LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

CFAP Application Now Available Online
On Thursday, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that it will now begin accepting online applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for sole-proprietorships and single-member business entities. Until now, applicants were required to submit CFAP applications via their local USDA Service Centers.

Online application is available via the CFAP Application Portal. According to FSA, the online application portal is only available to “producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as eAuthentication.” Producers who do not have an eAuthentication account can begin the enrollment process for eAuthentication here.

Meanwhile, applications may still be submitted via county FSA offices. For further information on submitting a CFAP application via your local Service Center, click here. CFAP applications are due by August 28.

LAST CALL: 2019 Water Use Reports Due Wednesday for Many Diversions
Water rights holders required to file Statements of Diversion and Use (e.g. those with pre-1914 and riparian rights) must file their 2019 Statements no later than Wednesday on the State Water Resources Control Board’s website. The reports must be made electronically using the Water Board’s electronic Water Rights Information Management System Report Management System (eWRIMS RMS) here. Failure to file water reports by the deadline may subject diverters to fines up to $500 per day.

The Water Board has developed a series of technical videos to help guide diverters through the process of reporting their annual diversion and use of water. If you experience any difficulty filing your report, you can view these informational videos here.

Water rights holders are encouraged to begin their reports immediately, as difficulties with filing do arise and the Water Board’s help lines experience heavy call volume as the deadline approaches (additionally, the Water Board has indicated that the reporting deadline will not be extended despite the ongoing COVID-19 emergency and its impacts upon state administrative agencies). In recent years, the Water Board has increasingly threatened (and followed through on) enforcement fines for right-holders failing to meet the reporting deadlines.

While pre-1914 and riparian right-holders have until Wednesday to file their reports, those diverting under appropriative water rights (certificates, registrations, permits and licenses) were required to file their annual water diversion and use reports by April 1. If you have an appropriative water right and have not yet filed for 2019 (or prior years), file immediately or contact the CCA office for assistance in order to limit or avoid hefty fines the Water Board may impose for failure to timely file.

For more information, contact Kirk Wilbur in the CCA office.

USMCA to Enter into Force on July 1
The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) will enter into force this Wednesday, marking a milestone for North American trade.

Since the initial signing of the trade agreement in November of 2018, cattlemen have followed the progress of USMCA closely as Canada and Mexico make up a strong percentage of American beef exports each year.

“The Agreement contains significant improvements and modernized approaches to rules of origin, agricultural market access, intellectual property, digital trade, financial services, labor, and numerous other sectors,” the Office of the United States Trade Representative said in a press release in April. “These enhancements will deliver more jobs, provide stronger labor protections, and expand market access, creating new opportunities for American workers, farmers, and ranchers.”

CCA will continue providing updates as the new trade deal gets underway.

California Beef Council Producer Webinar Tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Want to learn more about how your beef checkoff dollar works on your behalf? Join the California Beef Council (CBC) tomorrow, June 30th for a one-hour webinar to hear about CBC programs and efforts, CBC’s pandemic response and updates from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

To register today, click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar. A recording of this webinar will be available at the at the CBC website, here.

To be added to the CBC’s contact list for future event announcements and invitations, contact Jill Scofield at jill@calbeef.org. To learn more about the CBC’s efforts and year-end program results, download the 2019 Annual Report here.”