Water cutbacks looming for California farmers, water agencies [Sacramento Bee]
California
water officials are on the verge of making an unusually drastic pronouncement
in response to the ongoing drought: Ordering hundreds of water agencies,
farmers and other property owners to stop diverting water from rivers in which
they have longstanding water rights. Within a matter of days, the State Water
Resources Control Board is expected to issue curtailment orders to “junior”
water rights holders, meaning they would be required to stop diverting water
from streams and rivers, or reduce those diversions….The agency recently posted
data on its website estimating when curtailments might be required in certain
watersheds, depending on runoff conditions, water demand and the type of water
rights.
Stanislaus County
groundwater proposal sets threshold, monitoring levels [Modesto Bee]
…A 20-point proposal
for managing Stanislaus County groundwater – including possible financial help
for families whose wells go dry and requirements that farmers report how much
they’re pumping – was unveiled Wednesday. The county’s recently formed Water
Advisory Committee reviewed the draft framework, which currently includes only
broadly written concepts rather than specific details.…The plan includes
setting thresholds and monitoring groundwater levels, establishing a governing
structure and funding it, and then enforcing regulations. For the first time
Wednesday, committee members discussed the possibility of compensating folks
whose family wells go dry because of a “rapid water table decline.”
California livestock
antibiotics bill shelved [Sacramento Bee]
An
Assembly bill curtailing the use of antibiotics on livestock is done for the
year.…Assembly Bill 1437 by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco,
sought to ensure farmers and ranchers give their animals antibiotics mainly to
treat illnesses, rather than for preventive reasons….Numerous agricultural
associations opposed Mullin's bill, including the Agricultural Council of
California and the California Farm Bureau Federation. Still alive is a less
far-reaching bill by Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, that would put into
California law voluntary federal guidelines recommending that farms stop using
antibiotics for non-therapeutic purposes like weight gain.
Royal Oaks farmer
faces $2 million bill in worker visa case [Santa Cruz Sentinel]
The
U.S. Department of Labor is seeking nearly $2 million in back pay and fines
from a Maher Road strawberry grower alleged to have violated workers' rights
under an agricultural visa program. Authorities say Fernandez Farms Inc. and
its president, Gonzalvo Fernandez, owe U.S. workers and temporary hires from
Mexico more than $800,000 for failing to meet pay, housing and local
recruitment requirements under the H-2A visa program. Gonzalvo denies any
wrongdoing, and has appealed the department's decision. The case will come
before an administrative law judge at an as yet to be scheduled date.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_25671604/royal-oaks-farmer-faces-2-million-bill-worker
Restoring the bond
between agriculture and the environment, one meeting at a time [Point Reyes
Light]
On
Friday morning, ranchers and environmentalists sat side by side for a
wide-ranging discussion of the most pressing challenges to the region’s
agriculture at the first meeting of the Marin Conservation League’s new
Agricultural Land Use Committee. For decades, a broad coalition like it—the
forward guard in sustainable agriculture—would have been a familiar sight at
the Marin County Farm Bureau office in Point Reyes Station. But recent
controversy over Drakes Bay Oyster Company made last week’s gathering seem
unlikely, a fracture between potential allies that M.C.L. is taking steps to
repair….Many of the concerns dealt with changes farmers and ranchers were
facing: some were perennial issues like generational turnover and government
regulations over zoning, permits and leases; some were more recent challenges,
such as climate change, exemplified by this year’s drought, and the fragility
of the region’s infrastructure, demonstrated by Rancho Feeding’s beef recall
and subsequent closure.
Feds spend $236M to
help landowners protect grouse [Associated Press]
The
federal government paid $236 million to landowners in 11 states to preserve
sage grouse habitat amid a debate over whether the bird should be listed as an
endangered species — potentially hindering energy development and ranching. The
Casper Star-Tribune reported Wednesday that the money was paid for conservation
efforts on nearly 6,000 square miles, mostly in the West, over a four-year
period. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided the numbers at the request
of the Western Governors’ Association. That group argues the figures show that
state and private efforts are more effective at preserving sage grouse than an
endangered species designation would be.…The governors association said
participation in the program fell off steeply in California and Nevada after
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally proposed listing a segment of the
sage grouse population as endangered.
Former KSBY anchor is
named Farm Bureau executive director [San Luis Obispo Tribune]
Lynn
Diehl, a communications specialist and former television news anchor and
reporter, has been named executive director of the San Luis Obispo County Farm
Bureau. She will start Monday. She replaces Marilyn Britton, who returned from
retirement six months ago to fill the job temporarily after the departure of
Jackie Crabb. In noting Diehl’s selection, the Farm Bureau’s executive search
committee cited her extensive communications background, including social media
expertise, and broad experience working with legislative, government and
corporate partners on various programs, issues and outreach, a news release
said.
Ag
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