CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN WEEKLY

March 9, 2026

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CDFW Shares Wolf Depredation Update
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday released a summary of all wolf-livestock depredation investigations conducted between January 1 and February 20. According to the Department, livestock producers suffered 16 confirmed or probable wolf depredations across 14 incidents, with Siskiyou County’s Whaleback Pack responsible for six of those depredations. Fourteen of the losses were cattle. Additionally, one horse in Lassen County was attacked by the Tunnison Pack on New Years Day and an ewe was killed by a dispersing wolf in Plumas County on January 24.

On Thursday, the Department posted to social media an update regarding the Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program, which it says has provided $3.52 million in compensation grants since the Program was established in 2021. That sum nearly exhausts the $3.6 million appropriated in 2021 and 2024, though an additional $2 million in compensation funding authorized in the 2025-26 Budget Act remains available.

CCA continues to lobby the Legislature for renewed funding for CDFW’s Wolf Program and is actively working with the Department to improve delivery of the Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program.

The Facts About CCA-Supported AB 1421 (Wilson)
In recent weeks, there has been a great deal of misinformation circulating about CCA-supported AB 1421 (Wilson), a bill which would require the California Transportation Commission to “prepare research and recommendations related to a road user charge or a mileage-based fee system.” To be clear, the legislation does not authorize any new taxes or fees.

To correct the record, here are the facts about the proposed Legislation:

• California is likely to face a $31 billion shortfall in roadway maintenance funding over the next decade as gas tax revenues decline due to improvements in fuel efficiency and increased adoption of electric vehicles.
• Electric vehicle owners pay only $118/year for a “road improvement fee.” Meanwhile, owners of gas-powered vehicles pay on average $300/year in gas taxes – with rural residents and agricultural producers taking a much greater hit.
• Without legislative change, rural roadways could rapidly deteriorate, or lawmakers could even seek to further increase the gas tax to bridge the revenue gap.
• AB 1421 does not establish any new taxes or fees. It merely authorizes additional research into road use fees. Additionally, the bill mandates extensive stakeholder consultation, including from “transportation user groups.”
• CCA will strongly oppose any future legislative or regulatory measures which propose increased taxes or fees for agricultural producers and rural drivers.
• Should future road use fee proposals materialize, they are not inherently threatening to agricultural producers – such fees could simply require electric vehicle owners to pay their fair share for road maintenance, for instance.

For additional information about AB 1421, including additional perspective from CCA, see the recent CalMatters story about the measure.

Governor Newsom Initiates Development of 2028 California Water Plan
Governor Gavin Newsom announced late last month that he is initiating the develop of the 2028 California Water Plan “to modernize statewide water planning in response to climate-driven extremes and long-term water reliability challenges.” The California Water Plan is updated every five years, but legislation signed into law last year mandated several new requirements for the 2028 iteration of the Plan. Most notably, it requires the Department of Water Resources to establish an “interim planning target” of increasing the state’s water capacity by 9 million acre-feet by 2040 to offset a projected water supply reduction resulting from “hotter and drier weather conditions.” For more information, see last week’s edition of California Cattleman Weekly.

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CCA in the News

Collar Push for California Wolves Ag Information Network “Last week I spoke with Kirk Wilbur, Vice President of Government Affairs for the California Cattlemen’s Association. He says ranchers, wolf advocates, and state wildlife officials may disagree on many things, but they agree it’s important to reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock. ‘And the best way to do that is to know where wolves are so that ranchers can be proactive in protecting their herd. And the best way to have that information is to have those GPS collars on as many wolves in the state of California as possible.’” To continue reading, click here.

Industry News

CDFA, academic community and industry stakeholders introduce California Agricultural Research & Innovation Roadmap California Department of Food and Agriculture “As California agriculture faces both challenges and opportunities, a coalition of state, academic and agricultural industry partners is introducing the California Agricultural Research & Innovation Roadmap, a blueprint to guide and accelerate scientific discovery, and commercialization and real-world adoption of next-generation tools.” To continue reading, click here.

Study examines practicality of methane-reducing seaweed for grazing cattle UCANR Food Blog “The researchers’ new study of the cow-calf system at Sierra Foothill REC uses a ‘Smart Feeder,’ which features a shed-like structure that controls cattle’s access to the mineral supplement housed inside. It can provide four different treatments – two with plain mineral (no seaweed), and two with different formulations of the seaweed additive-mineral supplement mix.” To continue reading, click here.

What is Sen. Schumer’s Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act? Drovers “According to a March 3 article in The Wall Street Journal — ‘Senate Democrats to Propose Meat Industry Breakup’ —Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to introduce legislation to break up what he sees as a monopoly while increasing scrutiny of foreign-owned companies.” To continue reading, click here.