LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN
August 1, 2022
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Newsom Declares Wildfire Emergency in Siskiyou County Due to McKinney Fire
On Saturday, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Siskiyou County due to the McKinney Fire and two smaller fires – the Evans and China 2 fires – which had merged.
In a press release, Newsom’s office noted that the McKinney Fire had “destroyed homes, threatened critical infrastructure and forced the evacuation of almost 2,000 residents” while the China 2 and Evans fires had prompted evacuation warnings of more than 200 residents.
As of this morning, the McKinney Fire has burned 55,493 acres and is 0% contained. The emergency declaration provides Siskiyou County greater access to state resources to combat the blaze and improves impacted residents’ access to emergency assistance.
The proclamation came one week after Newsom issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in Mariposa County due to the Oak Fire (for which the State also secured a federal assistance grant); that blaze has now scorched 19,244 acres and is 72% contained.
CCA will continue to keep membership informed about state and federal responses to wildfires within the state. Additional information about these and other wildfire incidents can be found via Cal Fire and InciWeb.
SWRCB Curtails Additional Rights in Sacramento-San Joaquin and Russian River Watersheds
In addition to water rights curtailments previously detailed in Legislative Bulletin, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) on Tuesday imposed new curtailments within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed.
Curtailments in the Cache Creek subwatershed have been expanded to water rights with a priority date of 1859 or later and water rights within the Stony Creek subwatershed with a priority date of 1914 or later have been curtailed.
The above curtailments are expected to continue through summer and the beginning of fall, depending on precipitation. Access the Delta Drought Webpage to see if your water rights have been curtailed by this or a previous curtailment order.
Effective today, the SWRCB has updated curtailments within the Russian River watershed; visit the Russian River Drought Response webpage to find the latest curtailment statuses.
For questions about curtailment and suspension notices or how to comply, please contact the Rancher Technical Assistance Program at (916) 409-6902 or rtap@wrstrat.com.
New Episode of Stories from California Cattle Country
Stories from California Cattle Country, Stories from U.S. Route 395 with the Fogartys and Spainhower Anchor Ranch is out now. To listen to the episode click here. Stories from California Cattle Country is produced by the California Cattlemen’s Foundation with support from the California Cattle Council. If you want a glimpse into our travels, follow the podcast’s Instagram account @calcattlecountry.
USFWS Rolls Back Trump-Era ESA Regulation Regarding Critical Habitat Exclusions
On July 21, the US Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule rescinding a Trump-era Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulation which had allowed permittees, lessees or contractors operating on federal lands – including grazing permittees – to request that certain federal lands be excluded from critical habitat designations based on undesirable “economic or other impacts.” The action is just the latest of several moves the Biden Administration has taken in recent months to upend ESA reforms made during the Trump presidency. For more information, see last week’s Legislative Bulletin and the July edition of CCA’s Hot Irons newsletter.
2022 CCA Scholarship Applications Now Available
Applications for the 2022 CCA Scholarships are being accepted now through October 1, 2022. CCA awarded $63,000 in scholarships to students studying agriculture, although scholarship amounts and quantities vary year to year. Current CCA members (producer, feeder or YCC) that are currently enrolled at a university or college are eligible to apply. Past recipients of her CCA scholarship program may also apply again this year. For a complete list of awards and to download the application visit calcattlemen.org/scholarships. Contact Maureen in the CCA office at maureen@calcattlemen.org with any questions.
Upcoming Industry Events
Working Rangelands Wednesdays Webinars
June 29 – Sept. 7, Virtually
Join UC Cooperative Extension advisors, specialists, researchers and ranchers for a biweekly summer webinar series highlighting applied, land manager-oriented solutions for rangeland drought challenges. Webinars will air biweekly from 6pm to 6:45pm. Click here to register and receive a link to the following scheduled webinars.
August 10: Culling vs. Feeding
August 24: Irrigating with limited water
September 7: Fall/Winter Forecast and Remote Sensing
California Department of Food and Agriculture Listening Session “The Next Farm Bill”
August 10 – September 7, Virtual and in Person
Join in on the California Department of Food and Agriculture listening sessions for the 2023 Farm Bill. For more information regarding the Farm Bill, click here.
August 10: Virtual, click here to register.
August 16: San Diego, click here to register.
August 23: Fresno, Live Only
September 7: Live Only
Public Lands Council Annual Meeting
August 24-26, Cody, Wyoming or virtually
Come join the Public Lands Council for their Annual Meeting in Cody, Wyoming. A virtual option is available for those who can’t attend in person. The meeting will cover an array of topics including current issues, panel discussions and much more. To register for the event, click here. Click here to see the agenda.
Fall River-Big Valley Cattlemen’s Association “Sweet 16” Team Branding
September 4, 2022, McArthur, California
The Fall River-Big Valley Cattlemen’s Association will host their “Sweet 16” Team Branding in September. Entries are due by August 19, 2022. For more information and to enter email fallriverbigvalleycattlemen@gmail.com.
UC Davis Animal Science Bovine Artificial Insemination Clinic
September 12-14, UC Davis Feedlot and Beef Barn
The UC Davis Young Cattlemen’s Association will be hosting an AI Clinic taught by veterinarians from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. To register for the event, click here. Click here to see the flyer.
Industry News
By saving endangered species, this Bay Area cattle rancher also saved his family farm SFGATE “Tim Koopmann was desperate. The year was 1991, and Koopmann’s father, Herman Jr., had suddenly died before the two could set up a formal plan of succession for the Alameda County ranch that had been in the family for three generations.” To continue reading, click here.
BLM announces $275k for fire prevention at Swasey Recreation Area during Redding visit Redding Record Searchlight “The national director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management visited Redding on Monday to announce that funding has been set aside for fire prevention work at the Swasey Recreation Area west of Redding.” To continue reading, click here.
Firefighters credit goat grazing for quick containment of brush fire in Paso Robles KSBY 6 “A fire burned a little more than an acre in the Salinas Riverbed south of the Niblick Bridge in Paso Robles on Tuesday afternoon. Fire officials say crews were able to quickly contain the fire because of goat and sheep grazing that was recently completed in the area. The animals are used as a fuel abatement technique, eating up potentially hazardous grass and brush.” To continue reading, click here.
At Yosemite a Preservation Plan That Calls for Chain Saws The New York Times “The towering trees of Yosemite National Park have long held a treasured place in the American psyche, whether the ancient and majestic sequoias, the Ponderosa pines with their snake-patterned bark, or the acorn-laden black oaks, the lifeblood of many Native American cultures.” To continue reading, click here.
Matt MacFarlane is back on the podcast for Season 2, Episode 15 to talk about his experience at Western Video Market’s July sale in Reno. Later in the episode he talks about the upcoming fall bull sale run and gives advice for deciding which bulls to buy. Click here to listen.
