Golden
to frozen, California faces epic cold snap [Associated Press]
California
was going from cold to colder Friday as a chill expected to bring the biggest
mercury dips in years descended on much of the state….Elsewhere, strawberry
growers covered their crops while San Diego zookeepers turned on heaters for
the chimpanzees. Forecasters warned that a low pressure trough sinking over San
Diego County and parts of neighboring Orange County could keep nightly
temperatures below the freezing point in coastal areas, the low deserts and
inland valleys, threatening orange, avocado orchards and other sensitive
plants. The coldest nights were expected to hit Friday and Saturday. Farmers
were prepared to pull out giant fans to circulate the air and keep it from
settling on their citrus trees, said Eric Larson of the San Diego County Farm
Bureau. Other growers were placing soft cloth over their strawberries and flowers.
The National Weather Service predicted overnight lows in the 20s in the lower
deserts and key citrus-growing regions in the Central Valley, and in the 30s
along the coast.
Environment
and the California budget: Seeking more money and staff for fire prevention and
logging oversight [Contra Costa Times]
When
it comes to the environment, the state budget released Thursday was the first
time in four years that a governor has not proposed closing state parks to save
money.…His budget added 49 new staff members in the state Department of Fish
and Wildlife, the State Water Resources Control Board and other agencies to
increase oversight of logging operations, particularly their impact on erosion
and streams. The new jobs are funded by a 1 percent tax on lumber. The tax,
which will raise about $35 million a year, was approved last year, and
supported by the timber industry, as part of a deal that reduced liability for
timber companies that cause forest fires.…Brown also proposed hiring 65 new
employees in the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, funded by a
controversial fee put in place last year on rural landowners.
Farmers
hope for more water in Success Lake [Fresno Bee]
Success
Dam near Porterville might be allowed to fill up again now that the Army Corps
of Engineers has ruled that the dam is unlikely to collapse in an earthquake.
The Corps came to that conclusion in November. In February, it will announce to
farmers how much water can be stored in the lake this year after several years
of keeping the lake low on purpose. Since 2004, the Corps has kept Success Lake
low for fear an earthquake might rattle the earthen dam so badly it would start
falling apart, potentially sending a flood down the Tule River toward
Porterville.
US
Chamber makes immigration overhaul top priority [Associated Press]
The
president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Thursday that the "door to
the American dream must always remain open" as he announced a broad
coalition of business, labor, faith organizations, law enforcement and ethnic
groups intent on overhauling the nation's immigration system. Tom Donohue
outlined his priorities for immigration legislation and expressed optimism that
after years of ill-fated efforts, there is momentum in the White House and
Congress to tackle the politically charged issue. The backing of the Chamber,
which represents the interests of more than 3 million businesses, is certain to
provide a critical boost to the push for reform against stiff opposition.
Donohue said any legislation should include increased border security,
provisional visas for lesser-skilled workers and expansion of green cards for
foreign nationals who receive advanced degrees from U.S. colleges and
universities. He also favors a national employee verification system, which has
been a contentious issue in the debate.
F.D.A.
warns 2 producers on egg safety [New York Times]
Two
large egg producers have received warning letters from the Food and Drug
Administration, which said they violated a two-year-old rule aimed at
preventing salmonella contamination.During inspections conducted last summer,
the F.D.A. found failures to prevent pests and wildlife from entering barns
housing laying hens, poor record-keeping and other infractions that amounted to
what it called “serious violations” of the rule….Both producers, Midwest
Poultry Services of Mentone, Ind., and SKS Enterprises Inc., in Lodi, Calif.,
failed to comply with plans they had submitted to the agency aimed at
preventing salmonella enteritidis, one of the most common types of salmonella
bacteria, the F.D.A. said. Such plans were required by a rule set out two years
ago.
Editorial: New FDA food safety
rules are a huge step forward [Mercury News]
At
long last, after seven frustrating and sometimes deadly decades of inaction,
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has the power it needs to recall tainted
foods and require common-sense safety measures for farmers and food
manufacturers. But the new food safety rules announced last week won't do much
good if there's no money to enforce them, and therein lies the rub.…California
has a huge stake in Americans' confidence in their food supply because it grows
nearly half of the fruits, nuts and vegetables they eat. Its congressional
delegation should lead the charge to include the FDA funding. Fortunately,
California growers are ahead of the curve. The state's farm industry in 2006
voluntarily adopted a set of practices that largely mirror the new tracking
procedures and safety steps the FDA is calling for.…The vast majority of
growers and processors go out of their way to keep their products safe. The new
rules are needed to deal with those who cut corners, whether to save money or
simply out of carelessness. For them, publishing rules isn't enough. The FDA
will need to monitor compliance. And that takes money.
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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