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July 21, 2011  
Inside This Issue.....
Beleaf 50 SG Amendment Receives Final Approval
Federal Budget Talk
CFTC Commissioner Confirmation Hearing in Senate Agriculture Committee
Tea Party Jam
New Measure Would Stretch Timeline for EPA to Write Boiler Pollution Rules
People in the News
Social Media History Becomes a New Job Hurdle
California Governmental Relations Report
Workshop Focused on Gene Flow in Agriculture
Revised Williamson Act Program
Upcoming Meetings
  ________________    
Beleaf 50 SG Amendment Receives Final Approval
 

 

CSA has held a 24(C) SLN  for Beleaf 50 SG for use on "alfalfa grown seed" to control Lygus Bug and aphid for several years.  The previous label only allowed for use of Beleaf 50 SG on a  seed crop production field and once used the treated field was not allowed to be harvested at any future time for hay. CSA has been working with FMC,  CDPR,  USEPA and several others involved with alfalfa seed production to resolve this and to allow for a hay cutting to be made from a seed production field after an appropriate interval of time.  

 

CSA received support from US EPA for this language change earlier this spring and an amendment was submitted to CDPR citing the US EPA support. We have received the final approved amended label for Beleaf 50 SG that  allows a 7 month pre-harvest interval  this week from CDPR.

 

For many this has been a very long and at times frustrating road but this is a very important step that allows for the continued use of a critical tool for alfalfa seed production under the SLN category "crop grown for seed". This change was allowed due to the scientific review of Beleaf performed by US EPA this spring however this would not have taken place without the many of you who have been working on this issue for many years providing data and letters of support. This provides a good example of the agricultural industry working in partnership with CDPR and USEPA to support California seed production.

 

A copy of the label will be made available on the CSA website.

 

 

Federal Budget Talk 

   

Debt Limit Discussions Continue

With less than two weeks to go until the Aug. 2 deadline, the White House and congressional leaders continue to discuss raising the debt limit and deficit reduction proposals. There are essentially three tracks to resolve the debt-ceiling standoff. One track is McConnell-Reid, the ongoing negotiations between the Senate Majority Leader and Senate Minority Leader to pass a "failsafe" debt ceiling increase without majorities of Congress having to approve it. The second track is the talks between President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R, OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R, VA), as they try to revive a "grand bargain" (reports as of Thursday afternoon indicate this may be the horse to bet on.) And the third track is a second grand-bargain-style deal -- this one by the bipartisan """Gang of Six""" in the Senate.

 

"Right now, there are multiple trains heading towards the station, and we have to decide," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday. "And some of them may continue up to the last moment, because we need to be sure that a failsafe option is there even as we pursue, aggressively, the possibility of doing something bigger."  

 

Peterson Endorses "Gang of Six" Plan

House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson (D, MN) endorsed the bipartisan "Gang of Six" senators' budget proposal and said he has instructed his staff to begin researching a farm bill with the $11 billion in cuts that the proposal would involve. The "Gang of Six" proposal became public following the news that Sen. Tom Coburn (R, OK) had rejoined the group. It would cut agriculture spending by $11 billion over 10 years, but would protect food stamps and allow the Agriculture committees to decide how to make the cuts.

 

The proposal is a two-step legislative process. The $500 billion initial down payment would impose statutory caps on security and nonsecurity discretionary spending through 2015 and make other cuts, while the second step would include the $11 billion in agriculture cuts.

 

One key farm lobbyist said that farmers would be "dancing cartwheels" if the cuts in farm programs can be held to $11 billion over 10 years. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R, WI) proposed a $48 billion cut over 10 years in the fiscal year 2012 budget bill that the House passed. Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D, MI) has said passage of the Ryan budget proposal has made it increasingly difficult to keep the discussion of ag cuts at the $10 billion amount proposed under the Simpson-Bowles presidential commission plan.

 

The other members of the ""Gang of Six"" are Senate Minority Leader Dick Durbin (D, IL), Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D, ND), and Sens. Mark Warner (D, VA), Mike Crapo (R, ID) and Saxby Chambliss (R, GA). Conrad and Chambliss worked together closely on the 2008 farm bill and presumably helped protect agriculture.

 

Meanwhile, 34 agriculture and agribusiness groups, including the National Cotton Council, sent President Obama and House and Senate leaders a letter seeking prompt action on the debt ceiling/deficit reduction negotiations that does not require disproportionate cuts in agriculture and related programs, the cotton council said in a news release.

 

"Agriculture is prepared to take a proportionate share of budget cuts provided everything is on the table," the group's letter said. "Last year, agriculture absorbed a net $6 billion reduction, according to the Congressional Budget Office, thus making it clear we have and will do our part to help with spending and deficit control. In this time of economic uncertainty and weather-related disasters, the farm bill provides safeguards for farmers and ranchers to consistently provide a safe and stable food supply."

 

(The Hagstrom Report and Agri-Pulse contributed to this report.)

 

 

CFTC Commissioner Confirmation Hearing in Senate Agriculture Committee

   

On the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (R, MI) convened her panel Thursday to hear testimony from Mark Wetjen, President Obama's nominee to replace outgoing (CFTC) Commissioner Mike Dunn.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, NV) provided the ceremonial introduction of the nominee to the Committee, noting that Wetjen has worked for him for seven years and was deeply involved in the Senate's consideration and approval of the legislation.

 

In his testimony, Wetjen highlighted his families' Iowa roots and time spent on his grandfather's corn, soy bean and hog farming operation.  Stabenow, along with Ranking Republican Pat Roberts (R, KS), asked several questions that focused on Wetjen's ability to "get up to speed" to join the CFTC as it works to finalize the 40-plus proposed rules it has issued relative to implementation of the reforms.  In response, Wetjen noted that he had closely followed the Commission's rulemaking activities as part of his duties to the Majority Leader and was well versed on Congress' intent when the legislation was crafted.  In response to a Roberts' question, he further committed to the panel that if confirmed, he would ensure he fully understood the ramifications and potential unintended consequences of any final CFTC regulation being considered.

 

When the hearing concluded, Stabenow said she and Roberts would work together to determine when the Committee would meet to vote on Wetjen's nomination, and gave senators until Monday, July 25, to submit any additional questions for the nominee.  Once the Committee has received responses to the written questions, it likely will move quickly with a favorable vote.  However, given the storm of "which side blinks first" political battles on a number of key issues, particularly the budget and appropriations measures, a vote by the full Senate on his nomination will likely take some time.  In light of CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler's commitment to complete Dodd-Frank rulemaking by the end of the year, Wetjen may have little opportunity to exert much influence on the final regulations.

 

 

 

Tea Party Jam: A Vote Against EPA Funds Would Obviate Policy Riders

 

The anger that many House Republicans direct at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) threatens to complicate efforts to pass a spending bill for the agency that includes policy provisions that would roll back its authority. Some of the more conservative GOP members argue that the Fiscal Year 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill would not cut enough funds from the EPA, which they say oversteps its authority through regulations that hurt the economy. They want a separate vote on the section of the bill that covers the EPA - therefore allowing conservatives, including members of the Tea Party Caucus, to vote against the spending on the agency. But defeating the EPA funding would also wipe out policy riders, which many of those same conservative Republicans have championed, that are intended to curtail the agency's powers. The measure may be considered as early as next week.

 

 

New Measure Would Stretch Timeline for EPA to Write Boiler Pollution Rules
   

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would have more time to write rules on hazardous air pollution from industrial facilities under bipartisan Senate legislation introduced Wednesday. This legislation also serves to give refineries, chemical plants and other polluters longer to comply with new standards. Sens. Susan Collins (R, ME), Ron Wyden (D,OR), Lamar Alexander (R,TN), Mary Landrieu (D, LA), Mark Pryor (D, AR), and Pat Toomey (R, PA) introduced S. 1392, legislation that would allow EPA the time it has said it needs to adequately consider new boiler (MACT) rules. 


Specifically, this bipartisan legislation would: 

� Give EPA 15 months from the bill's date of enactment to re-propose and finalize the Boiler MACT regulations.

� Extend compliance deadlines from three years to at least five years which would allow facilities adequate time to comply with the new standards and install necessary equipment.

� Clarify that renewable and carbon-neutral materials remain classified as fuel and not solid waste.

� Direct EPA to ensure that the new rules are achievable by real-world boilers, process heaters, and incinerators, and impose the least burdensome regulator alternatives consistent with the President's Executive Order.

 

The draft bill would put an end to a lengthy legal battle over EPA efforts to regulate mercury, soot and other pollution emitted by industrial boilers and furnaces under the 1990 Clean Air Act. The regulation at the center of the debate would set standards for more than 200,000 boilers and incinerators nationwide that are a major source of pollution. Finalized by EPA in February to comply with a court-ordered deadline, the rules were subsequently put on hold after industry and lawmakers criticized them as overly prescriptive and costly.

 

Environmental lobbyists condemned the bill's extended deadlines, arguing that tougher pollution mandates are needed to prevent thousands of premature deaths, heart attacks and breathing illnesses. The environmental groups also oppose the timber industry provisions. A group of 27 agriculture and business groups sent a letter to Capitol Hill in support of the measure.

 

Although EPA has acknowledged the regulations need to be revised, agency officials say they are working closely with industry to streamline the regulations and argued that no legislation is necessary. The agency states it is on target to meet an October deadline for releasing a proposed version of the rule and to finalize the measure in April 2012.

 

 

People in the News
 
CSA President Ken Scarlett made the front page of the Sac Bee last week - check it out below.

Sacramento Valley is Center of World Sunflower Seed Production 

Maine has blueberries. Iowa has corn. Midsummer in the Sacramento Valley arrives with a splash of gold across the valley floor.  Sunflowers are in bloom.

 

"It's just a sea of yellow out there," said Ken Scarlett, president of Woodland-based Eureka Seeds. "They're beautiful." Scarlett stood on the edge of a 100-acre field of sunflowers south of UC Davis' Mondavi Center, along Interstate 80. The sun was setting toward the Vaca Mountains, and the Delta breeze stirred the green stalks. The flowers, taller than a man, all faced east.

 

Earlier in their life cycles, they would have turned in unison to face the sun as it traveled through the sky, a trait known as heliotropism that is particularly associated with sunflowers. Thousands of bees swarmed around the foot-wide blossoms in a pollinating frenzy. They carried pollen from the male flowers to stigmas in the females, which produce seeds. After their job is done, the male flowers are plowed under. Adults find the huge golden blooms uplifting. Children draw them to depict the sun."Everyone likes the look of the sunflower," Scarlett said.

 

 

Social Media History Becomes a New Job Hurdle
 

Companies have long used criminal background checks, credit reports and even searches on Google and LinkedIn to probe the previous lives of prospective employees. Now, some companies are requiring job candidates to also pass a social media background check. A year-old start-up, Social Intelligence, scrapes the Internet for everything prospective employees may have said or done online in the past seven years. 

 

Then it assembles a dossier with examples of professional honors and charitable work, along with negative information that meets specific criteria: online evidence of racist remarks; references to drugs; sexually explicit photos, text messages or videos; flagrant displays of weapons or bombs and clearly identifiable violent activity."We are not detectives," said Max Drucker, chief executive of the company, which is based in Santa Barbara, Calif. "All we assemble is what is publicly available on the Internet today."

 

The Federal Trade Commission, after initially raising concerns last fall about Social Intelligence's business, determined the company is in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, but the service still alarms privacy advocates who say that it invites employers to look at information that may not be relevant to job performance.

 

California Governmental Relations Report
   

The California Legislature left for a month long break. This is the first official summer break the legislature has enjoyed in almost 5 years. The Legislature will be holding interim hearings and many district tours but will return to Sacramento for session on August 15. Notable highlights from this legislative session include passing an on time budget. While enacted before the July 1 deadline, the budget is littered with gimmicks and fee increases and if state revenues do not outpace expectations the budget triggers an additional $4 billion in cuts, including a $1.75 billion cut to K-12 education.   The current budget includes $19 million in cuts to the Department of Food and Agriculture, elimination of the $32 million for the state's fair system and fee increases in many agencies that impact agriculture most notably a $24 million increase in fees at the Water Resources Control Board.  

 

Other firsts about this year's budget include: The first budget passed by a majority vote due to the enactment of Proposition 25 last November allowing for a majority vote budget, first budget ever vetoed by the Governor and the first budget in numerous years passed before the deadline.

Impacts on the ag industry are significant including $19 million in general fund cuts to the Department of Food and Agriculture for a cross section of programs from pest inspection and prevention, increased fees for phytosanitary certificates, elimination of the $32 million for the state's fair system and fee increases in many agencies that impact business and agriculture most notably $24 million increase in fees at the Water Resources Control Board.  

 

Sponsored Animal Agriculture Bills:

The association and our associated organizations are sponsoring several bills that would impact animal agriculture.   SB 513 (Cannella) would reinstate an assessment on licensed renderers and grease haulers to fund additional enforcement. Additionally, we recently amended the legislation to include a rendering advisory board.

 

SB 549 (Rubio) would increase the assessment and extend it to liquid egg products to fund the Shell Egg Advisory Committee to increase enforcement to promote food safety and egg quality. Both Bills are in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

 

Labor Bills:

Several labor bills that will directly impact agriculture were introduced and are moving through the process or have already been acted on by the Governor. SB 104 (Steinberg) "Card Check for Agriculture" bill was passed and vetoed. Following many theatrical demonstrations the Governor vetoed the bill and said we need to work to fix the existing system, not eliminate the secret ballot. A bill creating strict liability for wages when hiring Farm Labor Contractors AB 243 (Alejo) passed the Assembly and the Senate Labor Committee and is in Senate Appropriations. AB 26 (Donelly) A bill that would have required employers to e-verify their workers immigration status or suffer significant penalties was defeated in Assembly Judiciary committee.    

 

Bills Impacting Ag and Business

Below is a list of the most important bills identified.

AB 10 (Alejo) - Raises Minimum wage to $8.50 an hour and indexes it to the Consumer Price Index. Held in committee.

AB 26 (Donnelly) - Creates Liability on employers for hiring illegal aliens. Held in Committee.

AB 46 (Perez) - Would disincorporate the city of Vernon, a 5.5 square mile southern California industrial hub turning over the operations to Los Angeles County.  

AB 781 (Perez) - Companion bill to AB 46 that creates a Community Services District for the fire department, advisory councils for police and other services and a housing authority.

AB 66 (Chesbro) - Continues the funding of .15 cent of sales tax revenue for the rural crime task force. Considered and included as part of the budget.

AB 88 (Huffman) - Requires labeling of all genetically modified salmon entering the state. Defeated in Committee.

AB 157 (Jeffries) - Reduces the 2009 water bond that will be on the 2012 ballot by 25%.

AB 197 (Monning) - Increases the remedy for underpayment of wages to twice the damages plus interest.

AB 218 (Wieckowski) - This measure reinstates California's estate tax while exempting agricultural estates, reinstates the Manufacturers Tax Credit and would use the additional revenue to fund the Williamson Act.

AB 222 Committee on Agriculture - Eliminates several reports required by statute including the Food Biotechnology Task Force and includes other general clean up provisions for the walnut commission and a law requiring how long abandoned pets must be held.

AB 243 (Alejo) - Establishes joint liability for any farmer that enters into a legal contract for services with a Farm Labor Contractor will also be heard that day.

AB 292 Galgiani - This bill requires the High Speed Rail Authority to appoint an agricultural advisory committee with 9 members nominated by the Secretary of CDFA.

AB 400 (Ma) - Paid sick days, requires the employer to allow employees to use paid sick days if they are victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault.

AB 467 (Eng) - Makes non-substantive changes to the 2009 water bond that will be on the 2012 ballot. Bill is being held for future discussions on the water bond.

AB 523 (Valadao) - Declares the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to eliminate all subsidies in California for ethanol.

 AB 550 (Huber) - Prohibits the construction of a peripheral canal unless expressly authorized by the Legislature. AB 685 (Eng) - Would declare as state policy that every human being has a right to clean affordable water for cooking and sanitary purposes. The bill requires every state agency to consider the policy when making decisions.

AB 804 (Yamada) - Paid leave to care for family member by requiring paid leave to care for a seriously ill grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or parent-in-law.

AB 914 (Atkins) - Would allow the California Cut Flower Commission to collect market information including price and variety data for an annual report on sales information.

AB 1113 (Galgiani) - Increases net energy metering for eligible biogas producers that use ag residues, animal wastes, rendering to generate electricity.

AB 1117 (Smyth) - Increase penalties for persons convicted of violating certain animal laws including mandating a 5 and 10 year prohibition from owning, working with or residing with animals following a conviction.

AB 1176 (Williams) - Requires the written determination regarding control measures for each pesticide to be addressed by OEHHA and available to the public. Held in Assembly Ag Committee.

AB 1265 (Nielsen) - Authorizes a county to have land that is newly contracted and newly renewed contracts for Williamson Act. Signed by the Governor July 15th.

SB 34 (Simitian) - Establishes the intent of the Legislature to establish water fees on all water appropriators to fund water infrastructure.

SB 104 (Steinberg) - Card Check for agricultural employees. This bill allows for a union to be recognized upon submission of a petition containing a majority of the employees' signatures of any employer. This process would replace the secret ballot elections. Vetoed by the Governor June 28.

SB 196 (Cannella) - This bill addresses informational materials being developed by the Department of Food and Ag and the entities it regulates.

SB 237 (Wolk) - This bill directs an unspecified amount of funds generated from a "cap and trade auction" or federal funds made available to California to reduce global warming to be made available to mitigate impacts on agriculture.

SB 263 (Pavley) - Requires the Department of Water Resources to make groundwater wells reports available.

SB 267 (Rubio) - Intended to address the impacts, burdens and costs of waste discharge reporting and regulation in California.

SB 353 (Blakeslee) - Requires economic peer review of all regulations that may impact business in California.

SB 513 (Cannella) Rendering Advisory Board and Enforcement Fee Extension, Farmers Markets - This legislation will create a rendering advisory board within CDFA and extend the sunset of an enforcement fee. Additionally, this bill extends the sunset for the California Certified Farmer's Market enforcement program.

SB 549 (Rubio) Shell Egg Advisory Board - This legislation will increase the mill assessment on shell eggs from $.05 per case (30 dozen) to a ceiling of $.15 per case. Additionally, it will extend the assessment to all liquid egg products.

SB 592 (Harman) Dairy Supply Lien - Updates and revises the Dairy Supply Lien to address changes in the diary industry, supply chain, financing that have evolved since its inception in 1988.

SB 653 (Steinberg) - Authorizes the governing board of any county, city or special district to levy local personal income taxes, transactions and use taxes, vehicle license fees, and excise tax upon a vote of the public.

SB 625 (Hernandez) - Creates a nursery commission to perform, research and marketing activities for California Nursery entities. Held in Committee

SB 707 (Cannella) - Adds olive trees to the pome and stone fruits assessment program and advisory board.

SB 900 (Steinberg) - Addresses the make-up and conflict of interest provisions for the Regional Water Quality Control Boards. Awaiting Action in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Water Commission Takes up Ag Conservation and Measurement

SB 7x 7 passed in November 2009 addressing water use efficiency and measurement is currently being implemented by the California Water Commission. The draft regulations were presented to the Commission meeting in May. Controversy is brewing over which ag districts are required to comply and overall cost.

 

The Department of Water Resources has identified a cost of $70 million on 46 irrigation districts to implement the first year and a $16 million price tag a year for operations and maintenance. This issue will continue to resonate and we will follow this as it develops. Additionally, for processors there is a task force directed to develop best management practices for the Commercial, Industrial and Institutional (CII) sector of waters users. The Association was instrumental in obtaining and "ingredient" and process water exemption that would limit the regulatory requirements on agricultural processors.

 

High Speed Rail Authority - Legislative Hearing

On July 15, the Senate Agriculture and Senate Transportation and Housing Committees held a joint hearing in Merced. The Title of the hearing was "Food to Rail: High-Speed Rail Impacts on Agriculture." Key points included alignment, access by a mill to the rail if a new high speed rail corridor is sited adjacent to existing rail, minimizing impacts on feed and grain facilities, the "taking" and compensation process if mills are in the corridor and need to be moved, mitigating impacts such as expedited permits and addressing traffic and land use issues for impacted mills.

 

 

Workshop Focused on Gene Flow in Agriculture
   

 

Dear Colleague,

 

We invite participants from the seed and plant production industries, the plant sciences community,  and the government, to join us for a science-based workshop focused on gene flow in agriculture.  Experts from academia and industry will as well as . Given the introduction of new crops for biofuels, diverse traits, and production systems aimed to capture markets with high purity standards,  a comprehensive understanding of gene flow biology and control is crucial for co-existence.  There will be a particular focus on in all sectors of the agricultural community.

 

This workshop is on September 7-8, 2011 in Washington DC.  For more information and registration, please visit sbc.ucdavis.edu. This conference is fully sponsored by the USDA, thus there is no charge.  

 

Allen Van Deynze, Ph.D.
Director of Research
University of California
Seed Biotechnology Center
 

Plant Reproductive Biology, Rm 1103
Extension Center Drive
Davis, CA, 95616
Ph: (530) 754-6444
Fax: (530) 754-7222
email:[email protected]   

http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/   

 


 

 Revised Williamson Act Program
   

After months of uncertainty, a bill signed by Gov. Brown last week reinstates a revised Williamson Act program intended to preserve the state's landmark farmland-conservation law. Brown signed Assembly Bill 1265 by Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, which establishes the revised form of the Williamson Act through 2016.

 

The bill, which takes effect immediately, authorizes counties to revise the term for Williamson Act contracts from 10 years to nine years or from 20 to 18 years-a 10 percent reduction in contract length in return for retaining 90 percent of the property tax relief offered by the act. "For more than 45 years, the Williamson Act has served as an effective conservation program that helps farmers withstand development pressures and stay in farming," California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger said. "We applaud the governor for upholding the real benefits of the Williamson Act."

 

The act became law in 1965 and protects 16.5 million acres of California farmland. Named for its author, Kern County Assemblyman John Williamson, the law requires farmland enrolled in the program to be assessed on its production value, rather than its "factored base-year value" under Proposition 13. Participating landowners agree to retain their land in agricultural use for the length of the contract.

 

For many years, the state reimbursed participating counties their foregone property tax revenue. But those payments, known as subventions, became a frequent bargaining point in state budget talks and eventually were eliminated. That caused some counties to consider discontinuing the Williamson Act. Farm Bureau proposed the program contained in AB 1265 as an alternative to encourage counties to maintain the Williamson Act.

 

Wenger said the law signed by the governor "will save farmers and ranchers throughout California millions of dollars in property taxes and we're glad he signed it. The benefits to all Californians include locally produced food and contracts that ensure land enrolled in the program cannot be used for any purpose besides agriculture."

 

Having the law officially back on the books is especially important for eight counties that have already adopted the revised version of the farmland protection program. Kings, Madera, Merced, Mendocino, Shasta, Stanislaus, Tulare and Yolo counties all adopted an earlier version of the program under Senate Bill 863 last year, only to see it repealed in March as part of budget legislation. The governor's action means the counties currently participating in the program can continue to implement the shorter-term contracts for the 2011 tax year.

 

The provisions of the alternative funding mechanism include:

� If counties receive less than one-half of their foregone General Fund property tax revenue from the Open Space Subvention Program, they would be authorized to implement a new provision of the Williamson Act to allow contracts to go from 10 years to nine years or, in the case of 20-year Williamson Act contracts, to 18 years.

� The 10 percent reduction in the length of the contract restrictions would trigger a recapture of 10 percent of the participating landowners' property tax savings.

� Any increased revenues generated by properties under a new contract will be paid to the county. Because the increased revenue will be allocated exclusively to counties, they would recoup 50 percent or more of their foregone property tax revenue.

� Landowners may choose not to renew their contracts and begin the termination process.

"The eight participating counties can expect to recoup $6 million in revenue through this revised program," said John Gamper, CFBF taxation and land use director. "Once adopted by counties, the program's operations should be pretty simple."

 

At the same time, the benefits to the public of protecting farmland have been retained, Wenger said. "Besides locally produced food, experts agree agriculture will provide economic stimulus for the foreseeable future," he said. "We've reached a point where people understand how significant food production is and that in California the pressures on farmland and farmers are intense, which tends to drive up land values.

 

"The Williamson Act helps address some of those issues and at the same time preserves open space for species and habitat protection," Wenger said. "And, with the revised Williamson Act signed by the governor, funds to cover subventions to counties for foregone property tax no longer come from the state's General Fund, but the benefits to farmers and the public remain."

 

Along with acknowledging Nielsen's role in introducing the bill, CFBF Administrator Rich Matteis noted that Sens. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, and Doug La Malfa, R-Richvale, both served as principal co-authors.

 

"Of course, we also want to express our sincere appreciation to Gov. Brown for helping to save this valuable land conservation program," Matteis said, "and to all the members of the Save the Williamson Act Coalition who worked diligently for re-enactment of the law."

In a prepared statement, Nielsen said the new law "will provide peace of mind and hope for the future for our hard-working California farm families and their employees."

(Source: - California Farm Bureau Federation )

 

 

Upcoming Meetings

 

Mark Your Calendars:

 

CSA Mid Year Meeting is October 11-12, 2011 at the InterContinental The Clement Hotel on Cannery Road in Monterey, CA

 

CSA Annual Convention is  February 19-21, 2012 at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, CA