Editorial: Still plenty of time to pass a reform bill [Bakersfield Californian]
No
time? Or lack of will? House Speaker John Boehner's announcement that Congress
will not consider an immigration bill because time is running short in this
session just doesn't fly…. A positive word from a party leader like Rep. Kevin
McCarthy, the House's No. 3 man, would make a huge difference. McCarthy's
district, after all, faces economic issues that are virtually identical to
those of the districts served by Denham and Rep. David Valadao, who has also
voiced support for a bill. Growers in desperate need of workers, workers in
desperate need of jobs, and federal immigration authorities torn between doing
their jobs and acknowledging reality all wait for some resolution. Sen. Dianne
Feinstein has already asked the relevant agencies to look the other way, at
least where the immigrant labor force is concerned. But there's a better way:
pass a bill, get these economic engines rolling again and stop the hypocrisy.
There's time -- really.
Speed
of timber salvage after Rim fire near Yosemite debated in Congress [Fresno Bee]
Salvage
logging near Yosemite National Park could proceed without the customary
environmental studies, public review or judicial oversight under a
controversial bill that a key panel in the House of Representatives approved
Thursday. Authored by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., the measure that the
Republican-controlled House Natural Resources Committee approved clear-cuts the
usual administrative and legal procedures that can slow emergency logging.
McClintock, whose district includes Yosemite, says top speed is crucial in the
wake of last summer’s devastating Rim fire, which ravaged a quarter of a
million acres in the Sierra Nevada mountains….The bill, approved 19-14, faces
opposition from the Forest Service and the Interior Department, though, as well
as potential skepticism in the Senate. Further negotiations and tradeoffs of
the kind that will test McClintock’s legislative skills will be necessary if
the bill is to become law, Democrats say.
Group
wants FDA to mirror its food-safety program [Salinas Californian]
Leafy
greens growers in California and Arizona are telling federal regulators to
adopt their food safety standards so that growers in other states won’t be
operating under weaker federal rules. The Food Safety Modernization Act,
administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has proposed a Produce
Safety Rule that will nationalize regulations aimed at protecting the public
from food-borne illnesses such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria, that could
enter the food supply through lettuce, spinach, kale and other leafy greens. On
Thursday, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, based in Sacramento
and formed after the disastrous E. coli outbreak on spinach in 2006, submitted
its official comments on FSMA’s proposed Produce Safety Rule. The suggestions
focus on strengthening the proposed rule, as well as a solution that would
quickly allow regulators to address 90 percent of the leafy greens produced in
the United States at no cost to the public, LFMA officials said.
IVEDC
hosts water conservation forum [Imperial Valley Press]
Local
and regional water experts discussed water shortages and conservation at the
Barbara Worth Resort & Country Club Thursday. Most regional water issues
boil down to water reliability. Colorado River water users are grappling with
the effects of 14 consecutive years of drought. While the Imperial Irrigation
District’s senior water rights are enviable, it is under tremendous pressure to
conserve water….The forum’s panel discussion centered on on-farm water
conservation and the lessons learned. “The Imperial Valley’s (water) priority
system is quite high. And, I think that’s the wrong message. The message is,
water is very valuable,” said Alex Jack, president of Jack Bros. Farms. “We farmers
better start getting on our horse and start conserving water because one way or
the other, if the cities go dry or are close to being dry, they’re going to
find bits and pieces of the law that we’re violating,” he added.
Farmers,
lenders talk about Modesto risks, rewards [Modesto Bee]
…The
general strength of farming was a key theme at the second annual California
Food & Ag Summit at the DoubleTree Hotel. But speakers also noted the
state’s water issues, including a drought now in its third year and a shortage
of reservoir space when the big storms do come….The water discussion dealt in
part with the controversial plan to build a pair of tunnels on the east side of
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Supporters see it as a way to make water
supplies more reliable while protecting the delta ecosystem, but opponents say
farmers and delta fish alike would suffer. The main point of agreement was that
the state, in most years, does not have enough water to meet the needs of
farms, cities and fish.
Clements
meeting focuses on rural crime [Lodi News-Sentinel]
…Representatives
from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s rural crime task force and the District
Attorney’s Office discussed with an estimated 50 residents who filled the
Clements fire station Thursday night how street gangs steal pricey metal, tractors
and other farm equipment to acquire drugs and purchase guns. “Metal theft is
probably your biggest problem now,” said Sheriff’s Detective Dan Levin, who
focuses on crime in rural areas.…One community that is getting hit hard by
rural crime is Linden, which grows a lot of walnuts, Levin said. Many people
are stealing walnuts from Linden farms, he said.
Ag
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