CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

July 27, 2026

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Join CCA for Washington, D.C. Fly-In
The California Cattlemen’s Association is excited to invite members to attend the Association’s Washington, D.C. Fly-In, taking place Sept. 13 – 16.

On Monday, Sept. 14 and Tuesday, Sept. 15 CCA will schedule visits with federal agencies, members of California’s Congressional delegation and relevant stakeholders to advocate for California’s ranchers.

If you are interested in joining the delegation, please email CCA Executive Vice President Billy Gatlin at billy@calcattlemen.org by August 7. Participants are responsible for the costs of travel and lodging. Those attending should plan to arrive at any time on Sunday, Sept. 13 and depart at any time on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

USDA to Reopen Southern Ports for Live Cattle Crossing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Friday that the agency will initiate a “phased reopening of southern cattle ports” contingent upon Mexico’s adherence to a joint action plan between Mexican and American animal health agencies. The southern border has been closed to cattle crossings since July 7, 2025 due to the northward spread of New World screwworm.

The phased reopening will begin with the Douglas, Ariz. port of entry, set to reopen on August 24. Douglas borders the Mexican State of Sonora, which USDA notes is 325 miles from the nearest active case of New World screwworm. According to the agency, Sonora has “maintained a strong animal health infrastructure program” which has been more successful at staving off New World screwworm than other Mexican states.

According to USDA, “Every animal entering the United States through these ports will undergo a full USDA inspection to ensure it is free of any signs of” New World screwworm.

Should reopening of the Douglas port prove successful, USDA will consider reopening cattle ports of entry at Santa Teresa, NM and Columbus, NM, both bordering the Mexican state of Chihuahua (which USDA notes has an animal health track record similar to that of Sonora).

For additional information, see USDA’s press release.

USFWS Announces Rules Reforming Federal Endangered Species Act
On Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published two rules amending its regulations implementing the federal Endangered Species Act. The first ruleeliminates the ‘blanket 4(d)’ rule, under which all ‘threatened’ species were managed in the same manner as ‘endangered’ species unless species-specific rules were adopted under Section 4(d) of the ESA allowing for management flexibility. Under the recently-finalized reform, there will now be different regulatory intensities for ‘threatened’ and ‘endangered’ species.

The second rule permits USFWS to consider all relevant factors when designating critical habitat for threatened and endangered species under Section 4(b)(2) of the ESA, including social and economic costs. The revised rule also permits the agency to decline to designate critical habitat when such costs outweigh the benefits to the threatened or endangered species.

The rules – which formally take effect on August 20 – are substantially similar to reforms implemented at the end of the first Trump Administration which were subsequently rolled back under the Biden Administration.

UC Davis Studies Confirm Wolf Impacts on Cattle; CDFW Authorizes More Aggressive Hazing by Local Law Enforcement
Earlier this month, U.C. Davis announced the publication of two studies examining the impact of California’s growing wolf population upon cattle herds in the state. The first study found that cattle DNA was present in 86% of the wolf scats collected in 2022 and 55% of the scats collected in 2023 and estimated that cattle accounted for 50% to 60% of wolf diet biomass during that period. The second study found that cattle exposed to wolf presence had elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which “has been linked to reduced fertility” and disrupted ovulation in cattle. For additional details, see the July 13 edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

Separately, The Sacramento Bee reported this month that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has executed agreements with sheriffs offices in Sierra, Lassen and Modoc counties authorizing the use of more-aggressive hazing techniques – including “paintballs, pepper balls, bean bags, rubber bullets and sustained pursuit” – to deter wolves. According to the Bee’s reporting, CDFW is developing a plan that would authorize “ranchers and other trained civilians to haze the wolves” using “paintballs and sustained pursuit.” For additional details, see the Bee’s reporting.

FSA Finalizes Improvements to Disaster Assistance Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this month that its Farm Service Agency “is making significant improvements to its disaster assistance and commodity loan programs” as required by the 2025 Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Under the new rules, the Livestock Indemnity Program will now compensate producers for 100% of the market value of livestock lost from predation by federally-listed threatened and endangered animals, such as wolves. The program will also begin compensating ranchers for the loss of unborn livestock if the mother was gestating at the time of her death. Rules governing the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) have also been amended, lowering the eligibility threshold for producers to access financial assistance due to drought. For additional details, see USDA’s announcement or the July 13 edition of California Cattleman Weekly. To find your local USDA Service Center, click here.

2026 California Cattlemen’s Association Scholarships are Open Now! 
In 2025, CCA awarded over $51,000 in scholarships to students studying agriculture. Applications must be typed and returned in full to the California Cattlemen’s Association office by Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 11:59pm via email to Gracie at gracie@calcattemen.org. For more information about CCA’s offered scholarships and to access the scholarship application, click here.

Upcoming Industry Events

CCA in the News

Gridley Rancher Joins EPA Committee The Gridley Herald “The California Farm Bureau, California Cattlemen’s Association, and Butte County Farm Bureau today jointly announced the appointment of Ryan Schohr of Gridley, Calif., to serve on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC) for the 2026–2027 term.” To continue reading, click here.

Grizzly bill charges forward with ranchers caught in the path Agri-Pulse“The California Farm Bureau, California Cattlemen’s Association and California State Beekeepers Association oppose the legislation, along with the Rural County Representatives of California, the California State Association of Counties, and officials from Siskiyou and Shasta counties.” To continue reading, click here.

Farm groups fret increase in California’s H-2A minimum wage Capital Press “The Farm Bureau and other critics say the bill would further burden farms that already operate in extremely thin margins amid rising labor, regulatory, water and energy costs. Nearly three dozen ag and business organizations are listed as opponents, including the California Fresh Fruit Association, the California Cattlemen’s Association, the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Western Growers.” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

They’re on our flag, but do long-gone grizzly bears belong in modern California? CalMatters “The grizzly bear on California’s flag went extinct a century ago in the Golden State. Now, a group of tribes and environmentalists is urging the Legislature to study whether it’s possible to bring them back.” To continue reading, click here.

California wolves are back. Here’s how the state can coexist with them San Francisco Chronicle “[D]ue to a lack of funding in 2024, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had to cut a vital program and the jobs of roughly 20 staff members who were trained to handle human-wildlife conflict. I was one of them. The staff that remained were stretched even thinner, taking on former conflict staff members’ workload, including working with ranchers to find ways to help reduce livestock deaths from wolves.” To continue reading, click here.

Reinstating mCOOL Would Cost U.S. Beef and Pork Supply Chain $1 Billion Annually Drovers “If mandatory country-of-origin labeling (mCOOL) for beef and pork is reinstated, it would cost the U.S. meat supply chain more than $1 billion annually — and consumers would bear most of that burden, the Meat Institute announced after the release of a new economic analysis by Decision Innovation Solutions.” To continue reading, click here.

California explores how farm byproducts, forest materials and food waste can be repurposed CDFA Planting Seeds Blog “An example of the bioeconomy in practice is how California’s almond industry is already creating value through agricultural circularity. Almond hulls sold as livestock feed fetch roughly $76 to $106 per ton, or about $160 million to $230 million. Another opportunity authors identify is returning almond shells to orchards as a potassium amendment and mulch, possibly generating another $21 million to $31 million in annual revenue while recycling nutrients, improving soil health and reducing waste.” To continue reading, click here.