Bill
to give Coastal Commission power to levy fines is rejected [Los Angeles Times]
The
state Assembly killed a measure Tuesday that would have granted stronger
enforcement powers to the California Coastal Commission. A bill granting the
agency the authority to impose fines on violators failed on a 34-30 vote,
delaying the issue at least until next year….The commission has long sought the
ability to issue fines to start clearing its backlog of more than 1,900
enforcement cases, but it has repeatedly faced opposition from business groups
and agricultural interests that say the agency already wields too much power.
Congress
hits the brakes on immigration reform [Bloomberg Businessweek]
…Earlier
this year, the prospects for immigration reform looked somewhat promising after
the Senate approved a bill with bipartisan backing just six months into the
start of the new Congress. Advocates saw lawmakers’ five-week August recess as
an opportunity to target Republicans in the House while they were at home in
their districts and launch pressure campaigns for a vote this fall….Yet now
that Congress is back from vacation, it’s far from clear the House will do
anything on immigration reform. A welcome-back memo from Majority Leader Eric
Cantor says only that the House “may begin considering” a series of bills a
committee has already passed, none of which include a path to citizenship—which
is the big victory activists are after….Advocates have long known that 2013
would likely be make-or-break for immigration reform because of the perceived
liabilities next year’s midterm elections bring for Republicans who sign on to
a comprehensive overhaul. Getting the job done in September was never the goal,
activists say. October seemed more realistic.
Ag
customer surge concerns Modesto Irrigation District [Modesto Bee]
What
used to be an encouraging sign of more business for water agencies – people
signing up to buy electricity – is starting to scare the Modesto Irrigation
District. That’s because the MID also worries about water supply. And those
recently asking for scads more power, district leaders fear, are using it to
pump – and maybe deplete – groundwater. Growers of 18 million new almond trees
on the county’s east side, most of which don’t have access to canal water, have
put in industrial pumps with a combined capacity of 1,000 horsepower to keep
those trees healthy, just in the MID’s service area. In the past few weeks, the
MID has received requests for electrical service to power additional pumps with
a combined 4,000 horsepower.
Asian
citrus psyllid found in Tulare County [Fresno Bee]
Two
Asian citrus psyllids — one of the citrus industry's most feared pests — have
been found in an east Dinuba neighborhood, making it the third time the bugs
have been caught in Tulare County. The tiny insects were found inside insect
traps hanging on two young citrus trees, said Tom Tucker, assistant agriculture
commissioner in Tulare County. "This comes as a big surprise," Tucker
said. The pest is a major concern among the citrus industry because of its
potential to carry a deadly plant disease known as huanglongbing, or citrus
greening.
Valley
raisin growers could receive record prices for crop [Fresno Bee]
California's
raisin growers are proposing a sliding scale for this year's crop that could
pay growers up to $2,000 a ton — a potential new record for raisins. The
proposal from the Fresno-based Raisin Bargaining Association was delivered to
the industry's packers on Tuesday. The packers have until next Tuesday to
decide on the offer. Glen Goto, RBA's chief executive officer, said the new
approach to pricing is an attempt by the growers to deal with the uncertainty
over the size of this year's crop. The central San Joaquin Valley is the center
of the nation's raisin industry.
Tuolumne
River Trust launches Rim fire restoration campaign [Modesto Bee]
The
Tuolumne River Trust on Tuesday launched a campaign to repair the Rim fire’s
massive damage to the river’s watershed. The group said tens of millions of
public and private dollars will be needed for erosion control, reforestation,
campground repair and other work in the burn area, which stood at 254,685 acres
and 80 percent containment as of Tuesday morning….The trust is calling on
Congress to invest money in the restoration, which will start this fall with
erosion controls to protect the water supplies. That will be followed by
salvage logging in some parts of the national forest, which produces usable
lumber, and planting of new trees. Wesselman said the trust will work with the
timber industry and federal land managers on long-term efforts at forest
health. This includes logging of some of the trees out of dense stands and
prescribed burns that mimic the low-intensity fires that used to prevent fuel
buildups.
Ag
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