Landmark groundwater reform headed to Governor’s desk [KQED Radio – San Francisco]
In
a move that some believed may never happen in California, state legislators
approved three bills that would — for the first time — regulate the state’s
vast underground water resources….The bills, if Governor Jerry Brown signs
them, would designate local agencies to write sustainable groundwater
management plans. The local agency could be a single water district, or a
coalition of water agencies and county officials, all connected to a
groundwater basin….Some regions signed on because the bills prioritize local
control over groundwater, instead of giving the state authority. Other
agricultural groups remained opposed. “I hope no one, especially those 120
elected leaders in the legislature, think that they’ve solved California’s
water problems,” says Paul Wenger, president of the California Farm
Bureau….Farmers that have been using groundwater responsibly until now could
lose out under the new management plans, he says, depending on how water
agencies decide to limit groundwater pumping.
California
drought: Why doesn't California build big dams any more? [San Jose Mercury
News]
How
much money drought-stricken California should spend to build new dams was a big
part of the debate over the bill that Gov. Jerry Brown signed last month to put
a $7.5 billion water bond on the November ballot. Republicans and Central
Valley Democrats who pushed hardest for new reservoirs highlighted the fact
that California built many of the world's most ambitious dam projects during
the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, but a large state- or federally-funded reservoir
hasn't been built in 35 years…."We have lived off the investment and sweat
of the World War II generation," said Paul Wenger, president of the
California Farm Bureau Federation. "We have done nothing for the future
generations but put them in a real bind." Their argument, with California
mired in a third straight year of drought, carried enough weight for lawmakers
to include $2.7 billion for new water storage. Now, voters in November can
decide whether the state should start digging again.
Small
water allocation helping Terra Bella farmer [Visalia Times-Delta]
After
he and other Terra Bella farmers were told in March that they wouldn't get any
surface water this year from the Friant-Kern Canal, Geoffrey Galloway figured
his citrus grove would consist of dry, wilted trees by now. And certainly, he
didn't expect to have any decent fruit on them, because he has no wells and has
depended on rain and canal water for irrigation. But on Wednesday, his 10 acres
of groves in this tiny south Tulare County community were green, and that
morning he had turned on the sprinklers to irrigate his navels, Valencias and
mandarins….The Bureau of Reclamation release provide Galloway 0.2 acre-feet of
water per acre on his groves, which came out to just a total of 2 acre-feet.
More
beneficial has been a series of water purchases and swaps for future water allocations
by the Terra Bella Irrigation District that has gotten farmers there a little
more water, about seven more acre-feet in Galloway's case. But it hasn't come
cheap, at a cost of $1,200 per acre foot for the extra water — 10 times what
Galloway paid last year.
Fresno
County labor conflict keeps Gerawan workers in limbo [Fresno Bee]
A
months-long battle between one of Fresno County's largest fruit growers and the
United Farm Workers union is coming to a head: Both sides will soon square off
at an administrative hearing that could decide whether the union will represent
more than 3,000 of the company's workers. The hearing to be held on Sept. 29 in
Fresno may end one of the most contentious and unconventional labor fights in
recent San Joaquin Valley agricultural history. The battle has involved numerous
protests, including hundreds of workers representing both sides, the use of
social media sites like Facebook, and even interest from an East Coast
anti-union group. But unlike previous struggles where workers have fought for
union representation, many of the Gerawan Farming workers don't want to join
the union and have openly protested against it.
Marin
farmers markets could face fee hikes [Marin Independent Journal]
A
bill that would raise new revenue for supervision of vendors at certified
farmers markets in California by raising stall fees could soon become law
despite opposition by the Agricultural Institute of Marin. The bill, AB 1871,
has been approved by the Legislature, and Gov. Jerry Brown has until Sept. 30
to decide whether to sign the bill. "There has been incredible growth in
the number of farmers' markets in California and consumer interest in farmers
markets," said Noelle Cremers, director of natural resources and
commodities with the California Farm Bureau, advocate for the bill….Cremers said,
"We have a number of members who sell their agricultural products at
farmers markets and they want to be sure that the farmers they are competing
with are competing fairly. Under the current system there was not the level of
funding available to do the necessary inspections to ensure that cheating and
fraud wasn't taking place at the farmers markets."
Commentary: National Park
Service should have separate account to fight wildfires [Sacramento Bee]
This
summer’s El Portal fire threatened Yosemite National Park, destroyed homes and
wildlife habitat, and endangered historic buildings and local economies. With
the 4,500-plus-acre wildfire now fully contained, Americans are left with a
price tag exceeding $10 million.Wildfires like this one are emergencies that
put us at the mercy of Mother Nature, the same as hurricanes, tornadoes and
floods. It’s time to take a critical step toward financing wildfire response in
the same manner as other disasters. It’s time for Congress to pass the Wildfire
Disaster Funding Act….When it reconvenes this month, Congress has an unmatched
opportunity to address this growing problem through the widely supported,
bipartisan Wildfire Disaster Funding Act. Unfortunately, as with many other
important pieces of legislation surrounding the future of our national parks
and public lands, our congressional leaders are stalled. If Congress fails to
act, it will be yet another example of how its inaction has shortchanged parks
and the American people.
Ag
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