency."
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/20/4502813/congressmen-call-for-investigation.html
Rice country fears it could get rolled in a Delta deal [Sacramento Bee]
California is at war over water, and rice farmers – because they plant and flood more than a half million acres of fields each year – are the state's most conspicuous users of this finite resource. That means they have a big fat target on their backs for anyone who wants to get their hands on more water… By restoring wetlands and building the canal or tunnel, the exporters hope they will obtain federal and state permission to increase overall water diversions. Yet as they make this push, wildlife agencies and environmental groups are pressing for increased flows through the Delta to help smelt, salmon and other fish. If both the exporters and supporters of increased flows prevail, that "extra water" will have to come from somewhere. Rice farmers – and other big water users in Northern California – fear it will come out of their hides.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/20/4500777/stuart-leavenworth-rice-country.html
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