Draft plan for Delta tunnel won't meet June deadline [Sacramento Bee]
A draft plan for a massive Delta water diversion will not be completed by the end of June as expected, state officials announced Friday. The news brought a round of finger-pointing by some of the government agencies involved, which seemed to boil down to one key issue: They can't agree what to build….On Thursday, Natural Resources Secretary John Laird wrote to the U.S. Department of Interior to say that a draft plan will not be ready in June. He did not clearly explain the delay but said, "We will soon be able to announce some significant adjustments in the overall program that will reflect our commitment to using the best science."
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/05/4467475/draft-plan-for-delta-tunnel-wont.html#storylink=misearch
Water's rising value: MID weighs lucrative deals against ag concerns [Modesto Bee]
San Francisco has put a price — an astoundingly high price — on water that flows cheaply through Modesto Irrigation District canals….This small sale, and the prospect of a much larger amount sold in the future, has stoked plenty of debate since the district revealed the plans in the fall….But one point is beyond dispute: Water has become a commodity that can be bought and sold across an often thirsty state. Suppliers that long have served nearby farmers today receive lucrative offers from other places.
http://www.modbee.com/2012/05/05/2188509/waters-rising-valueirrigation.html
Mass spraying for citrus pest unlikely, experts say [Ventura County Star]
Ventura County residents nervous that the new threat to citrus crops may again prompt mass pesticide spraying can be reassured it's unlikely, state agriculture experts say. And the need to spray chemicals to eliminate the insect that carries the citrus greening disease Huanglongbing, known as HLB, might not arise countywide if people avoid helping the disease spread, the experts say….If county residents want to reduce the need for pesticides, they must stop habits that spread the pests and disease, citrus growers and agriculture experts say. "The psyllid moves if you buy a tree," Batkin said. "If you live in Ventura County, don't go down to L.A. County and buy a tree. If people continue to do that, they will find psyllids."
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/06/mass-spraying-for-citrus-pest-unlikely-experts/
Cattle futures rebounding from mad cow, 'pink slime' [Wall Street Journal]
U.S. cattle futures are starting to rebound from a spate of bad news in the beef industry, including a case of mad-cow disease and controversy over an additive derided as "pink slime." Live-cattle futures have climbed 3% since late last month, when rumors of the discovery of mad-cow disease in the U.S. jolted markets a few hours before government officials confirmed the case. Futures have risen from the April 24 low of $1.1157 a pound thanks to an uptick in demand for beef from U.S. consumers, strong export sales and tight domestic cattle supplies.
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Editorial: Wildlife Services needs a tight leash [Sacramento Bee]
…This agency needs scrutiny – a task for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee….Local communities also should examine their relationship with federal predator control. For example, the Marin County Board of Supervisors ended its contract in favor of a policy using lethal methods only as a last resort after nonlethal methods were unsuccessful. That county now has a program, using funds that used to go to the federal agency, to assist ranchers with guard dogs, llamas, fencing, lambing sheds and shepherding. Losses have declined….Perhaps it is time for DeFazio to revive his 1998 bill that would have cut all federal funding for lethal predator control.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/06/4467305/wildlife-services-needs-a-tight.html#storylink=misearch
Editorial: Immigration and the need for workers [Santa Maria Times]
…Growers are worried. If states continue to get tough on illegal workers, the nation’s food supply and our grocery budgets will suffer. Already, data indicates the flow of illegal workers into this country has slowed dramatically in recent years because of the recession — there are fewer jobs and less money to be made here — and harvesting has suffered. Locally, experts say there simply are not enough native-born workers willing to fill the jobs that would be left behind if illegal workers are chased out….What we need, according to the Grower-Shipper Association official, is an agricultural worker guest program, allowing workers to enter this country with a work visa, do their job and return home. If one of those workers chooses to stay, he or she can get involved in a program leading to citizenship. We agree, and it seems to us that such policy should be created and carried out by the federal government, not by a patchwork of varying state policies. Unfortunately, we don’t see any politicians willing and able to create that policy, especially in a big election year.
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