CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

Jan. 20, 2026

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Congress Advances Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate approved H.R. 6938, the “Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026.” The legislation would fund several federal agencies (including the Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency) through the remainder of the fiscal year, partially avoiding a January 30 government shutdown. The measure is currently awaiting action from President Donald Trump.

The appropriations package would provide $14.5 billion in funding for the Department of the Interior, including $1.3 billion for the Bureau of Land Management and $1.7 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bill also appropriates $8.6 billion to the U.S. Forest Service, with $310.6 million of that earmarked for forest and rangeland research.

According to CCA’s national partner the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the bill contains several wins for cattle producers, including a prohibition against the USFWS listing the greater sage-grouse under the federal Endangered Species Act and $1.52 billion for wildland fire management.

As previously reported by California Cattleman Weekly, fiscal year 2026 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs were approved in November. Legislation to fund the Department of the Treasury and the State Department is pending in the Senate, and a bill to fund all remaining federal agencies ahead of the January 30 shutdown deadline was introduced this morning.

Newsom Proclaims Special Election for 1^st Congressional District
Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) passed away earlier this month at the age of 65. The Congressman, himself a fourth-generation rice farmer, was a staunch advocate for farmers and ranchers throughout his sprawling Northern California district and often attended local cattlemen’s association meetings to hear directly from his agricultural constituents. He is mourned by CCA and the agricultural producers he steadfastly represented throughout his district (and beyond).

As noted in last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly, California law required that Governor Gavin Newsom proclaim a special election to fill the Congressional vacancy caused by Rep. LaMalfa’s passing within two weeks of his death. Newsom did so on Friday, proclaiming a special election for Tuesday, August 4 – the latest date available under California law. The Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee panned Newsom’s move as “a disservice to the people of California’ First District” which denies them “a voice in Congress…for purely political reasons.”

The primary election for the vacant 1^st Congressional District will be consolidated with the June 2 Primary Election and will occur within the current, pre-Proposition-50 district boundaries. The August 4 special election will determine who serves the District for the current term ending in January of 2027.

CDFW to Attempt Helicopter-Assisted Capture and Collaring of Wolves
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced that is initiating efforts this month to capture gray wolves in the state to fit them with GPS collars. According to CDFW’s press release, the agency is primarily targeting wolves in Lassen, Siskiyou and Tehama counties, though the agency may additionally seek to capture “other uncollared packs or wolf groups in Modoc, Shasta and Plumas counties.” CDFW is also attempting to capture and collar deer and elk to improve the agency’s “understanding of species distribution, habitat use, abundance, migration patterns, recruitment rates and survival.” For more information, see the January 5 edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

Newsom Administration Releases Proposed FY 2026-27 Budget
Earlier this month, California Director of Finance Joe Stephanshaw unveiled Governor Gavin Newsom’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27. The Governor’s spending plan totals $349 billion and aims to close what the Department of Finance projects to be a $2.9 billion deficit. Newsom’s spending plan proposes to tap into $2.1 billion of the $10 billion Climate Bond approved by voters in 2024, allocating $792 million for water resilience projects and $314 million for wildfire resilience. For additional details – including CCA’s 2026-27 Budget priorities – see last week’s edition of California Cattlemen Weekly or the February edition of the California Cattleman magazine.

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Industry News

California’s plan to build largest reservoir in decades faces new snag San Francisco Chronicle “As California moves closer to construction of its largest reservoir in nearly 50 years, a union’s concerns about an out-of-state company building the water project are adding a late-stage complication.” To continue reading, click here.

Overlooked decline in grazing livestock brings risks and opportunities BEEF Magazine “When livestock numbers drop, for instance, unchecked plant growth can increase wildfire risk. Biodiversity might recover in some areas but decline in others, depending on how ecosystems respond. The researchers published the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.” To continue reading, click here.

Unprecedented livestock attacks by one California wolf pack cost $2.6 million The Sacramento Bee “The unprecedented reliance of a single Sierra Valley wolf pack on livestock for food cost local ranchers and the state of California at least $2.6 million over a roughly six-month period last year, according to researchers at UC Davis.” To continue reading, click here.