Brown says he is monitoring drought but says ‘governors can’t make it rain’ [Sacramento Bee]
Gov.
Jerry Brown said Thursday that he is closely monitoring the state’s worsening
drought, but suggested that a drought emergency declaration was not imminent.
“Governors can’t make it rain,” Brown told reporters at the state Capitol. A
state water task force is working on the issue, he said, and “I’m very aware of
the problems of the drought.”…Brown, whose first term as governor included a
bad drought year in 1977, said the state will take “whatever steps we can, in
collaboration with the state’s farmers ... and also the urban people have to do
their part.”
Despite California
drought, chances for water bond are evaporating [San Jose Mercury News]
Despite
record dry weather, it's looking increasingly unlikely that a
multibillion-dollar water bond to pay for dams, conservation and parts of Gov.
Jerry Brown's $25 billion plan to build two huge tunnels through the Delta will
be placed on the November ballot. Water agencies around the state have assumed
that some kind of measure would go to voters to provide a new river of cash for
water projects. But Sacramento political leaders and insiders say Brown, widely
expected to seek re-election this year, hasn't committed and has worries it
could hurt him politically, particularly as polls have shown shaky support for
it. Asked Thursday if he wants a water bond this year, Brown said, "The
world is changing with these serious drought conditions, but I think I'll
withhold judgment on that."
Environmental lawsuit
threatened if Stanislaus County doesn’t revoke well-drilling permits [Modesto
Bee]
Two
environmental lawyers are demanding Stanislaus County officials immediately
stop issuing new water well drilling permits without first reviewing what
impacts they could have on the environment. They also want the county to revoke
61 large irrigation wells approved during the past five months. If Stanislaus
officials refuse, the lawyers warn they will file a lawsuit within two weeks,
claiming the county has violated provisions of the California Environmental
Quality Act….Some of the farmers named in the complaint consider their charges
frivolous and their demands unrealistic….The threatened lawsuit is just the
latest salvo in a growing battle over groundwater in Stanislaus County. There’s
been a surge in well drilling this year, particularly for new almond and walnut
orchards being planted on formerly dry pastures in eastern and northeastern
Stanislaus.
Farm bill ignites
political battle [Wall Street Journal]
Negotiators
working on the long-delayed farm bill navigated major political land mines on
food stamp funding and crop insurance only to hit a last-minute hurdle this
week: government support for the dairy industry. Lawmakers trying to wrap up
the legislation had hoped to reach a final framework perhaps as early as this
week, but a dispute about part of a proposed dairy program has stalled
progress. House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) and a bipartisan group of House
lawmakers have been engaging in an ideological tug-of-war with some Democrats,
including Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the
HouseAgriculture Committee. The debate centers on a Democratic proposal
approved by the Senate and championed by Mr. Peterson that would enable the
government to take new steps to manage milk supplies during times of market
volatility. The concept has divided the dairy industry, with support from many
farmers and opposition from most processors, who turn milk into cheese andother
dairy products.
Meiners Oaks prepares
for spraying to rid area of citrus pest [Ventura County Star]
Four
three-person crews from the California Department of Food and Agriculture will
spend next week in Meiners Oaks, attempting to terminate the first Asian citrus
psyllids in the Ojai Valley. The Asian citrus psyllid is a small insect that
can carry huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, which kills trees and has
the potential to devastate Ventura County’s citrus industry….Citrus growers in
the rest of the Ojai Valley are watching Meiners Oaks carefully. “Right now,
we’ve had one find,” said Jim Churchill, who grows citrus on the other side of
Ojai. “If there’s only one find, then we’re OK.” If the pest spreads, Churchill
will be in a tight spot. He estimates treating his entire orchard would eat up
a year’s worth of profit.
Editorial: Can Foster Farms overcome cockroach controversy?
[Modesto Bee]
…Once
considered a paragon of cleanliness, and rightfully proud of its
industry-leading federal inspection record, Foster Farms now faces an
incredibly difficult task. Consumers who were quick to forgive a salmonella
lapse last year may not be so quick to buy chicken processed in a factory once
“infested” with bugs….To have any chance of rebuilding customer confidence,
everyone at Foster Farms – top to bottom – must make food safety the first
priority. They must be convinced – as they once were – that they are working in
the cleanest, most sanitary processing plant in the world. Once they believe,
their confidence will spread to customers ... and help chase away those
thoughts of scurrying cockroaches.
Ag
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