CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

June 9, 2025

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UPDATE: 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. For instance, in video of the meeting recently posted to the Commission’s YouTube page, Commissioner Erika Zavaleta noted that “It would not be feasible for the Department – or for many of you who are working on farms and ranches – to require evidence of depredation prior to taking a coyote, [or] to require permits for depredation, so I think we can take those off the table.” For more information, see the May 19 edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

CDFW Identifies Three New Wolf Packs, Bringing State Total to 10
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has 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. 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. For additional details, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

NRCS Accepting Wolf Deterrence and Management Assistance Funding Applications Through Friday
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has 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  this Friday, June 13. 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.

For additional information, see review the May 28 joint CCA/UCCE webinar regarding the initiative 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.

New Episode of Sorting Pen: The California Cattleman Podcast
A new episode of Sorting Pen: The California Cattleman Podcast is out now! On this episode, hear about the California Beef Council’s Pasture to Plate Beef Tour, which is an in-depth experience that immerses participants in the beef lifecycle production process and engages foodservice, retail, and nutrition professionals. CBC Director of Retail and Foodservice Marketing Christie Van Egmond and CBC Manager of Producer Education and Engagement Makenzie Coveau explain the history of the tour and its success over the years. Grimmius Cattle Company’s Chief Operating Officer, Austin Flores, also shares why their ranch has participated as a stop in this tour for many years and details the value he sees in this program. To listen, click 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 has announced 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. For additional details, see FSA’s announcement or last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

SWRCB Transitioning to New Water Rights Reporting Platform
The State Water Resources Control Board has announced 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 ceased accepting new submissions yesterday (though the database remains searchable). Neither eWRIMS nor CalWATRS will be able to accept new or amended water rights reports until Oct. 1. For additional details, see the Water Board’s full announcement, here.

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CCA in the News

Farmers hopeful Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ spending bill brings relief Fox News “Fox News correspondent Douglas Kennedy reports on why some farmers are optimistic about provisions in Trump’s spending bill that could bring much-needed relief. Past CCA President and past NCBA President Kevin Kester shares his knowledge. To view the video clip, click here.

Industry News

Senate moves to take up top EPA, Agriculture nominees Politico Pro“The Senate will turn back to energy and environment nominees when it returns to work on June 9.Majority Leader John Thune on Thursday moved to wind down debate on David Fotouhi for deputy EPA administrator and Stephen Vaden for deputy Agriculture secretary.” To continue reading, click here.