Supreme Court lets stand delta smelt protection, dealing blow to farmers [Fresno Bee]
The
Supreme Court on Monday steered clear of a California whirlpool, letting stand
a lower court's decision that upheld federal rules protecting delta smelt. The high court's decision not to hear the
high-profile California water case disappoints farmers, who have been
challenging the Fish and Wildlife Service over smelt protections and the larger
question of water flow through the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta. But the court's decision, issued
without written explanation, is a big victory for Obama administration
officials and environmental advocates who consider the tiny fish a key
indicator of ecological health and an innocent victim, rather than instigator,
of the state's water woes.
Court
upholds California grape commission patents [Sacramento Bee]
A
tangled legal fight over grape patents ended Friday in a victory for the
California Table Grape Commission. Capping years of courtroom battling, the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled the Fresno-based industry
group has licensed valid patents for the Scarlet Royal and Autumn King grape
varieties. The unanimous, 13-page decision by the three-judge panel turned on
technical questions, including what date the grapes came into public use. The
appellate court rejected arguments from challengers that the grapes were
already being generally circulated well before the patents were applied for.
San
Joaquin Valley farmers reach secret deal in water dispute [San Francisco
Chronicle]
A
staggering economic and environmental problem festering for three decades in
the southern San Joaquin Valley would be addressed by a secret deal reached
between the Obama administration and farmers — one that is sounding alarms for
Bay Area lawmakers. The deal would retire 100,000 acres of farmland damaged by
salt and selenium in the Westlands Water District, an arid, 600,000-acre patch
of farms running along Interstate 5 from Mendota in Fresno County to the Kings
County town of Kettleman City. About 600 farms there produce $1 billion in food
each year. Congress agreed in 1960 to bring water to the area with the promise
that the government would build a drain for the toxic brew that leaches from
the mineral-rich soil. The drain was only partly built, due to opposition from
the East Bay communities where the water was to be dumped. Instead, the drain
stopped at a place called Kesterson, where federal officials turned the ponds
into a national wildlife sanctuary. In 1983, drainage water contaminated by
salt, boron and selenium caused an environmental catastrophe there, killing
thousands of birds and fish and causing grisly deformities among chicks.
California
farmers see potential in trade with Cuba [Fresno Bee]
As
the push to lift the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba gains renewed
attention, many San Joaquin Valley farm industries stand to benefit from easing
trade restrictions with the communist country. Agriculture leaders and farmers
say that while Cuba is a relatively small country in population (11.2 million
people), it has a major appetite for imported food. Cuba imports about 80% of
its food, with much of it coming from countries other than the United States.
Experts say that Valley farmers — including those who are world leaders in
producing raisins, grapes and tree nuts — are in a good position to take
advantage of an open-door trade policy with Cuba.
Las
Vegas casinos may be betting on high-speed rail [San Francisco Chronicle]
There
may be some new big-bucks players when it comes to California’s high-speed rail
line — Las Vegas casinos. It’s estimated that 18 million people a year hop on
Interstate 15 from Southern California to Las Vegas. And while most eyes have
been on California’s high-speed rail dream, Nevada has been moving ahead with
its own $6 billion DesertXpress to link Vegas with the San Bernardino County
town of Victorville. What it needs is a big infusion of federal loans. One idea
being floated to make the project more attractive to the feds would be to
extend the Vegas line across 60 miles of desert to Palmdale (Los Angeles
County) and hook it to the high-speed rail link planned between Palmdale and
Burbank.
Commodities
fall as stockpiles mount up [Wall Street Journal]
…Years
of high commodity prices fueled a boom in investment around the globe by companies
extracting resources—and by the many others, big and small, that depend on
them. The ensuing slump has been devastating….Commodities markets from oil to
coal to sugar took a beating last year, with many prices falling to multiyear
lows. The turmoil has led to job cuts, mine closures and losses for
investors….Huge levels of output helped drive commodity prices down, and many
analysts believe they will stay low: Large stockpiles remain, and some
producers are carrying on despite lower prices.
Ag
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