Farm Bureau at work California Farm Bureau’s government affairs team is at the Capitol, advocating for farmers, ranchers and agriculture’s future. Here are some key issues Farm Bureau is focused on this week.
Healthy Soils The California Department of Food and Agriculture held a public listen- ing session last week to accept farmer, rancher and stakeholder feedback on a new block grant framework to third-par- ty organizations for the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, or SWEEP. The Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation is exploring a block grant pilot program, rather than the current process of direct applications to CDFA, which the department says will allow flexibility, technical assistance and ca- pacity building at the regional level. California Farm Bureau has concerns with this new approach. Instead of funds going directly to farmers and ranchers to implement Healthy Soils and SWEEP practices, a large percentage of funds, in- cluding up to 25% in indirect expenses, will be funneled through nonprofits and incur third-party administration costs. That will result in less money for farmers and ranchers who want to help achieve climate-smart practices. Many Farm Bureau members partici- pated in the listening session and testi- fied about their first-hand experiences with the programs and their success in implementing them. Wildfire Mitigation Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued guidance to assist local governments on best practices and mitigation measures to address the threat of wildfire and com- ply with the California Environmental Quality Act. The guidance applies state- wide but is intended primarily for the wildland–urban interface. The attorney general’s office says the guidelines are intended to help local agencies comply with CEQA when ana- lyzing and mitigating a proposed proj- ect’s impact on wildfire ignition risk, emergency access and evacuation. The guidance advises cities, counties and other local agencies on the following: • Project density: Local governments should strive to increase housing density and consolidate design, relying on high- er density infill developments as much as possible. • Project location: Local governments should limit development along steep slopes and amid rugged terrain to de- crease exposure to rapid fire spread and increase accessibility for firefighting. • Water supply and infrastructure: As part of evaluating a project’s wildfire-risk impacts, local governments should ana- lyze the adequacy of water supplies and infrastructure to address firefighting within the project site. They should also consider requiring on-site water supply or storage to augment ordinary supplies that may be lost during a wildfire. • Evacuation and emergency access: Local governments should consider placing developments close to existing road and evacuation infrastructure, and
cluded that a listing is not warranted at this time. The commission recently postponed a potential vote until February on whether to issue the listing. Farm Bureau joined a coalition in June to support the rec- ommendation against the listing and remains engaged on the issue.
where appropriate, constructing addi- tional roads to facilitate evacuations. • Fire hardening structures and homes: Local governments should require devel- opers to upgrade building materials and use installation techniques to increase the development’s resistance to heat, flames and embers beyond what is re-
quired in applicable building codes. Wildlife The California Fish and Game Commission heard arguments on the possible listing of the Western Joshua Tree under the California Endangered Species Act. A Department of Fish and Wildlife status review report in April con-
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annual meeting
December 2-7, 2022 • Monterey AND YF&R STATE CONFERENCE
CALIFORNIA MARKETPLACE
Enjoy live cooking demonstrations and booths highlighting the bounty and artisan goods of Farm Bureau members. Taste, talk and shop!
Delve into topics including water, Senate Bill 11, media training, and membership recruitment and retention.
WORKSHOPS
Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, CAFB director of science and research, introduces the exciting new work being done by the California Bountiful Foundation.
PRESENTATIONS
SUNDAY ACTIVITIES
Kick off the meeting with a FarmPAC ® cornhole tournament, farm tours, golfing and whale watching.
• Continuing Education (CE) sessions on pesticide licensing • Annual award banquet recognizing counties and individuals • Receptions and networking • Silent and live auctions • YF&R State Conference workshops, awards and networking PLUS
For more information, visit cfbf.com/annual-meeting or call 916-561-5594
20 Ag Alert October 19, 2022
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