CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

May 27, 2025

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CCA-Sponsored Bills Continue to Progress Through Legislature
On Friday, the Assembly and Senate appropriations committees met to consider their ‘suspense files,’ determining the fates of more than 1,000 bills flagged for their potential fiscal impacts to the state. The Senate considered 432 bills with estimated costs to the state of at least $50,000, nixing 29% of those bills on Friday (according to analysis from CalMatters). The Assembly took up 666 bills with price tags of at least $150,000, killing more than one-third of the measures it considered on Friday.

Among the bills considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on ‘suspense day’ was CCA-sponsored AB 411 (Papan), which would legalize on-ranch composting of routine livestock mortalities; the California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates the bill would cost the state roughly $225,000 to implement. Fortunately, AB 411 survived the Committee’s culling, passing by a unanimous vote of 14-0.

AB 411 now heads to the Assembly Floor. To remain viable, it must pass out of the Assembly before June 6, the deadline for each chamber to act upon bills introduced in their house of origin.

AB 525 (Lackey), CCA’s sponsored bill to extend the agricultural vehicle exemption from the California Highway Patrol’s Basic Inspection of Terminals Program, was estimated to have only “Minor state costs, if any,” bypassing the suspense file and advancing out of the Appropriations Committee earlier this month. AB 525 passed unanimously off the Assembly floor on Friday and is currently pending assignment to policy committees in the Senate.

Assemblyman Kalra to Head Assembly Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation
On Wednesday, Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San José) announced that he had “been appointed by Speaker Robert Rivas to Chair the new Assembly Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation.” While Assemblyman Kalra’s legislative priorities have often been antagonistic to animal agriculture, CCA has a strong track record of defending the climate benefits of livestock grazing and demonstrating that the alleged ecological benefits attributed to “alternative proteins” are unsupported by data.

As of press time, no other appointments have been made to the Select Committee. CCA will closely monitor the Committee and engage as necessary to highlight the benefits of cattle production and to correct the record regarding alternative protein products.

Friday Deadline to Apply for NRCS Wolf Deterrence and Management Assistance Funding
This Friday, May 30 is the deadline for producers to submit applications for Livestock-Predator Interaction Management funding through NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program.

CCA and the University of Cooperative Extension are hosting a webinar tomorrow (Tuesday, May 28) at 2pm, during which NRCS State Resource Conservationist Jon Gustafson will provide more information on this deadline and be available to answer questions about the funding. Additionally, Debi Michaels, Farm Service Agency County Executive Director for Modoc Lassen Plumas Sierra Counties will be on to answer any questions regarding signing up. To register, click here. A link to the meeting will be emailed to you once your registration has been approved.

According to NRCS, “Livestock-Predator Interaction Management focuses on areas of known predator presence and proximity to confirmed depredation of livestock. The initiative is focused on reducing conflict between livestock and wolves by utilizing non-lethal deterrents and provid[ing] assistance for better management of livestock to reduce interactions with predators.”

Producers in the following counties are eligible to apply for the initiative: Butte, Del Norte, Fresno, Humboldt, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity, and Tulare.

Ranchers should contact their local NRCS service center for information about applying, and information on how to contact local offices can be found here.

NRCS’s full announcement is available here.

Fish and Game Commission Declines to Recommend Changes to Coyote Regulations – For Now
Earlier this month, the Wildlife Resources Committee of the California Fish and Game Commission met in Sacramento to discuss potential “changes to regulations regarding the take of coyotes.” After four hours of discussion – including comments from CCA leadership, staff and members – the Commissioners made no recommendation to change the current regulations governing take of coyotes. Though the Committee left open the possibility of revisiting the issue in the future, both Commissioners on the Committee spoke of the need to preserve farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to protect their animals and property from coyotes and their desire not to hinder those efforts in any future regulation (CCA will share the Commissioners’ exact sentiments once the meeting video is released). For more information, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

New Episode of Sorting Pen: The California Cattleman Podcast
A new episode of Sorting Pen: The California Cattleman Podcast is out now! This past Thursday, the One, Big Beautiful Bill progressed out of the House. Just hours later, Sorting Pen host Katie Roberti got to sit down with Ethan Lane, head of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s office in Washington, D.C, to discuss what’s in the bill, NCBA’s success on it, and what’s ahead for this legislation.

On this episode, Katie and Ethan also discuss New World Screwworm and the border, tariffs, and NCBA’s years of work to get beef into the United Kingdom. To listen, click here.

CDFW Releases Gray Wolf Mapping Tool
The California Department of Fish & Wildlife has announced the release of a new Wolf Location Automated Mapping System. The Mapping System provides location data on wolves equipped with GPS collars, of which there are currently 14 in the state. According to CDFW, “The most recently received location of an individual [collared] wolf is shown as a hexagonal cell and, when clicked, provides information about the wolf’s pack, the general area they are in, and the last transmission date.” For additional details, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

Live Cattle Imports from Mexico Suspended Amid New World Screwworm Threat
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the agency had suspended the importation of live cattle across the Mexican border “due to the continued and rapid northward spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico.” USDA previously halted importation of live cattle from Mexico in November after NWS was discovered along the nation’s southern border with Guatemala, but were allowed to resume in early February. The new restrictions on cattle movement were necessitated by an “unacceptable northward advancement of NWS” to within “700 miles away from the U.S. border,” according to USDA. For additional details, see the May 12 edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

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CCA in the News

A Proposed Bill Would Allow Ranchers In California To Compost Livestock KQED “As it stands, California ranchers can either send livestock carcasses to a small handful of rendering facilities or create open air pits for carcass decomposition, which attracts predators. Vice President of the California Cattlemen’s Association Kirk Wilbur sees AB 411 as a promising alternative.” To continue reading, click here.

Farmers and ranchers plead case for controlling coyotes Agri-Pulse “Kirk Wilbur, vice president at the California Cattlemen’s Association, told the committee preventative management is necessary to protect livestock during calving season. He called for narrowly tailoring any potential regulations to specific cities that face an increased coyote presence.” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

NCBA Priorities Approved in House Reconciliation Bill National Cattlemen’s Beef Association “Today, several key priorities championed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) moved one step closer to becoming law when the U.S. House of Representatives passed their reconciliation bill. The bill includes key cattle health, disaster recovery, and tax priorities crucial to the success of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers.” To continue reading, click here.

Trump Administration Appoints Connie Conway to Serve as State Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in California USDA Farm Service Agency “Conway returns to FSA where she previously served as the FSA State Executive Director for California during President Trump’s first term. She most recently served as chairman of the World Ag Expo, the largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition. Prior to that, she served as a member of congress in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2022 to 2023. Conway has lived in Tulare County her entire life and has spent her career supporting agriculture and farmers and ranchers.” To continue reading, click here.

California county declares state of emergency over gray wolf activity CBS Sacramento “The emergency declaration comes as rural Shasta County residents report more encounters with gray wolves – including attacks on livestock.” To continue reading, click here.

Foresters and ranchers agree: Time to turn despair on wildfires into action Los Angeles Daily News “Californians will forever be haunted by what they witnessed in January – the most destructive natural disaster this state has ever known. We witnessed images of embers being launched by fierce winds like flaming arrows, spreading destruction from neighborhood to neighborhood, enveloping entire communities, claiming at least 29 lives and destroying more than 18,000 homes and other structures.” To continue reading, click here.