Brown
enters hostile territory to push controversial water plan [Sacramento Bee]
Gov.
Jerry Brown knew the room was against him when he showed up for a farm show
here Wednesday. But Brown has a controversial water project to promote and is
trying to make inroads in rural California. He put on a flannel shirt and
opened with a joke. "I checked out the voting history of Colusa
County," Brown said. Not only has the county opposed the Democratic
governor every time he has been on a ballot, Brown said, but it overwhelmingly
voted against a similar, unsuccessful, water plan Brown championed when he was
governor before, in 1982….Brown said there are deep divisions "between
north and south, between farmers and environmentalists, between people living
in the Delta and people living ... further down south. But I intend to meet
with all the groups, conduct a very intensive, prolonged and complete effort of
involvement and listening and taking into account what people suggest."
Valley
refuge plan sparks opposition [Stockton Record]
Local
water districts have joined farmers in resisting the proposed expansion of a
national wildlife refuge, claiming it will split the Valley in two and cut off
access to a 40-mile stretch of the San Joaquin River. "Essentially, the
federal government will have their own territory in the middle of California
... usurping the right of Californians to use the San Joaquin River as they see
fit," the Tracy-area Banta-Carbona Irrigation District and two Stanislaus
County districts wrote in a recent comment letter. The expansion equates to
"nationalizing" one of California's major rivers, the districts
wrote….The critical comments come two years after Fish and Wildlife first
proposed lengthening the existing San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge
west of Modesto to the south and north. In the north, the refuge would extend
into San Joaquin County - the first such refuge in a county rich with rivers
and wildlife. The feds would buy land from willing sellers along the river,
slowly restoring riparian habitat over a period of many decades.
New
diesel emission rules will be aired at logging conference [Redding Record
Searchlight]
State
air officials could get an earful Saturday at the Sierra-Cascade Logging
Conference in Anderson. Representatives from the California Air Resources Board
(CARB) will talk to loggers and farmers about new off-road diesel vehicle
regulation standards that start taking effect next year. “It’s something that
affects a lot of vehicles we have on the road right now,” conference spokesman
Mike Quinn said, adding the rules are a threat to an already-fragile economy.
Calif.
officials to research coyote hunting laws [Associated Press]
The
state game commission on Wednesday declined to intervene in a controversial
coyote hunting contest, although members did ask for a legal opinion on whether
the board has authority to regulate contests in the future. Hunters are set to
fan across Modoc County on Saturday and Sunday to see who can kill the most
coyotes in a contest sponsored by a gun club. The winner will get a silver belt
buckle. Animal welfare advocates argued before the Fish and Game Commission
that the hunt is inhumane, and wanton slaughter is contrary to scientific
wildlife management practices that show the predators play an important
vermin-control role in the ecosystem.
Lunny
continues legal fight to halt shut down Point Reyes oyster farm [Marin
Independent Journal]
The
owner of the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. said Wednesday he will appeal a decision to
deny an injunction that would have kept his operation open past March. Kevin
Lunny will appeal a decision issued Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne
Gonzalez Rogers. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will take up the case.
"We continue to be grateful for the outpouring of support from our
community," he said. "We have had time to weigh our options
carefully, and have decided to appeal the judge's decision."
Commentary: Ag-worker bill
needed for Valley farming [Fresno Bee]
…It
is believed that 85% of California's farm labor is done by illegal aliens with
counterfeit documents. Some members of Congress insist that farmers should be
forced to use E-Verify to weed out the illegal aliens. They say that once the
illegals are gone, they will consider voting for an agricultural-worker
program. These members of Congress would destroy Valley agriculture to satisfy
constituents in non-farming districts who don't understand the issue….An
agricultural worker bill is needed because there is only one Central Valley
vineyard with volunteer labor. Growers need a dependable source of labor at
harvest time or an entire crop will be lost. This need is recognized by
President Barack Obama and by the bipartisan group of senators advocating
immigration reform. So, what is the problem?…During the amnesty program 25
years ago, Central California had more applicants than the entire state of
Florida. Fresno is ground zero for farm jobs. We need an agricultural-worker
bill before making E-Verify mandatory.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/02/06/3164014/don-riding-ag-worker-bill-needed.html#storylink=misearch
Ag
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