Today, in a notice to growers and stakeholders of the Agriculture Order, which regulates waste discharge from irrigated lands throughout the central coast region, the Central Coast Water Board announced they will be extending the public comment period for the renewal of the order by 60 days in order to facilitate a fair and inclusive ...
Excavation work, which includes agricultural activities, has required a “call before you dig” ticket since the 1980’s. Following a fatal gas explosion in 2015 caused by deep ripping over a transmission pipeline in Bakersfield, California lawmakers created a one-year Area of Continual Excavation (ACE) ticket available to farmers and certain flood control operators. The goal ...
Join over 160 farmers in donating to the California Association of Food Banks’ (CAFB) Farm to Family program to support those who may be in need of fresh California-grown fruits and vegetables. The Farm to Family program helps move excess California-grown products from the field to food banks up and down the state. Over 160 ...
Earlier this year, several lawsuits were filed against the Trump Administration’s biological opinions (BiOps) governing operations of the Delta pumps, including one by the state of California and another by a coalition of six environmental organizations. Both sets of plaintiffs filed motions for preliminary injunction, which would effectively revert Delta pump operations back to the…
Following a 2015 fatal gas explosion in Bakersfield, California, lawmakers made a one-year Area of Continual Excavation (ACE) ticket accessible to farmers and certain flood control operators. ACE tickets were designed to create a safe and less burdensome option to comply with the “call before you dig” law. This process will be available on July ...
The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing four vacancies on the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board (FIAB) Technical Advisory Subcommittee (TASC). This subcommittee serves as an expert scientific panel on matters concerning plant nutrition and environmental effects related to fertilizing materials use. It reviews all research and education proposals for the annual…
Western Growers, in collaboration with numerous agricultural partners, have evaluated and responded to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Draft General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands (Draft Order 4.0) and the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The Draft Order comment submittal also includes alternatives to what was proposed. “The…
California lawmakers rejected a measure yesterday that would have created the nation’s strictest statewide regulations on single-use plastics. If passed, companion bills SB 54 (Allen) and AB 1080 (Gonzalez) would have phased out single-use plastics – including items such as plastic bags, film packaging and produce bags – which would have created extraordinary challenges for ...
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently released California’s Groundwater – Update 2020 and is encouraging community members and water managers to provide input. This draft contains relevant information regarding California’s groundwater, as the state faces a critical drought year. This draft also recognizes the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in…
The deadline to submit Supplemental Statements of Water Diversion and Use (statements) or Reports of Groundwater Extraction is three weeks away. The State Water Resources Control Board urges all water right holders to submit their statement or groundwater extraction water use information by the deadline of July 1, 2021. Water rights holders are required to ...
Earlier this year, the Central Valley Water Board issued Notices to Comply for the Salinity Control Program to all permitted dischargers within its jurisdiction, encompassing three hydrologic regions (watersheds): the Sacramento River, the San Joaquin River, and the Tulare Lake Basin. The deadline to file Notice of Intent for the Salt Control Program is July ...
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has launched an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to offer farmers and ranchers financial and technical assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices and activities on working agricultural landscapes. Through EQIP, farmers can voluntarily implement conservation practices, and NRCS co-invests in these practices…
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are making federal funding available to improve efficiency of agricultural water use in California. Up to $1.5 million will be awarded by Reclamation in fiscal year 2022 via grants or cooperative agreements to entities with water or power delivery authority, including water districts and ...
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is accepting proposals for the 2021 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP), a federal grant opportunity offered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The SCMP will competitively award funds to projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by funding collaborative, multi-state projections that address regional or…
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is seeking reviewers for the 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Technical Review Committee (TRC). Reviewers must have knowledge and expertise regarding California’s specialty crop industry. The TRC reviews, evaluates and makes recommendations to CDFA on proposals submitted for funding to California’s Specialty Crop Block Grant…
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are making federal funding available to improve agricultural water use efficiency throughout California. The $2 million in funding for fiscal year 2022 will go towards grants or cooperative agreements to water or power delivery authority entities, including water and irrigation districts, to help modernize water ...
AB 2639, a bill that would have accelerated the adoption of the Bay-Delta Plan, was defeated in the California Assembly last week due to a coordinated effort of ag and water stakeholders working with key legislators. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) additionally would have prohibited the State Water Board from issuing any ...
The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced four upcoming listening sessions where the public can outline their concerns in advance of negotiation for the 2023 federal Farm Bill. The listening sessions will be held: Aug. 10, 2022 Virtual via Zoom, with Spanish interpretation provided. 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Register here:…
On Friday, U.S. Supreme Court justices will meet to consider several pending appeals, including two that focus on the California water dispute; one from a coalition of water agencies and the second from Central Valley growers. According to the LA Times, lawyers for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, who cite issues raised by ...
As the California drought emergency continues, the State Water Resources Control Board (The Board) issued a notice late last week advising all water rights holders that if hydrologic conditions do not significantly improve in the next several months, curtailments in 2015 can be expected to be the same as or exceed those seen in 2014. ...