CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

June 2, 2025

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CDFW Identifies Three New Wolf Packs, Bringing State Total to 10
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday released its quarterly Wolf Management Update for the first quarter of 2025. Most notably, the update identifies three new named packs in northeastern California: the Ashpan Pack in eastern Shasta County, the Ishi Pack in eastern Tehama County and the Tunnison Pack in central Lassen County.

The locations of the newly-identified packs are now reflected in the Department’s gray wolf mapping. So far, no wolves in these three packs have been fitted with GPS collars, meaning they cannot be tracked via CDFW’s new Wolf Location Automated Mapping System previously reported in California Cattleman Weekly.

According to CDFW’s update, the Ashpan Pack consists of at least two wolves, the Ishi Pack has at least three wolves and the Tunnison Pack numbers at least two wolves. While the identification of these packs brings California’s total number of wolf packs up to ten, it does not change the total number of breeding pairs in the state. CDFW manages wolves based on the state’s population of breeding pairs, defined as “at least one adult female and at least one adult male and at least two pups that survive until Dec. 31.” As of the end of last year, California had five known breeding pairs.

According to CDFA, the Ashpan Pack was responsible for one confirmed livestock depredation in the first quarter of 2025 and the Tunnison pack had two confirmed depredations during that period.

UPDATE: NRCS Now Accepting Wolf Deterrence and Management Assistance Funding Applications Through June 13
On Friday, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that it has extended the deadline for producers to apply for Livestock-Predator Interaction Management funding through the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program. The deadline for applications is now Friday, June 13 (as announced in last week’s California Cattleman Weekly, applications had previously been due last week).

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.

Last week, CCA co-hosted an informational webinar regarding the initiative with U.C. Cooperative Extension. For additional information, see a recording of that webinar here or see NRCS’s factsheet, here.

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

FSA to Provide $1 Billion in Emergency Relief Funding to Producers Impacted by Drought and Wildfire in 2023 and 2024
The USDA Farm Service Agency announced on Thursday that the agency is releasing $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments to compensate livestock producers for eligible drought and wildfire impacts suffered during 2023 and 2024. Payments will be issued automatically to producers who have approved Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) applications on file for those years.

To be eligible, producers must have suffered grazing losses in a county rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as suffering severe drought (designated “D2”) for eight consecutive weeks or extreme (D3) or exceptional (D4) drought during the normal grazing periods for those years. Producers also must have applied and been approved for LFP.

Payments are also available to livestock producers whose permitted grazing on federal lands was reduced due to wildfire during the relevant years, provided those producers applied for and were approved for LFP.

USDA FSA will host a webinar tomorrow, June 3 at 12:30pm to discuss ELRP program details and to address frequently asked questions. To register for the webinar, click here. Additional program details can be found here.

SWRCB Transitioning to New Water Rights Reporting Platform
The State Water Resources Control Board announced last week that it is transitioning to a new system for water rights reporting and tracking, the California Water Accounting, Tracking, and Reporting System (CalWATRS). According to the agency, water rightsholders will be able to “explore and get used to the new CalWATRS system” beginning next month, and the new database will begin accepting reports for the 2024-25 water year on Oct. 1.

CalWATRS replaces the SWRCB’s current portal, the electronic Water Rights Information Management System (eWRIMS), which will cease accepting new submissions this Sunday, June 8 (though the database will remain searchable). Neither eWRIMS nor CalWATRS will be able to accept new or amended water rights reports between June 8 and Sept. 30.

For additional details, see the Water Board’s full announcement, here.

UPDATE: Assemblyman Kalra to Head Assembly Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation
Last week, California Cattleman Weekly reported that Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San José), a frequent antagonist of the animal agriculture community, had “been appointed by Speaker Robert Rivas to Chair the new Assembly Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation.”

On Friday, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) announced the rest of the Select Committee’s membership, as follows:

• Asm. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters);
• Asm. Juan Alanis (R-Modesto);
• Asm. Mia Bonta (D-Oakland);
• Asm. Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles);
• Asm. Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach);
• Asm. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco);
• Asm. Diane Papan (D-San Mateo);
• Asm. Chris Rogers (D-Healdsburg);
• Asm. Christopher Ward (D-San Diego); and
• Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles).

CCA has several legislative allies on the Select Committee and a strong track record of defending the climate benefits of livestock grazing while correcting the record about the ecological footprint of “alternative proteins.”

Other select committees of note whose rosters were announced by Speaker Rivas on Friday include the Select Committee on Climate Innovation and Infrastructure, chaired by Asm. Rogers; the Select Committee on the Transportation Costs and Impact of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, chaired by Asm. David Alvarez (D-San Diego); and the Select Committee on Wildfire Prevention, chaired by Asm. Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael).

Fish and Game Commission Declines to Recommend Changes to Coyote Regulations
Last 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 the May 19 edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

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CCA in the News

Fish and Wildlife Service extends debate on California frog habitat Greenwire “Citing the proposal’s ‘anticipated broad and varied effects,’ a coalition including the Association of California Water Agencies, California Cattlemen’s Association and California Farm Bureau stressed the potential consequences of the critical habitat package published during the final days of the Biden administration.” To continue reading, click here.

Three more wolf packs confirmed in California as ranchers call for relief Los Angeles Times “Kirk Wilbur, vice president of government affairs for the California Cattlemen’s Assn., a trade association representing ranchers and beef producers, said wolves in at least two of the new packs are known to have preyed on livestock.” To continue reading, click here.

Three new wolf packs discovered in Northern California East Bay Times “‘Ranchers in Northern California were already well aware of these wolves’ said Kirk Wilbur, vice president of the California Cattlemen’s Association. ‘At least two of the packs have been confirmed to have killed livestock, and our members have had several sightings of the third pack.’” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

Supreme Court limits agency environmental reviews Politico “The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that federal agencies conducting environmental reviews can take a more limited view of the impacts of transportation and energy infrastructure projects they are permitting.” To continue reading, click here.

US likely to resume Mexican cattle imports by year end, USDA chief veterinarian says Reuters “The United States will likely resume Mexican cattle imports by year-end, after a halt due to the spread in Mexico of the New World screwworm pest that can devastate livestock, the U.S. agriculture department’s chief veterinarian said on Wednesday.” To continue reading, click here.

Is the rebuilding of the U.S. cattle herd finally gaining traction? RFD TV “The beef industry has been waiting years for the herd to rebuild, and researchers at CattleFax say it is happening, but note it is taking a lot longer than originally thought. Despite the higher prices, they say consumers are still buying up all they can.” To continue reading, click here.