CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

August 17, 2026

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CCA Priorities Fare Well During Appropriations ‘Suspense Day’
Thursday was “suspense day” in the State Legislature, during which appropriators in the Senate and Assembly consider bills with significant costs to the state (those in excess of $50,000 to $150,000, depending on fund source and which chamber is considering the measure). Appropriators considered more than 850 bills during last week’s rapid-fire hearings.

Fortunately, CCA’s legislative priorities fared incredibly well on suspense day.

Two CCA-supported bills designed to strengthen the state’s wildfire resilience advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee: CCA-supported AB 1699 (Rogers), dubbed The Good Fire Act, and CCA-supported AB 1891 (Connelly), which would establish the Beneficial Fire Capacity Program within CAL FIRE.

Perhaps more importantly, a duo of bills CCA strenuously opposed were killed in Committee. Most notably, the Assembly Appropriations Committee held SB 1305 (Richardson), a CCA-opposed measure which would have required CDFW to study the feasibility of reintroducing grizzly bears to the state. CCA-opposed SB 601 (Allen), a two-year bill which sought to impose onerous state-level wetlands regulations in response to a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision which eased federal burdens, also failed to advance out of committee.

Two bills CCA previously opposed – SB 1135 (Blakespear), regarding the “Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program,” and SB 675 (Padilla), revising the composition and duties of the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District – moved out of committee only after their authors took amendments to address CCA’s concerns.

Lawmakers now have just two weeks for final votes on bills before Session adjourns on August 31, after which Governor Newsom will have one month to sign or veto measures passed by the Legislature. A detailed scorecard of CCA’s priority legislation will be published in the November edition of the California Cattleman magazine.

CDFW Shares Quarterly Wolf Program Updates
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife last week announced the release of its quarterly wolf news update and other periodic reports from the agency’s Wolf Program.

According to CDFW’s second-quarter Wolf Management Update, the state maintains its previously-recognized count of 12 wolf packs – though the report notes that the state’s southernmost wolf pack, Tulare County’s Yowlumni Pack, has not been detected since the beginning of the year and will no longer be considered an active pack if not detected by the end of September. Indeed, the Department’s newly-released map identifying areas of gray wolf activity omits the Yowlumni Pack.

According to CDFW, five wolf packs have been reproductively active this year, with the Ashpan, Harvey, Lassen, Whitehorse and Whaleback packs producing a minimum of 25 pups total in 2026.

Only four packs (the Ashpan, Harvey, Whitehorse and Whaleback packs) currently have at least one wolf fitted with a functioning GPS-tracking collar.

Finally, the Department has posted an update to its 2026 Wolf-Livestock Depredation Report. According to the report, there have been 45 confirmed or probable depredations of livestock by wolves (as determined by the Department) as of the beginning of August.

For more information, see the Department’s announcement.

Share Your Favorite Recipe from Your California Ranch!
The California Cattlemen’s Foundation is collecting recipes from California ranching families to share with Californians through upcoming storytelling projects, including the CalResilient newsletter and a special event celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer. We’re looking for recipes that tell a story, such as family favorites, meals made after a long day working cattle, dishes passed down through generations, or seasonal recipes that bring people together. Right now, we’re especially looking for late-summer and fall recipes, but recipes of all kinds are welcome. If you’d like to participate, please send your recipe to katier@calcattlemen.org. If you’re able, include a few sentences about the recipe’s story or significance to your family, along with a photo of the finished dish, your family, or the people who make it. Have questions or want to learn more? Reach out to Katie.

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.

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Industry News

USDA Accelerates Screwworm Response Efforts American Ag Network “USDA says a Texas facility designed to produce sterile flies for New World Screwworm control will open in spring 2027, earlier than previously expected. The facility is expected to produce 100 million sterile flies per week by the end of 2027, increasing to as many as 300 million weekly by the end of 2028.” To continue reading, click here.

Expiration of wage exemptions for goat, sheep herders threaten prescribed grazing Napa Valley Register “California’s system for paying sheep and goat herders has slipped into a legal gray area just as demand for wildfire fuel grazing is surging.” To continue reading, click here.