Drought has state debating its unregulated pumping [Associated Press]
Three
years of drought have Californians debating an end to the state's status as one
of the last in the West with a pump-as-you-please policy for the vital
underground sources that provide up to 65 percent of the state's water. Even
with falling groundwater tables contributing to mandatory water restrictions
for many cities, and forcing farmers and others to drill deeper and deeper
wells, it's been down to the wire as to whether California's competing water
interests are ready to translate that talk into action….The many ways that
Californians increasingly are feeling the bite of the drought made this month's
legislative session one of the strongest chances ever for the state to overcome
the objections of farmers and others to adopt its first statewide groundwater
management plan, backers say….Some in the state's influential agriculture bloc
had been urging lawmakers to take up regulation at some other time. California
farmers "are scared to death" about ceding some oversight of critical
irrigation water to state government, said Paul Wenger, an almond and walnut
grower near the central California city of Modesto, and president of the
California Farm Bureau Federation.
California
drought stings bees, honey supplies [Associated Press]
California's
record drought hasn't been sweet to honeybees, and it's creating a sticky
situation for beekeepers and honey buyers. The state is traditionally one of
the country's largest honey producers, with abundant crops and wildflowers that
provide the nectar that bees turn into honey. But the lack of rain has ravaged
native plants and forced farmers to scale back crop production, leaving fewer
places for honeybees to forage. The historic drought, now in its third year, is
reducing supplies of California honey, raising prices for consumers and making
it harder for beekeepers to earn a living.
Editorial: California is
challenged by drought — and simple math [Fresno Bee]
When
it comes to water, the state of California is like the inept parent who can't
say no to the kids. Thanks to University of California researchers, we now know
that the state has overpromised on water delivery and underdelivered….The state
has assigned rights for more than five times the amount of water available in
an average year — never mind a drought year or three consecutive drought years
such as we are experiencing….Is gross oversubscription a rational basis for
assigning water rights and permits in a Western state with 38 million people?
Only if you believe in fairy tales with a wizard who turns one bottle of water
into five.
Brown
administration trying to rewrite state milk regulation [McClatchy News Service]
Gov.
Jerry Brown’s agriculture department is trying – so far without success – to
gain traction in the Capitol for a major overhaul of California’s regulation of
milk prices. With scarcely a week remaining in the Legislature’s session, those
close to the closed-door negotiations say, writing something that could pass
political muster is unlikely, given a long and bitter conflict between dairy
farmers and processors over prices….The legislative effort caps many months of
infighting between farmers and processors, especially cheesemakers, over the
prices that the latter must pay for milk. Farmers have complained that minimum
prices set by the state have failed to keep pace with rising costs, especially
for feed, making milk production unprofitable. Last year, they accused Ross of
favoring processors in setting prices and pushed legislation that would have
changed the state’s price-setting methodology, tying it to federal price
supports and thus pushing up prices.
Vilsack
unveils report showing 'fire borrowing' impacts [Gannett News Service]
The
rising costs of fighting wildfires is forcing the U.S. Forest Service to
transfer money from other critical programs year after year, hindering the
agency's efforts to protect people, property and endangered species,
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday. The Forest Service also lacks
the funding to cut down enough dead trees and do other preventive work to
minimize the fire risk and restore scorched watersheds and forests after the
flames die out, Vilsack said. He released a report showing that 42 percent of
this year's Forest Service budget is for wildfires, up from 16 percent in 1995,
and called on Congress to increase the agency's overall budget and allow the
Obama administration to tap into a recently created disaster fund to pay the
costs of fighting catastrophic wildfires….The report marks the Obama
administration's latest attempt to win congressional approval for the White
House's $615 million emergency request to fight wildfires this year without
having do fire borrowing. Lawmakers debated that request but left for the
August recess without approving it.
Obama
weighs broader move on legal immigration [Associated Press]
President
Barack Obama is considering key changes in the nation's immigration system
requested by tech, industry and powerful interest groups, in a move that could
blunt Republicans' election-year criticism of the president's go-it-alone
approach to immigration. Administration officials and advocates said the steps would
go beyond the expected relief from deportations for some immigrants in the U.S.
illegally that Obama signaled he'd adopt after immigration efforts in Congress
collapsed. Following a bevy of recent White House meetings, top officials have
compiled specific recommendations from business groups and other advocates
whose support could undercut GOP claims that Obama is exceeding his authority
to help people who have already violated immigration laws….Not all industries
are pushing for broad action, though. Agriculture leaders, who acknowledge as
much as 70 percent of their workforce is "unauthorized" have remained
on the sidelines — a reminder of the limits of any Obama's executive authority.
Kristi Boswell, director of congressional relations for the American Farm
Bureau, said her organization has met this summer with White House to encourage
administrative changes that would reduce immigration raids targeting farms and
processing plants and cut the red tape on hiring guest workers.
Ag
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