CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY
Jan. 26, 2026
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Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee Hosts “Human-Wildlife Conflict” Hearing Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee will host an informational hearing on Human-Wildlife Conflict (a livestream of the hearing will be available on the Assembly’s website). The hearing aims to inform legislators of the impacts that wildlife species – particularly predator species like black bears, mountain lions, wolves and coyotes – have on Californians in both rural and urban settings, as well as to explore policy solutions to address human-wildlife conflicts.
The hearing will include three panels: one on California Department of Fish and Wildlife perspectives, one regarding scientific and research perspectives and another exploring on-the-ground impacts of human-wildlife conflicts. CCA has been invited to share ranchers’ perspectives on human-wildlife conflicts during the panel, and CCA staff will appear during the final panel of the informational hearing.
In particular, CCA staff will discuss the impacts of mountain lions and gray wolves on livestock and will overview ranchers’ frustrations with current management of both species. The hearing will also provide CCA staff an opportunity to highlight CCA’s request that more than $30 million be appropriated in the 2026-27 State Budget to properly fund CDFW’s Wolf Program.
For additional details regarding tomorrow’s hearing, listen to today’s episode of the CCA Sorting Pen podcast.
Connect with CCA at the Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale This Week
If you’re headed to the Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale, be sure to stop by the CCA booth in the trade show all week to connect with CCA staff and leadership. Noah Lopez and Jack Rice with the California Cattlemen’s Foundation’s Rancher Technical Assistance Program (supported by the California Cattle Council) will also be available to meet with you in the trade show.
You’re also invited to join a discussion of Common Ground efforts with CCA following the Western Video Market Sale this coming Thursday, Jan. 29. Sale time is 11:00 am in the Don Smith Pavilion. For more details on the discussion, click here.
Newsom Proclaims Special Election for 1st Congressional District
Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) – a farmer and staunch advocate for farmers and ranchers throughout his Northern California district – passed away earlier this month at the age of 65. On January 16, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed that a special election will be held 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.” For additional details, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.
Upcoming Industry Events
Beef Cattle Health Webinar Series Happening Tuesdays in January
Jan. 6 – 27, 2026, Virtual
UC Cooperative Extension and UC Davis Veterinary Medicine are excited to offer a series of free online webinars for cattle producers. Every Tuesday evening in January from 5:30-7:00 we will have guest speakers presenting with a question-and-answer session, covering topics important to cattle health and management. The sessions will be live and will include lots of visuals.
January 27 – Treating Abscesses & Open Wounds with Meera C. Heller DVM, PhD, DACVIM, Professor of Clinical Livestock Medicine, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Please register for one or all sessions by clicking here. For questions or assistance please contact co-host Tracy Schohr, UC Cooperative Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for Plumas, Sierra and Butte Counties at tkschohr@ucanr.edu or 916-716-2643.
Virtual Fence in the Real World Workshop
Jan. 27, Tuolumne
Join UC Cooperative Extension Central Sierra, UC Davis, and the Brennan Ranch for a workshop focused on using virtual fencing systems on cattle operations in the Sierra region! The workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 11:30am to 2:30pm at the Tuolumne County Resilience Center (18241 Bay Avenue, Tuolumne, CA). Lunch will be provided. Workshop topics will include an overview of virtual fencing systems (what they are, how they work), the basic economics of using virtual fence, an overview of using virtual fencing systems on U.S. Forest Service grazing allotments, and rancher conversations on the practicalities of training cattle to these systems and using virtual fence in big landscapes. Registration is $25 per person. To register, click here. For more information, contact Dan Macon at dmacon@ucanr.edu or (209) 454-8472.
Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale
Jan. 27 – 31, Red Bluff
See the full schedule of events here.
Beef Quality Assurance Training
Jan. 29, Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, Browns Valley
Register now for an in-person Beef Quality Assurance training session led by Dr. Gaby Maier, DVM from UC Davis. This course will be a combination of classroom and chute-side learning. Click here to register and get more details.
Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Tradeshow
Feb. 3 – 5, 2026, Nashville
Get all the details on CattleCon 2026 and register at convention.ncba.org.
Industry News
Colorado plans to reintroduce wolverines to the state Western Livestock Journal “Colorado is planning on reintroducing another carnivorous animal to the state. On Jan. 15, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) unveiled a 106-page restoration plan intending to restore the wolverine after what the agency calls a century-long absence. The plan was brought to fruition following the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 24-171 in the 2024 legislative session.” To continue reading, click here.
New Episode of Sorting Pen: The California Cattleman Podcast
In this episode of Sorting Pen, we’re sorting through CCA’s early 2026 legislative efforts as lawmakers return to Sacramento for the second year of a two-year session. CCA’s Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur joins to talk about what CCA is watching early on, and whether the lack of major new threats so far is encouraging—or just the calm before the storm. We also dive into CCA’s request for funding for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wolf Program, Kirk’s upcoming opportunity to testify on human-wildlife coexistence, and more.
Click here to listen or stream it wherever you listen to podcasts.
