LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

August 28, 2023

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2023 CCA + CCW Convention Sponsorship Opportunities and Exhibitor Registration Open
Sponsorship opportunities for the 107th CCA + CCW Annual Convention and Industry Tradeshow are now available. CCA has multiple items available to sponsor at this year’s event. Sponsorships are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, reserve your spot now! To view the sponsorship packet click here and for further information click here.

Exhibitor registration is now open for the 2023 California Cattle Industry Tradeshow held in conjunction with the Convention. To learn more about the details and rules of exhibiting at this year’s tradeshow download the Exhibitor Agreement and Registration Packet. Booth’s can be reserved online or by submitting the packet via mail, email or fax. For further information, click here.

New Episode of Stories from California Cattle Country
A new episode of Stories from California Cattle Country is out now! Hear from Western Resource Strategies and the California Cattlemen’s Foundation’s Rancher Technical Assistance Program’s Noah Lopez along with San Diego County ranchers Allison and Bryce Fender as they talk about county Climate Action Plans. To listen to the episode click here.

CDFW Confirms New Wolf Pack in Tulare County
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has confirmed that a new wolf pack has settled in the Sequoia National Forest within Tulare County, more than 200 miles south of any other wolf packs currently known to CDFW. The wolf pack consists of at least five wolves, including a breeding female descended from OR-7 (the first modern wolf to enter California in 2011) and at least four offspring. Tulare County ranchers may now be eligible for CDFW grants to offset costs of implementing non-lethal deterrents or to provide payments to compensate for the impacts of wolf presence upon livestock (“pay-for-presence”). For more information, see the August 14 edition of Legislative Bulletin or contact Kirk Wilbur in the CCA office.

Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order to Prepare for the Next Wet Season
Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order aimed at streamlining debris removal and levee repairs in regions of the state hard hit by the series of severe winter storms that battered the state between late 2022 and early 2023. The order seeks to streamline debris removal and levee repair projects by exempting them from various environmental laws, including those pertaining to lake and streambed alteration agreements, water quality certification and review under the California Environmental Quality Act. The order is effective for the San Joaquin River, the Tulare Lake Basin, the Salinas River, the Pajaro River and for tributaries to those rivers. For more information, see the Governor’s August 4 press release.

Applications Due Thursday for FARMER Program to Replace Ag Equipment in 15 Air Districts
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has announced that applications will be accepted through this Thursday, August 31 for CARB’s Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emissions Reductions (FARMER) program in 15 air districts. The FARMER program will be distributing up to $5.4 million in funding to replace older agricultural vehicles and equipment with newer, cleaner equipment that “helps reduce emissions of harmful diesel exhaust and greenhouse gases and improves local air quality,” according to CARB. For more information, see the August 7 edition of Legislative Bulletin or the FARMER Shared Allocation Pool webpage.

2023 Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV)
From the California Department of Food and Agriculture Animal Health Branch
As of August 22, there have been 7 new VSV-affected premises identified (3 confirmed positive, 4 suspect) in California; 6 equine premises and 1 cattle premises. All confirmed cases have been vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) serotype.This is the third bovine premises that has been confirmed during this outbreak thus far. The VSV incident and situation in California remains active and ongoing, and continues to require vigilance throughout the state. Ongoing and active outreach to encourage prompt reporting of suspect lesions in horses and susceptible livestock and an immediate movement of any suspect animals will continue to assist with preventing virus spread by infected animals. To learn more, see the August 14 edition of Legislative Bulletin. To view the most current fact sheet, click here. 

Apply to Be a 2023 CCA Convention Intern 
Internship applications are open for the 2023 CCA/CCW Convention happening Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev. Selected interns will help run CCA’s tradeshow booth, onsite registration and other behind the scenes tasks at the event, they will also get to attend select meetings of interest, general sessions and the tradeshow with complimentary lodging and registration. Additionally, the interns will get to interact with CCA leadership and staff, as well as industry leaders at the best attended meeting of the year. For further information and to apply, click here. 

2023 CCA Scholarship Applications Now Available 
Applications for the 2023 CCA Scholarships are being accepted now through October 1, 2023. CCA awarded $59,000 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 CCA Events

Upcoming Industry Events

CCA in the News

Rancher: Control wildfires through grazing Farm Progress “Dave Daley, a leader in the California Cattlemen’s Association, Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, made the remarks during a House Natural Resources Committee field hearing.” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

Climate-Smart Food Systems — California works to divert byproducts to livestock feed rather than landfills CDFA Planting Seeds Blog “In 2022 the California feed industry diverted more than 18.5 million tons of byproducts from human food, fiber and biofuel production to livestock feed. If these byproducts were not diverted to feed, they would likely have gone to landfills.” To continue reading, click here.

North American grassland birds in peril, spurring all-out effort to save birds and their habitat Associated Press“Almost all of North America’s remaining prairie is on rangelands — and 90% of all grasslands are in private hands — meaning landowner cooperation is critical to stopping bird declines, scientists say. Without cattle, they say, there would be no high-quality grasslands, which require grazing and hooves on the ground to stay healthy.” To continue reading, click here.

As California fires worsen, can AI come to the rescue?The Los Angeles Times“Just before 3 a.m. one night this month, Scott Slumpff was awakened by the ding of a text message. “An ALERTCalifornia anomaly has been confirmed in your area of interest,” the message said. Slumpff, a battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, sprang into action.” To continue reading, click here.