Newsom unveils $536-million forest management, wildfire prevention plan in Fresno County [Visalia Times-Delta]
As California teeters on the edge of another devastating drought, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Fresno County to unveil a $536-million plan to bolster the state’s firefighting efforts. On Thursday, Newsom outlined a plan that prioritizes forest management and wildfire mitigation projects before the worst of the fire season begins, more than doubling spending on such projects compared to last year, advocates said. … Crews are rushing to thin forests, build fuel breaks around vulnerable communities and allow for planned burns before a dry winter turns into a tinder-dry summer.
SF Baykeeper sues Biden administration to list local longfin smelt as endangered species [San Francisco Chronicle]
San Francisco Baykeeper sued the Biden administration on Thursday to list the local population of longfin smelt as an endangered species. … Scientists and environmentalists say that reduction is a direct result of too much water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin river system being diverted to farms and other water users rather than flowing through the bay to the Pacific. If the fish were to be protected as an endangered species, that would likely have to change.
Drought conditions worsen in California after prolonged warm, dry weather [Ventura County Star]
Ventura County has moved into severe drought conditions as it wraps up what is typically the rainiest months of the year. … “Basically, we are looking at a 10-year drought with a couple of years of average or above-average rainfall sort of sprinkled in there,” said John Krist, chief executive officer of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County. Throughout dry winter months, growers had to pump water to irrigate, which not only gets expensive but also further strains the groundwater supply. Cattle ranchers may have to reduce herds and buy supplemental feed, as they did just a couple of years ago.
Haaland dives headfirst into Klamath water issues [Klamath Falls Herald and News]
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland withdrew a number of Trump-era memoranda concerning the Klamath Project on Thursday, citing a lack of consultation with Klamath Basin tribes, and committed her staff to work with stakeholders on a long-term solution to the Basin’s water crisis. … In January, before President Biden’s inauguration, Interior Department officials released a reassessment of whether the Bureau of Reclamation has an obligation to curtail water deliveries to the Klamath Project in order to comply with the Endangered Species Act. It included several memos and legal analyses which are now null and void following the Secretary’s memo.
Opinion: Silver lining to water woes could be farmers putting their lands to new uses besides crops [Fresno Bee]
… AB 252 will create the Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Incentive Program to compensate farmers who voluntarily re-purpose some of their previously irrigated land to create new uses that Valley communities need and want. Benefits could include water sustainability, habitat corridors for wildlife, and open space and recreational areas. Importantly, this program can also provide incentives to landowners to make the changes necessary to comply with SGMA sooner and in a way that minimizes economic and social impacts.
https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article250540959.html
New coalition will look out for the pollinators vital to Central Valley farming [Modesto Bee]
… The California Pollinator Coalition was launched Wednesday by leaders in agriculture, government and conservation. They aim to protect the creatures from pesticide spraying, habitat loss and other threats. … The coalition plans to build on existing research on pollinators and to promote agricultural practices that enhance them. The members include the California Farm Bureau Federation.
“Farm Bureau supports voluntary, farmer-friendly efforts to improve habitat for native pollinators,” President Jamie Johansson said, “and we have long advocated improved research on pollinator health.”
https://www.modbee.com/news/business/agriculture/article250514034.html
‘A new life’: How SLO County is vaccinating thousands of farmworkers with one-dose COVID shots [The Tribune, San Luis Obispo]
… The county Public Health Department is holding a series of clinics to get COVID-19 vaccines into the arms of farmworkers, who might otherwise struggle to access shots. So far, the county has given 1,800 coronavirus vaccines to farmworkers at these clinics, said Michelle Shoresman, a Public Health spokeswoman. … “This is a collaborative effort among the county, the SLO County Farm Bureau, the (Promotores Collaborative of SLO County), Herencia Indígena and many of the farms and agriculture employers who will be supporting their staff in getting the vaccine,” she said in an email.
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/coronavirus/article250240800.html
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