Jeff Denham, David Valadao ally with Democrats on immigration legislation [Fresno Bee]
Two
San Joaquin Valley Republicans are trying harder to break the partisan mold on
immigration, amid broader challenges to their party and their own re-election
prospects. In a hands-across-the-aisle gesture that could foreshadow more to
come, Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, is becoming the first Republican to formally
endorse a comprehensive immigration bill introduced by House Democrats. For the
moment, the move makes Denham the sole GOP lawmaker to join House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi and some 183 other Democratic co-sponsors….Denham's
endorsement of the bill identified with Democrats is his most emphatic
statement yet on an issue that's divided his party, and it extends his prior
declarations of support for comprehensive legislation….Rep. David Valadao,
R-Hanford, representing a congressional district where Hispanics make up 72% of
the population, has likewise been boosting his visibility on the immigration
front.
California
reservoirs in dire need of a wet winter [Fresno Bee]
Pine
Flat Reservoir is a ghost of a lake in the Fresno County foothills — a puddle
in a 326 billion-gallon gorge. Holding only 16% of its capacity, Pine Flat is
the best example of why there is high anxiety over the approaching wet season.
Gone is the healthy water storage that floated California through two dry
years. Major reservoirs around the state need gully-washing storms this
winter.…Northern reservoirs face similar challenges, though water storage is
not as low as Pine Flat. Shasta, Oroville, Trinity, New Melones, Don Pedro and
Exchequer are hovering at one-third to one-half of capacity, far lower than
average for late October. Dwindling reservoirs should be a wake-up call to
Californians, said Mark Cowin, director of the state Department of Water
Resources. The state has not declared a drought, but now is the time to prepare
additional water-conservation ideas for next year.
Drought squeezes local cattle ranchers [San Luis Obispo Tribune]
Faced with a second year of severe drought, many San Luis Obispo
County cattle ranchers have been forced to thin their herds and bring in costly
feed to keep animals healthy. “We’re waiting for the rain, and it’s going to be
real ugly if we don’t get any this winter,” said Richard Gonzales, who operates
a cow-calf operation in Paso Robles. Ranchers are used to the whims of Mother
Nature. Droughts happen from time to time and they usually suffer through them
and recover, local ranchers say.…Local ranchers declined to say how much they
were spending on extra hay to feed their animals, but alfalfa hay can run
several hundred dollars per ton. In a normal year, cattle simply graze on the
natural grasses.
Cattle theft increasing in California [Sacramento Bee]
…Cattle
rustling, it turns out, has never gone away. And it’s on the rise in California
and nationwide….Last year, 1,317 head of cattle were reported stolen or missing
in California, said Greg Lawley, chief of the state’s Bureau of Livestock
Identification. That’s a 22 percent increase from what was reported before the
recession. “We assume this is an outgrowth of cattle price rise,” Lawley
said….In cattle ranching, it is well known that cattle theft is, typically, an
inside job, said John Suther, senior investigator with the Bureau of Livestock
Identification.…Suther has the herculean task of being the only cattle theft
investigator for the whole state.
Hearing in Sacramento Nov. 22 on proposal to remove gray wolf from
endangered species list [Sacramento Bee]
Sacramento will host one of four hearings in the West on the
federal government’s proposal to withdraw Endangered Species Act protection for
the gray wolf. The hearing will be held Nov. 22 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the
Marriott Courtyard Sacramento Cal Expo, Golden State Ballroom, 1782 Tribute
Rd., in Sacramento. It previously had been set for Oct. 2, but was canceled by
the federal government shutdown….Environmental groups have petitioned the state
to protect wolves under the California Endangered Species Act, a separate state
law. That petition is still pending. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also
extended the public comment period on the federal delisting proposal for the
wolf. It had been set to conclude on Oct. 28, but is now extended until Dec.
17.
Feds seek threatened status for some sage grouse [Associated
Press]
Federal wildlife officials on Friday proposed to list as
threatened populations of greater sage grouse in Nevada and California in an
effort to save the struggling species, a decision that promises to pose new
challenges for ranching and energy development in the West. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service found that invasive species and energy development in the
desert have had a devastating effect on the large, ground-dwelling bird's
populations, said Ted Koch, Nevada state supervisor for the service….Ranchers,
miners and energy developers who use the mostly public lands that serve as the
sage grouse's habitat have opposed the listing, saying it would have a deep
economic impact in the rural West….Ranchers worry that protections will scuttle
or block outright vast grazing areas. They say it adds a lot of uncertainty to
any plans to expand or even launch habitat restoration plans on their lands.
Ag
Today is distributed by the CFBF Communications/News Division to county Farm
Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes; stories may
not be republished without permission. Some story links may require site
registration. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this
message and please provide your name and e-mail address. For more
information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment