LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

April 18, 2022

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CCA and Grazing Permittees Win Ninth Circuit Appeal in Water Quality Lawsuit
Earlier this month, a three-judge panel of the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a significant victory for public lands grazing, finding in favor of CCA and several Stanislaus National Forest grazing permittees in an appeal brought by the Central Sierra Environmental Resources Center (CSERC). To learn more, read last week’s edition of Legislative Bulletin.

Rep. Panetta Introduces A-PLUS Act to Improve Access to Processing Facilities
Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA20) has introduction of the bipartisan Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States (A-PLUS) Act, which seeks to increase meat processing capacity by allowing livestock auction markets to own, invest in and manage small meat packing facilities. For more information, including CCA’s response to the bill, read last week’s edition of Legislative Bulletin.

State “Beneficial Fire” Strategic Plan Released, Identifies CCA as Key Partner
On March 30, the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force released its Strategic Plan for Expanding the Use of Beneficial Fire, which sets forth a strategy for applying ‘beneficial fire’ on up to 400,000 acres per year by the year 2025 as part of the state’s overall goal of treating 1 million acres of vegetation annually. CCA’s Fire Subcommittee provided input into the strategic plan, and CCA is the only private organization explicitly identified in the strategic plan as a partner in achieving the state’s prescribed fire target. For more information, see the April 4 edition of Legislative Bulletin.

New Stories from California Cattle Country Episode: Pacific Flyway at Roberti Ranch w/ the Audubon Society
Every year millions of waterfowl go on a commute of thousands of miles and require respite in natural areas with water and sustenance. California ranches often fulfill such needs and have preserved enough pit stops throughout the Pacific Flyway. In fact, many of the ranchers I’ve met are birders who revel in the return of the waterfowl seasonally, know when to expect their arrival and provide habitat to preserve their travels for years to come. In this episode we visit Roberti Ranch in the Sierra Valley, one of these critical pit-stops for waterfowl and talk to rancher Rick Roberti about his infatuation with his annual wing-ed visitors and with Jill Slocum from the Plumas Audubon Society.

To listen to the episode, see photos of the birds we saw on the tour prior to recording and more, click here. Stories from California Cattle Country is produced by the California Cattlemen’s Foundation with support from the California Cattle Council. If you want a glimpse into our travels, follow the podcast’s Instagram account @calcattlecountry.

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CCA in the News

CA FWD Action Fund And Partners Urge Wildfire And Forest Resilience Investments California Forward “For example, last month, a coalition of tribal, environmental justice, climate justice, local government, public health, and environmental and economic sustainability organizations issued this recommendation to state lawmakers. Among those working on and endorsing this recommendation were Pacific Forest Trust, Resources Legacy Fund, Cultural Fire Management Council, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Hispanic Access Foundation, California Environmental Voters and California Environmental Voters Education Fund, California Cattlemen’s Association, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, and the CA FWD Action Fund.” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

California utility to pay $55 million for massive wildfires Associated Press News “Pacific Gas & Electric, the nation’s largest utility, has agreed to pay more than $55 million to avoid criminal prosecution for two major wildfires sparked by its aging Northern California power lines and submit to five years of oversight in an attempt to prevent more deadly blazes.” To continue reading, click here.

Newsom hailed this ‘critical’ wildfire-prevention program. Two years on, it hasn’t completed a single project Capital Public Radio “Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration launched a program more than two years ago that promised to break the logjam, by fast-tracking environmental reviews. But that program, called the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP), hasn’t led to the completion of a single project so far. This stands in stark contrast to projections by the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, which anticipated CalVTP would lead to 45,000 acres of completed work in its first year.” To continue reading, click here.

Stanislaus National Forest receives nearly $22 million for wildfire projects The Union Democrat “The Stanislaus National Forest will get nearly $22 million this year for projects aimed at reducing the threat of wildfire, as one of 10 national forests selected to receive funding announced Monday by the Biden administration.” To continue reading, click here.

This cheeseburger explains your bigger grocery bill Politico “To understand what’s driving the nation’s largest increase in food prices in 40 years, just take a close look at your all-American cheeseburger.” To continue reading, click here.