California is primed for a severe fire season, but just how bad is anybody’s guess [Los Angeles Times]
At this point, it seems like almost a given that California will see another historic fire season. … But there are still some key variables that haven’t yet taken shape. Weather events, human behavior and even luck will dictate whether 2021 goes down in the record books like 2020, when California wildfires burned an area larger than the state of Connecticut. … Weather models suggest the West will be dry through June, and temperatures are likely to be above normal, said Heath Hockenberry, fire weather program manager for the National Weather Service.
Post-fire logging operations blamed for declining spotted owls, report says [Eureka Times-Standard]
For years, researchers have assumed high-severity forest fires to be responsible for declining northern spotted owl populations but a new analysis from the John Muir Project and Wild Nature Institue has shifted the blame to post-fire logging practices. … According to the report, high-severity fires transform many western conifer forests into “snag forest habitats” which spotted owls use to hunt for small mammal prey. Such habitats are also targeted for post-fire logging projects.
Editorial: Biden offers California a clear, clean water strategy [Bay Area News Group]
… President Biden’s infrastructure plan calls for $50 billion to ease the West’s drought crisis by heavily investing in water efficiency and recycling programs. Gov. Gavin Newsom should jump at the opportunity to put the state on a long-term path toward water security that also protects precious waterways. … Climate change is steadily reducing the amount of water flowing from the Sierra to California cities and agricultural fields. The best long-range strategy for the state is to follow Biden’s lead and heavily invest on water efficiency and recycling efforts.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/04/27/editorial-biden-offers-california-a-clear-water-strategy/
Opinion: Why is the governor refusing to acknowledge the obvious? [Bakersfield Californian]
… Governor Newsom’s lack of urgency welcomes speculation on why he remains strangely silent. In the entire state, the Central Valley has the most at stake when water supplies are restricted and the governor is refusing to exercise his authority to provide flexibility, relief and water when we need it most. … Declaring a drought emergency is common sense and crucial at this time. The governor’s reluctance and attempts to explain away why the state is not being proactive despite our state’s long history of dealing with droughts is befuddling and frustrating.
Despite COVID challenges, researchers believe HLB cure is possible [The Business Journal, Fresno]
… Coming out of the University of California Riverside’s Citrus Research Center is a treatment for HLB derived from a variety of finger limes in Australia. Professor Hailing Jin at UC Riverside said she noticed that the finger lime showed resistance to the bacteria. She wondered if traits in the lime tree could be used in the fight against the disease. … After seeing very promising results, field trials were supposed to begin in early 2020. Most of the testing has to be done in Florida, where the disease is more prevalent. Because of Covid, the University of Florida had to close its campus, putting an end to the field trial, said Jin. They were able to start again in October.
https://thebusinessjournal.com/despite-covid-challenges-researchers-believe-hlb-cure-is-possible/
Fox News host admits his show was wrong about Biden limiting red meat consumption [CNN]
A Fox News anchor admitted on air on Monday that his show was inaccurate when it claimed on Friday that President Joe Biden is trying to require Americans to sharply reduce their consumption of red meat. John Roberts, co-host of the afternoon show “America Reports,” made the Monday concession after CNN and other media outlets published fact check articles explaining that Biden does not have any plan to restrict red meat consumption. … Biden has not put forward any proposal to force Americans to change their diets.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/26/politics/fox-john-roberts-red-meat-biden/index.html
Assistant herdswoman for Sonoma County’s Beretta Family Dairy wins North Bay Forty Under 40 award [North Bay Business Journal]
Jennifer Beretta, 33, assistant herdswoman, Beretta Family Dairy, Santa Rosa, is a North Bay Business Journal 2021 Forty Under 40 winner. … Responsibilities with your company: I am in charge of the organic paper work, Vet days, inventory of supplies, feeding calves, herd check, breeding, picking new bulls and other jobs that come up throughout the day. … Community/nonprofit activities: President of Sonoma County Farm Bureau and sat on the board for six years. President of Redwood Empire Holstein Association; served as a dairy rep on the California Cattle Council Two -Rock 4-H; dairy leader Dairy Princess Candidate coordinator for North Bay Dairy women; and helped Sebastopol FFA by being a speaker and allowing students to show our dairy cows.
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