CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

Dec. 15, 2025

To read the full version each week, please subscribe below.

CDFW Director Chuck Bonham to Step Down
The Nature Conservancy announced last week that it has selected Charlton “Chuck” Bonham as the Executive Director of the group’s California chapter effective January 26, 2026. Bonham currently acts as the Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, a role he will vacate prior to talking the helm at TNC California. For more information, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

109th CCA/CCW Convention and Tradeshow Concludes
At the beginning of this month, hundreds of cattlemen and women gathered in Reno for the 2025 CCA/CCW Convention and California Cattle Industry Tradeshow. The event offered valuable opportunities to reconnect with friends and colleagues, discuss policy priorities, and hear updates on the latest issues affecting California ranchers.

This year’s Convention also marked the conclusion of John Austel’s (San Diego County) two-year term as CCA Second Vice President. CCA staff and leadership extend sincere appreciation to John for his commitment and service to California’s cattle industry.

Looking ahead, Rick Roberti (Plumas County) will continue to serve as CCA President for one more year. Mike Williams (Los Angeles County) also remains in his role as CCA First Vice President, as do CCA Second Vice Presidents Steve Lambert (Butte County) and Anthony Stornetta (San Luis Obispo County). Bev Bigger (Ventura County) will continue serving as CCA Treasurer in 2026.

CCA is pleased to announce that James Henderson (Tulare County) has been elected to serve as a CCA Second Vice President.

CCA also recognizes and congratulates the 2025 Top Hand Award recipients:

• 1st Place: Travis Truelock (Calaveras County)

• 2nd Place: Ben Higgins (San Luis Obispo County)

• 3rd Place: Carolyn Roberti (Plumas-Sierra)

These awards honor CCA members who have gone above and beyond in recruiting new members to our association.

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Convention and Tradeshow. The participation of so many made this event a success. We also extend our gratitude to our sponsors for their support.

Upcoming Industry Events

CCA in the News

Choosing coexistence over conflict: How some California ranchers are adapting to wolves Mongabay “In the last few months, an unlikely coalition of ranching lobbies, including the dairy industry group, California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), and wolf-advocacy organizations like the Defenders of Wildlife, supported legislation to make composting legal. Bill AB411, the Caring About The Terrain, Livestock and Ecosystems (C.A.T.T.L.E) Act, which legalizes on-farm composting, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in October. A recent study has shown that compost piles are a better way to dispose of dead cattle than bone piles; they reduced predator visits from more than 300 a year to just eight. ‘We want to reduce attractants to benefit wolves, to benefit livestock producers,’ Kirk Wilbur, vice president of government affairs at CCA, said.” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

Southern California mountain lions recommended for threatened status The Los Angeles Times “The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has recommended granting threatened species status to roughly 1,400 mountain lions roaming the Central Coast and Southern California, pointing to grave threats posed by freeways, rat poison and fierce wildfires.” To continue reading, click here.

State Water Board releases new analysis to advance latest proposed Bay-Delta Plan updates Maven’s Notebook “These Bay-Delta Plan updates are similar to those proposed in July 2025, with the overall content and approach largely unchanged. Specifically, the amendments retain two distinct pathways for water right holders: (1) a voluntary agreement (VA) pathway for flow and habitat commitments under the Healthy River and Landscapes (HRL) program; and (2) a regulatory pathway for water right holders that are not part of the HRL proposal.” To continue reading, click here.

NCBA Pushes to Reduce Frivolous Environmental Litigation in House Hearing National Cattlemen’s Beef Association “In 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that 71 sue-and-settle cases resulted in more than 100 new regulations and more than $100 million in new annual compliance costs for federal agencies. Since that time, costs have continued to stack up, straining already tight budgets and greatly reducing government efficiency. [The Equal Access to Justice Act] has the right level of financial limits for individuals and businesses, and these limits should be amended to include non-profits. Groups whose sole mission is to sue the federal government should not be able to continue coming back to EAJA to fund their political efforts.” To continue reading, click here.