CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

Newsom Approves $2.5 Billion in Wildfire Relief for Los Angeles County
Just ten days after issuing a proclamation incorporating wildfire response and recovery into the ongoing special session of the Legislature, Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed into law two bills providing upwards of $2.5 billion in disaster response funds to areas of Los Angeles County ravaged by recent wildfires.

The first bill provides $1.5 billion for a variety of purposes, including evacuation and sheltering survivors, remediating post-fire hazards like flash flooding and landslides, air- and water-quality testing and safeguarding people and property, with $1 billion of that funding available immediately. The second measure provides upwards of $1 billion in additional funding for those purposes, along with money for rebuilding fire-damaged schools and inspecting other buildings.

Both bills passed on a bipartisan basis without opposition, though a Republican proposal to pair the relief with an additional $1 billion for wildfire prevention was defeated along party lines.

Lawmakers expect most of the funding to eventually be reimbursed by the federal government, though that expectation has been complicated by recent suggestions that disaster aid might be conditioned on unrelated policy changes at the state level.

FinCEN Won’t Immediately Enforce Corporate Transparency Act Despite Supreme Court Lifting Injunction
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an injunction which had prevented enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), federal legislation which would require many farms and ranches with 20 or fewer employees to begin filing “beneficial ownership information” with the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Despite the Supreme Court’s decision, FinCEN on Friday clarified that the “reporting companies are not currently required to file beneficial ownership information with FinCEN” and “are not subject to liability if they fail to file this information” because a separate injunction against enforcement of the CTA is currently in place.

As previously discussed in California Cattleman Weekly, there have been frequent developments regarding the CTA in the courts and at FinCEN, resulting in a great deal of regulatory uncertainty for employers. Given this uncertainty, CCA partner the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) urges ranchers “to consult an attorney and/or tax professional regarding personal impacts from the Corporate Transparency Act.”

There is likely to be additional activity surrounding the CTA in the months to come. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in a suit challenging the law on March 25, and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) has introduced H.R. 425 to repeal the CTA. Additionally, NCBA is lobbying “President Trump, and his nominee for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to rescue millions of American small business owners from these burdensome reporting requirements and delay enforcement until a meaningful solution is found.”

UPDATE: President Trump Surveys Damage from Los Angeles County Fires
Last week, California Cattleman Weekly reported on the broad scope of state and federal responses to a series of catastrophic wildfires that have burned in Los Angeles County this month, including a gubernatorial state of emergency declaration and a presidential major disaster declaration.

In the last week, at least two major developments have arisen regarding the wildfires in Los Angeles County. First, on Wednesday yet another wildfire erupted, with the Hughes Fire quickly engulfing more than 10,000 acres and triggering new evacuation orders. As of press time, the Hughes Fire was 95% contained.

Second, President Donald Trump on Friday traveled to Los Angeles County where he met with Governor Newsom, surveyed the damage from the Palisades Fire and participated in a roundtable discussion with local residents and officials. According to the Los Angeles Times, President Trump at the roundtable “declared a national emergency, pledged to waive or expedite any federal permits needed for rebuilding, and did not mention specific conditions for federal aid.” The President also previewed his executive order “to provide water resources in California and improve disaster response.”

For more information, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly. For information regarding wildfire assistance, visit the Ranchers Technical Assistance Program website.

Register for CCA’s Legislative Webinar
CCA is excited to share with you an upcoming legislative webinar happening on Thursday, March 6 at 7 pm. CCA’s Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur will share with you proven strategies to be an effective advocate. Being able to communicate your thoughts to persuade people is a critical skill that has many applications. Whether you’re working with regulators, agency staff, local government the general public, etc. being able to persuasively advocate your position is critical to the success of your ranch.

This webinar is timed to prepare you for CCA’s 44^th Steak and Eggs Breakfast + Lobby Day. However, the information shared is applicable beyond Sacramento.

There will also be a brief update on the bills currently being considered by the legislature that will have a direct impact on how you manage your ranch.

To register for the webinar, click here.

Biden Designates Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments
Earlier this month, then-President Joe Biden issued proclamations designating the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument in eastern Riverside County and the 224,00-acre Sáttítla Highlands National Monument within the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity and Klamath National Forests. Future management of the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument has the potential to impact active U.S. Forest Service grazing allotments, and the proclamations provide that the federal government shall not issue any new grazing permits within either national monument. The designations were swiftly condemned by the livestock industry. For more information, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

Trump Targets State Electric Vehicle Mandates
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order targeting the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, which mandates that “all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in California will be zero emissions” by 2035. The order establishes federal policy directive to terminate “state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles.” The move came after California withdrew its request to the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce the state’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation, which sought to phase out the sale of new medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks by 2036. For more information, see last week’s California Cattleman Weekly.

Livestock Producers at Point Reyes Agree to Settlement Terminating Ranch Leases
The National Park Service announced earlier this month that a dozen livestock producers at the Point Reyes National Seashore have agreed to a settlement which will terminate dairy and beef operations at the Seashore. The settlement was a response to a 2022 lawsuit filed by radical anti-grazing interest groups which objected to a 2021 General Management Plan Amendment that provided for long-term grazing leases at Point Reyes. For more information, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

Water Rights Annual Reporting Deadline: Feb 1

Annual Water Diversion and Use Reports for Water Year 2024 (October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024) are due February 1, 2025. Historically referred to as “SB 88 regulations,” the California Code of Regulations sections 931-938 require all diverters in the State to record water diversion and use and then submit annual reports on the State Water Resource Control Board’s online Electronic Water Rights Management System (eWRIMS) Report Management System (RMS). This includes both direct diversions (like those from a creek) and diversions to storage (like stockponds).

Ranchers with questions or looking for help completing and submitting annual reports are encouraged to reach out to the Rancher Technical Assistance Program (RTAP) for free assistance. RTAP can be reached by phone at (916) 406-6902, by email at [email protected], or found online at calcattlemenfoundation.org/rtap.

Register for CCA’s Legislative Webinar
March 6, 2025, 7:00pm, Virtual
CCA is excited to share with you an upcoming legislative webinar happening on Thursday, March 6 at 7 pm. CCA’s Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur will share with you proven strategies to be an effective advocate. Being able to communicate your thoughts to persuade people is a critical skill that has many applications. Whether you’re working with regulators, agency staff, local government the general public, etc. being able to persuasively advocate your position is critical to the success of your ranch.

This webinar is timed to prepare you for CCA’s 44^th Steak and Eggs Breakfast + Lobby Day. However, the information shared is applicable beyond Sacramento.

There will also be a brief update on the bills currently being considered by the legislature that will have a direct impact on how you manage your ranch.

To register for the webinar, click here.

CCA Steak and Eggs Breakfast + Lobby Day
March 12, 2025, Sacramento, CA
Join the California Cattlemen’s Association and other CCA members at the 44th Steak and Eggs Breakfast + Lobby Day. Plan to be in Sacramento on Wednesday, March 12. Breakfast starts at 8am! Over breakfast, enjoy sharing about your ranch while meeting representatives from regulatory and legislative offices in Sacramento. Following the breakfast, attendees will head across the street to the state Capitol to continue conversations about ranching in California. To RSVP for the event, email our membership and events coordinator Gracie LeCheminant at [email protected] or visit our website by clicking here. The deadline to RSVP is March 1.

Feeder Meeting Registration Now Open!
May 21-22, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, San Diego, CA
Online registration for Feeder Meeting is now open! To register, click here. Registration prices will increase after 3/10. To book your room in the room block at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, click here. Check back in the coming weeks for additional meeting details.

UCCE & UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Cattle Health Webinar Series
Tuesdays, 5:30 – 7:00pm, Month of January, Virtual
Join the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and UC Davis Veterinary Medicine for the 2025 Cattle Health Webinar Series! The series of free online webinars for cattle producers will take place every Tuesday evening in January from 5:30 – 7:00pm. The series will cover topics important to cattle health and management and will be held live so participants have the opportunity to ask questions. Below find the webinar series schedule.
These webinars are FREE to participate but registration is required. to register, click here.

Common Cattle Foot Issues
Jan. 28, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Meera Heller, DVM, PhD, DACVIM Professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

UCCE Offers AB 589 Water Measurement and Reporting Course
Jan. 30, 9:00am-12:30pm, UCANR Building, 2801 2^nd Street, Davis, CA
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) will offer a water measurement and reporting course, as authorized by CCA-sponsored AB 589 (2017) and SB 880 (2022), on Thursday, January 30. Registration is $35 and pre-registration is required. For additional details and to register for the training, click here or contact Larry Forero or Sara Jaimes.

2025 CattleCon
Feb. 4 – 6, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX
2025 CattleCon is headed to San Antonio! To register, view a tentative schedule and for additional information click here.

2025 Society for Range Management Annual Meeting
Feb. 9-13, Spokane, WA
Join the Society for Range Management (SRM) for their annual meeting, Feb. 9-13, in Spokane, WA. On Feb. 10 a producers forum will take place and ranchers can attend virtually or in person. To learn more about the event, view a schedule, and register, click here.

2025 Rustici Rangeland Science Symposium
Feb. 18, 8:00 am, UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center (ARC)
The 2025 Rustici Rangeland Science Symposium is taking place on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center. The symposium provides the opportunity to bring together ranchers, land managers, conservationists policymakers and scientists to collaborate. This year’s symposium will cover transformational shifts in the environment, policy and society, with key themes including, climate and weather; wildfire resilience; and ranching with wolves. For additional details and registration information, click here. Early bird registration ends on Jan. 17.