State
panel vote may clear path for high-speed rail land deals [Fresno Bee]
A
vote today at the state Capitol could clear the way for buying land needed for
high-speed rail right of way through the central San Joaquin Valley. The state
Public Works Board, which includes the directors of the state's Finance,
General Services and Transportation departments, will meet at 10 a.m. to
consider streamlining the purchase of about 1,100 parcels along the California
High-Speed Rail Authority's proposed train route between Madera and
Bakersfield….The Public Works Board is the agency in charge of buying land for
highway projects and other transportation projects in the state. And while the
rail authority, through consultants, expects to negotiate contracts with property
owners along the route, it's formally up to the Public Works Board to consider
every deal….The next key hearing for California high-speed rail is next week in
Sacramento. Opponents of the rail project from Madera, Fresno and Merced
counties are suing the high-speed rail authority over its May approval of the
Merced-to-Fresno portion of the line. A hearing is set for Nov. 16 on their
motion for an injunction to stop the effort in its tracks until the full
lawsuit can be decided next year.
Salton
Sea absent from Feinstein bid for water-project funds [Palm Springs Desert Sun]
The
Salton Sea is absent from a request by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein for more than
$1.3 billion in federal funds for California water projects….The Salton Sea,
California’s largest lake, is slowly dying as its salinity increases. Shrinking
lake levels are expected to dry up even faster by 2018, when a water transfer
deal to San Diego County enters full implementation and the sea’s water supply
via agricultural runoff is reduced….Feinstein’s letter notes her latest
requests are in addition to those she made in a May 2010 letter to the
committee. That longer list of water projects also doesn’t include a request
for Salton Sea funds. All told, some 50 California water projects are listed
without the Salton Sea among them. Feinstein spokesman Tom Mentzer noted that Congress
authorized $30 million for the Salton Sea in the 2007 Water Resources
Development Act, but the money has not been used. A required state and local
match of $10 million was never provided.
Top
food producers laud state's bounty in Modesto summit [Modesto Bee]
Leaders
in food production celebrated the state's bounty Monday while warning that
challenges lie ahead on labor, the environment and other issues. About 135
people turned out at the DoubleTree Hotel in Modesto for the California Food
& Ag Summit, sponsored by Wells Fargo and the accounting firm of Price
Waterhouse Coopers. Farm products brought $43.5 billion in gross income across
the state last year, said Craig McNamara, president of the California State
Board of Food and Agriculture.
Bug
that causes citrus disease found near Escondido [North County Times]
Escondido
officials are warning city residents to carefully inspect citrus trees for
Huanglongbing, a plant disease that kills trees.
Bad
news for salmon: streams warmer and lower [Associated Press]
A
study of mountain streams in the West over the past 60 years finds the hottest
temperatures of summer and the lowest water levels of fall are converging -
which is bad news for salmon. The authors say the convergence gives salmon less
time to recover from the stress of warm water before the stress of low water
hits - 20 to 30 days less time.
Op-Ed: Delusions of Danger
[Slate]
…Pollan
and other pundits are framing California’s vote as a big test for foodies. In
an essay for the New York Times Magazine’s recent food issue, Pollan wrote that
Proposition 37’s outcome will show “whether or not there is a 'food movement'
in America worthy of the name—that is, an organized force in our politics
capable of demanding change in the food system."…Unfortunately, the real
message environmentalists and foodies are sending by coalescing in support of
Proposition 37 is a dangerous one—and not one that will help the food movement
in the long run. That’s because Proposition 37 is predicated on junk science
and blind, simplistic mistrust of multinational corporations….Managing our
global food supply in a sustainable, efficient manner necessarily involves
allowing for both organic and conventional agriculture. But a simplistic,
down-with-industrial-farming chant rings loudly throughout the food movement.
Sure, there are legitimate grievances about the corporate conduct of
multinational food and agricultural companies. But since when is that unique to
big business of any nature? For example, there are compelling social justice
issues related to the making of cell phones and sneakers, but I don’t see
people demonizing Apple’s or Nike’s technological innovations.
Ag
Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for
information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com.
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