Many decades ago, now-urban Los Angeles County was agrarian. In fact, it was once the largest Ag county in California. In that more pastoral time, North Hollywood High School had a 100-acre farm. Since then, it has seen its footprint shrink to eight acres and is now surrounded by apartment buildings and other developments. However, that smaller plot of land is still very productive! I had a chance to see it for myself recently.

Ag students at North Hollywood High, including FFA members, work hard to maintain a farm that serves the community – including a flourishing community garden. The students raise money for the farm, themselves, without funding assistance from the school district. When I visited, they had just completed their annual petting zoo fundraiser, which is widely supported by the community.  It was a special treat to see twins born earlier that morning to a pygmy goat!

As usual, I was impressed by the poised, confident, articulate students who are proud representatives of FFA.  I love spending time with them because they represent the promise of a future bright with possibilities.  Whether they go on to have careers in agriculture or not, they certainly will be better citizens and well informed consumers, which make for healthier communities!  There is no doubt in my mind that that North Hollywood FFA officers, Nicholas, Thomas, Jocelyn, Casey, Josh and Letitia have benefited from their FFA experience. Our future is in good hands with young people like them.

 

Link to article

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There are few rules in racing, but one that is considered inviolable is never to turn down a suitcase full of cash. Steve Coburn and Perry Martin understood that, but two months ago, when one of the sport’s far wealthier owners offered them $6 million for 51 percent of the first horse they had bred, the offer just did not sit well.

They certainly could have used the money: Coburn works for a company in Nevada that makes the magnetic tape for credit cards and hotel keys; Martin owns a California laboratory that tests air bags and landing gear. They work five days a week and do not skip work for rounds of golf or for cocktails at the yacht club.

They scraped together $10,000 to breed California Chrome, and it was not pocket change to them. Retirement savings were tapped. Mortgages were leveraged.

Now here was a potentially life-changing windfall. It would mean moving their beloved Chrome out of the barn of Art Sherman, the horse’s 77-year-old trainer. It would mean fading into the background.

But what hurt worse was that the offer had come from someone who, as the cowboy-hat-wearing Coburn put it, “never put on a pair of boots” to go to work and thought he could buy someone else’s hard work. It did not take them long to decide: The answer was an emphatic no.

So when Victor Espinoza edged California Chrome into the starting gate for the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, not only had Coburn and Martin put their money where their mouths were, they were also doubling down on something that had no price.

“We knew within our souls what kind of horse we had,” Coburn said.

There should have been little doubt that they had a good one. California Chrome had run away with his last four stakes races by more than 24 lengths combined. In doing so, he had displayed an extra gear in the final eighth of a mile of a race.

But skeptics remained, especially in the bluegrass of Kentucky.

No California-bred horse had won the Derby since Decidedly in 1962. There was no way these West Coast cowboys were stealing out of Kentucky with the local breeders’ hardware and birthright. When Sherman and California Chrome hit Churchill Downs last week, the whispers started: The colt looked stiff in the mornings. The old man had pushed him too hard.

There was no way an $8,000 mare (Love the Chase) and a $2,500 heretofore undistinguished stallion (Lucky Pulpit) could have produced a horse swift and gritty enough to hold off a blue-blooded herd for the entire length of the track’s foreboding stretch.

The majority of bettors, however, apparently disagreed: California Chrome burst out of the gate with the bulk of their money as the 5-to-2 favorite.

The colt’s rider, Espinoza, thought the price should have been even shorter. He had won the Derby in 2002 aboard War Emblem, and only a stumbled start in the Belmont Stakes prevented them from sweeping the Triple Crown races.

He knew Chrome was better.

In the winners’ circle, none of them were thinking about that suitcase full of money. They had just taken home a $1.2 million check for first place, plumping their bargain-basement colt’s bankroll to well over $2 million, for an easy mile-and-a-quarter romp in 2 minutes 3.66 seconds.

Forget the money. Coburn promised that he and his horse were after history. They were on to Maryland and the Preakness.

“He’ll fly first class,” Coburn said of Chrome, “and me and the wife will fly coach again.”

Then, Coburn promised, they were headed to New York to claim the Triple Crown at the Belmont.

“Do you nonbelievers believe this horse now?” Coburn said.

The answer should be clear.

Link to the full New York Times article

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2014 –There are now 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms on 914.5 million acres of farmland across the United States, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agriculture census presents more than 6 million pieces of information, which provide a detailed look at the U.S. farm sector at the national, state and county levels.

“Once every five years, farmers, ranchers and growers have the unique opportunity to let the world know how U.S. agriculture is changing, what is staying the same, what’s working and what we can do differently,” said Dr. Cynthia Clark, the retiring head of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which administered the survey. “Today, we can start to delve into the details.”

Census data provide valuable insight into the U.S. farmer demographics, economics and production practices. Some of the key findings include:

-Both sales and production expenses reached record highs in 2012. U.S. producers sold $394.6 billion worth of agricultural products, but it cost them $328.9 billion to produce these products.

-Three quarters of all farms had sales of less than $50,000, producing only 3 percent of the total value of farm products sold while those with sales of more than $1 million – 4 percent of all farms – produced 66 percent.

-Much of the increased farm income was concentrated geographically or by farm categories.

-California led the nation with 9 of the 10 top counties for value of sales. Fresno County was number one in the United States with nearly $5 billion in sales in 2012, which is greater than that of 23 states. Weld County, Colorado ranked 9th in the top 10 U.S. counties.

-The top 5 states for agricultural sales were California ($42.6 billion); Iowa ($30.8 billion); Texas ($25.4 billion); Nebraska ($23.1 billion); and Minnesota ($21.3 billion).

-Eighty-seven percent of all U.S. farms are operated by families or individuals.

-Principal operators were on average 58.3 years old and were predominantly male; second operators were slightly younger and most likely to be female; and third operators were younger still.

-Young, beginning principal operators who reported their primary occupation as farming increased 11.3 percent from 36,396 to 40,499 between 2007 and 2012.

-All categories of minority-operated farms increased between 2007 and 2012; the Hispanic-operated farms had a significant 21 percent increase.

-144,530 farm operators reported selling products directly to consumers. In 2012, these sales totaled more than $1.3 billion (up 8.1 percent from 2007).

-Organic sales were growing, but accounted for just 0.8 percent of the total value of U.S. agricultural production. Organic farmers reported $3.12 billion in sales in 2012, up from $1.7 billion in 2007.

-Farms with Internet access rose from 56.5 percent in 2007 to 69.6 percent in 2012.

-57,299 farms produced on-farm renewable energy, more than double the 23,451 in 2007.

-474,028 farms covering 173.1 million acres were farmed with conservation tillage or no-till practices.

-Corn and soybean acres topped 50 percent of all harvested acres for the first time.

-The largest category of operations was beef cattle with 619,172 or 29 percent of all farms and ranches in 2012 specializing in cattle.

“This information is critical to understanding the conditions of U.S. agriculture and determining future policy,” said incoming NASS Administrator Dr. Joseph T. Reilly. “Today’s data release is the culmination of years’ worth of planning and work that NASS has made openly available for public use.”

Conducted since 1840, the Census of Agriculture accounts for all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census tells a story of how American agriculture is changing and lays the groundwork for new programs and policies that will invest in rural America; promote innovation and productivity; build the rural economy; and support our next generation of farmers and ranchers.

For access to the complete data series and tools to analyze this information, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov. A link to census data will also be available on the USDA Open Data portal, www.usda.gov/data.

With cherry season coming around again in California, CDFA presents an encore post from the Growing California video series – Cherries Galore:

By Scott Martindale

COSTA MESA – State agricultural inspectors are canvassing a residential neighborhood near the Santa Ana River this week after finding a colony of an aggressive ant species in someone’s front yard, the first documented sighting of the pest in its natural environment in California.

The colony of big-headed ants was discovered in Costa Mesa’s Mesa Verde neighborhood earlier this month by an amateur entomologist, who collected a sample and sent it to Los Angeles County officials for identification, said Mike Bennett, Orange County’s agricultural commissioner.

On April 14, L.A. County agricultural officials confirmed the presence of the Pheidole megacephala species in the Costa Mesa home’s front yard, at Europa and Kornat drives, Bennett said.

“This is the first time we’ve seen it in California other than in a shipment of plants or flowers,” Bennett said. “It’s nothing to be alarmed about – we just want to check the spread of it so we can figure out what to do.”

Big-headed ants can bite humans, but their bite is painless and not harmful. Native to Africa, they travel in plants and via mailed packages to other parts of the world.

Bennett said a team of about 10 agricultural inspectors and UC Riverside scientists began going door to door this week asking Mesa Verde residents to inspect their front and back yards.

So far, the team has found only the one ant colony, Bennett said, although officials plan to survey other neighborhoods within a one-mile radius of the colony.

“It is an invasive species, and we have an obligation to try to prevent invasive species,” said Steve Lyle, a spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Even if state and county agricultural inspectors find more of the ants, it’s unclear what, if anything, will be done.

The species discovered last month isn’t the only variety of big-headed ant documented in California, Bennett said.

Authorities, though, are wary of these soil-nesting ants because they’re considered an agricultural pest and one of the world’s most invasive insects. Not only do they tend to invade homes in large numbers in search of food and water, but they also displace other ants and eat beneficial insects, officials say.

The neighborhood canvassing in Costa Mesa is expected to wrap up this week, and then authorities will decide whether to exterminate and/or continue monitoring the colony, Bennett said.

Residents who wish to report a possible sighting can call the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s hotline at 800-491-1899. However, Bennett said, big-headed ants look similar to other common varieties of ants, especially to an untrained eye.

Link to story

Ranch hand Ricardo Madrigal feeds cattle on the Van Vleck Ranch in Rancho Murieta, CA

Credit – Reuters:Max Whittaker/Files

By PJ Huffstutter and Tom Polansek

For decades, ranchers from the east have brought their livestock to California, where mild winters and lush natural pastures created prime conditions for fattening beef cattle.

No more. In the midst of the worst California drought in decades, the grass is stunted and some creeks are dry. Ranchers in the Golden State are loading tens of thousands of heifers and steers onto trucks and hauling them eastward to Nevada, Texas, Nebraska and beyond.

“If there’s no water and no feed, you move the cows,” said Gaylord Wright, 65, owner of California Fats and Feeders Inc. “You move them or they die.”

The exact headcount for livestock on this cattle drive is not known. But a Reuters review of state agriculture department records filed when livestock cross state borders indicates that up to 100,000 California cattle have left the state in the past four months alone.

California has shipped out cattle before, but the current migration is far bigger and includes more of the state’s breeding stock, which give birth to new calves and keep operations running year after year, said Jack Cowley, a rancher and past president of the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association.

That could be doing outsized damage to the nation’s 18th-largest cattle herd, since California ranchers will have difficulty rebuilding once the drought breaks, said cattle ranchers and area livestock auctioneers.

“We spend a lifetime building the herd the way we want,” said Cowley. Two weeks ago, he sold 18 percent of his breeding herd, or 200 cattle, to an operation in Nevada because he did not have enough water. He expects he will need to sell another 200 cattle.

“Now,” Cowley said, “we’ve lost all that.”

Beef prices already are at record highs, and increased transportation costs and rising uncertainty about where – and how many – future cattle will be raised and processed are adding upward pressure, industry analysts say.

The national cattle herd is at a 63-year low because high grain prices and drought during the past several years have encouraged producers to send animals to slaughter early and to reduce herd sizes.

There are some signs of change. In places where the drought has eased, or where ranchers are willing to gamble that rain will fall, some producers have started holding back breeding heifers and female calves from the slaughterhouses, according to government data released on Friday. But they are buying California cows, too.

The California exodus also underscores a little-noticed development in the U.S. beef industry: the evolution of an increasingly mobile livestock herd, which must travel ever-greater distances to feedlots and slaughterhouses as the industry consolidates.

WRENCHING CONSOLIDATION

The last major slaughterhouse near the California-Mexico border, National Beef Packing Co’s plant in Brawley, California, plans to close on May 23. The drop in available cattle sparked the move, National Beef said, and some ranchers in southern California say they will need to cross state lines in order to reach the next-closest packing house.

The Brawley plant could process 1,900 head of cattle a day, or about 2 percent of U.S. slaughter capacity, according to industry analysts. But with feedlots closing in the region, the plant couldn’t be assured of a steady supply of livestock.

“The fact is, this migration cycle is going to bring about even more consolidation,” said Curt Covington, senior vice president for the Ag and Rural Banking Division at Bank of the West.

“Unless you see Noah come out to California with a boat, you’re not going to see these cattle come back here any time soon,” Covington added.

CROWDED ROADS, HUNGRY BUYERS

State government paperwork provides some insight for tracking cattle trailers as they cross state lines.

The top destination appears to be Texas, long the nation’s largest cattle producing state. Buyers this year have hauled in more than 47,400 California cattle, a 71 percent jump over the previous year’s first quarter, according to state agriculture department data.

“Some of our California cows are going to be Texans. There’s no way around it,” said cow-calf producer Tim Koopman, president of the California Cattlemen’s Association and livestock auctioneers. “The sell-off is not over yet.”

Nebraska, home to more cattle in feedlots than any other state, also has joined in. More than 14,000 California cattle arrived in the first quarter of this year, compared to just 542 cattle that made the trek in the same period of 2013, according to state records.

TROUBLESOME TREK

Many of the cattle crossing state lines are doing so at lighter weights than normal, due to the scarce water and high feed prices.

Wright, the cattle buyer, said he saw one client bring his beef herd back to auction weighing 40 pounds less than when he bought them in January. Yet lighter-weight cattle have a surprising appeal to some out-of-state buyers: more cattle per truckload.

“If your truck can haul 50,000 pounds on the trailer, you can transport 50 cows that weigh 1,000 pounds, or 100 calves that weigh 500 pounds,” Wright said. Once they arrive and are fattened up, the larger number of head can translate into increased profits for the new owners.

Still, the long distances can cause unhealthy stress for the animals. Wright said he lost a newborn calf during a nearly 1,600-mile trek to Texas last winter even though his driver stopped to nestle it in bedding.

“It still froze to death,” Wright said. “I’ll never do that again.”

EVERY COW COUNTS

But the business imperative persists. Bill Brandenberg, owner of the Meloland Cattle Co in El Centro, California, said his company’s survival depends on his ability to move cattle to states where food and water are less expensive.

“We’ve already sent some cattle to Texas,” Brandenberg said. “In two weeks, we’re sending more to Kansas.”

The Texas herd fell 11 percent last year, or 1.4 million head, the biggest decline in nearly 150 years of recorded data, and the influx from California will not be enough to reverse the trend. The shrinking herd prompted Cargill Inc last year to shut its plant in Plainview, Texas, capable of slaughtering 4,500 cattle a day.

Hereford, Texas, which bills itself as the Beef Capital of the World, has seen truckloads of California transplants this year.

The Bar-G Feedyard just outside of town recently took in a 164-head delivery from a customer who wanted to move them before the Brawley slaughterhouse closed, assistant manager Kevin Bunch said.

“He got scared,” Bunch said, and shipped the animals to Texas to ensure he could eventually sell them for slaughter.

Link to article

 

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss issues related to innovations, advancements and careers within the agricultural sector at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, May 6th at the World Food Center at UC Davis. This meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center, University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616.

“California is at the cutting edge of innovation within the agriculture sector from water use efficiency to research advancements and product development,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The careers of the future can be found in the agricultural sector and our universities and businesses are leading the way in supporting a vibrant, high-skilled jobs market.”
On average, California agriculture supports approximately 400,000 on-farm jobs related to crop production, harvesting and overall farming. This does not include the non-farm jobs directly related to agriculture such as transportation, marketing and sales. Nationally it is estimated that more than 16 million jobs are supported through farm and agricultural related activities. As global consumer preferences, food manufacturing and agricultural production continue to evolve, the employment needs of businesses and employee skill-sets will need to change as well.

Invited speakers include: Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, University of California, Davis; Roger Beachy and Josette Lewis, UC Davis World Food Center; Lance Donny, OnFarm; Helene Dillard, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis; Chuck Nichols, Nichols Farms; Dave Dever, Sun World; Dr. Tim Conner, Monsanto; Shane MacKenzie, Superior Farms; Jacob Gomez, UC Davis Aggie Ambassadors; Vanessa Alexander, CalPoly Agricultural Ambassadors; and Katie Fyhrie, California Farm Academy participant.

“Technology is making rapid on-farm advances that benefit farmers and farm workers,” said Craig McNamara, president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. “We need to encourage more individuals to see that all facets of agricultural production support highly skilled and technical career paths.”

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and the CDFA secretary on agricultural issues and consumer needs. The state board conducts forums that bring together local, state and federal government officials, agricultural representative and citizens to discuss current issues of concern to California agriculture.

Follow the board on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Cafood_agboard

Link to news release

This video content is no longer available.

With California’s driest months ahead, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an executive order to strengthen the state’s ability to manage water and habitat effectively in drought conditions and called on all Californians to redouble their efforts to conserve water.

“The driest months are still to come in California and extreme drought conditions will get worse,” said Governor Brown. “This order cuts red tape to help get water to farmers more quickly, ensure communities have safe drinking water, protect vulnerable species and prepare for an extreme fire season. I call on every city, every community, every Californian to conserve water in every way possible.”

In January, the Governor declared a drought state of emergency. Since then, state water officials say that reservoirs, rainfall totals and the snowpack remain critically low. Current electronic readings show the snowpack’s statewide water content at just 16 percent of average.

In the order, Governor Brown directs the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board to expedite approvals of voluntary water transfers to assist farmers. He also directs the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to accelerate monitoring of drought impacts on winter-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River and its tributaries, and to execute habitat restoration projects that will help fish weather the on-going drought.

To respond to the increased threat of wildfire season, the order streamlines contracting rules for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and CALFIRE for equipment purchases and enables landowners to quickly clear brush and dead, dying or diseased trees that increase fire danger.

The order also calls on Californians and California businesses to take specific actions to avoid wasting water, including limiting lawn watering and car washing; recommends that schools, parks and golf courses limit the use of potable water for irrigation; and asks that hotels and restaurants give customers options to conserve water by only serving water upon request and other measures. The order also prevents homeowner associations from fining residents that limit their lawn watering and take other conservation measures.

The order provides a limited waiver of the California Environmental Quality Act for several actions that will limit harm from the drought.  This waiver will enable these urgently needed actions to take place quickly and will remain in place through the end of 2014.

Last December, the Governor formed a Drought Task Force to closely manage precious water supplies, to expand water conservation wherever possible and to quickly respond to emerging drought impacts throughout the state.  In May 2013, Governor Brown issued an Executive Order to direct state water officials to expedite the review and processing of voluntary transfers of water.

Governor Brown has called on all Californians to reduce their water use by 20 percent – visit SaveOurH2O.org to find out how everyone can do their part, and visit Drought.CA.Gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the drought.

The text of the executive order is below:

A PROCLAMATION OF A CONTINUED STATE OF EMERGENCY

WHEREAS on January 17, 2014, I proclaimed a State of Emergency to exist in the State of California due to severe drought conditions; and

WHEREAS state government has taken expedited actions as directed in that Proclamation to minimize harm from the drought; and

WHEREAS California’s water supplies continue to be severely depleted despite a limited amount of rain and snowfall since January, with very limited snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains, decreased water levels in California’s reservoirs, and reduced flows in the state’s rivers; and

WHEREAS drought conditions have persisted for the last three years and the duration of this drought is unknown; and

WHEREAS the severe drought conditions continue to present urgent challenges: water shortages in communities across the state, greatly increased wildfire activity, diminished water for agricultural production, degraded habitat for many fish and wildlife species, threat of saltwater contamination of large fresh water supplies conveyed through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta, and additional water scarcity if drought conditions continue into 2015; and

WHEREAS additional expedited actions are needed to reduce the harmful impacts from the drought as the state heads into several months of typically dry conditions; and

WHEREAS the magnitude of the severe drought conditions continues to present threats beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of section 8558(b) of the Government Code, I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property continue to exist in California due to water shortage and drought conditions with which local authority is unable to cope; and

WHEREAS under the provisions of section 8571 of the Government Code, I find that strict compliance with the various statutes and regulations specified in this proclamation would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the drought.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the State of California, including the Emergency Services Act and in particular Government Code section 8567, do hereby issue this Executive Order, effective immediately, to mitigate the effects of the drought conditions upon the people and property within the State of California.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

1. The orders and provisions contained in Proclamation No. 1-17-2014, dated January 17, 2014, remain in full force and effect except as modified herein.

2. The Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) will immediately and expeditiously process requests to move water to areas of need, including requests involving voluntary water transfers, forbearance agreements, water exchanges, or other means. If necessary, the Department will request that the Water Board consider changes to water right permits to enable such voluntary movements of water.

3. Recognizing the tremendous importance of conserving water during this drought, all California residents should refrain from wasting water:

a. Avoid using water to clean sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and other hardscapes.

b. Turn off fountains and other decorative water features unless recycled or grey water is available.

c. Limit vehicle washing at home by patronizing local carwashes that use recycled water.

d. Limit outdoor watering of lawns and landscaping to no more than two times a week.

Recreational facilities, such as city parks and golf courses, and large institutional complexes, such as schools, business parks and campuses, should immediately implement water reduction plans to reduce the use of potable water for outdoor irrigation.

Commercial establishments such as hotel and restaurants should take steps to reduce water usage and increase public awareness of the drought through measures such as offering drinking water only upon request and providing customers with options to avoid daily washing of towels or sheets.

Professional sports facilities, such as basketball arenas, football, soccer, and baseball stadiums, and hockey rinks should reduce water usage and increase public awareness of the drought by reducing the use of potable water for outdoor irrigation and encouraging conservation by spectators.

The Water Board shall direct urban water suppliers that are not already implementing drought response plans to limit outdoor irrigation and other wasteful water practices such as those identified in this Executive Order.   The Water Board will request by June 15 an update from urban water agencies on their actions to reduce water usage and the effectiveness of these efforts. The Water Board is directed to adopt emergency regulations as it deems necessary, pursuant to Water Code section 1058.5, to implement this directive.  Californians can learn more about conserving water from the Save Our Water campaign (SaveOurH2O.org).

4. Homeowners Associations (commonly known as HOAs) have reportedly fined or threatened to fine homeowners who comply with water conservation measures adopted by a public agency or private water company. To prevent this practice, pursuant to Government Code section 8567, I order that any provision of the governing document, architectural or landscaping guidelines, or policies of a common interest development will be void and unenforceable to the extent it has the effect of prohibiting compliance with the water-saving measures contained in this directive, or any conservation measure adopted by a public agency or private water company, any provision of Division 4, Part 5 (commencing with section 4000) of the Civil Code notwithstanding.

5. All state agencies that distribute funding for projects that impact water resources, including groundwater resources, will require recipients of future financial assistance to have appropriate conservation and efficiency programs in place.

6. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will immediately implement monitoring of winter-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River and its tributaries, as well as several runs of salmon and species of smelt in the Delta as described in the April 8, 2014 Drought Operations Plan.

7. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will implement projects that respond to drought conditions through habitat restoration and through water infrastructure projects on property owned or managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife or the Department of Water Resources for the benefit of fish and wildlife impacted by the drought.

8. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will work with other state and federal agencies and with landowners in priority watersheds to protect threatened and endangered species and species of special concern and maximize the beneficial uses of scarce water supplies, including employment of voluntary agreements to secure instream flows, relocation of members of those species, or through other measures.

9. The Department of Water Resources will expedite the consideration and, where appropriate, the implementation, of pump-back delivery of water through the State Water Project on behalf of water districts.

10. The Water Board will adopt statewide general waste discharge requirements to facilitate the use of treated wastewater that meets standards set by the Department of Public Health, in order to reduce demand on potable water supplies.

11. The Department of Water Resources will conduct intensive outreach and provide technical assistance to local agencies in order to increase groundwater monitoring in areas where the drought has significant impacts, and develop updated contour maps where new data becomes available in order to more accurately capture changing groundwater levels. The Department will provide a public update by November 30 that identifies groundwater basins with water shortages, details remaining gaps in groundwater monitoring, and updates its monitoring of land subsidence and agricultural land fallowing.

12. The California Department of Public Health, the Office of Emergency Services, and the Office of Planning and Research will assist local agencies that the Department of Public Health has identified as vulnerable to acute drinking water shortages in implementing solutions to those water shortages.

13. The Department of Water Resources and the Water Board, in coordination with other state agencies, will provide appropriate assistance to public agencies or private water companies in establishing temporary water supply connections to mitigate effects of the drought.

14. For the protection of health, safety, and the environment, CAL FIRE, the Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Water Resources, and the Department of Public Health, where appropriate, may enter into contracts and arrangements for the procurement of materials, goods, and services necessary to quickly mitigate the effects of the drought.

15. Pursuant to the drought legislation I signed into law on March 1, 2014, by July 1, 2014, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Water Resources and Water Board, will establish and implement a program to provide financial incentives to agricultural operations to invest in water irrigation treatment and distribution systems that reduce water and energy use, augment supply, and increase water and energy efficiency in agricultural applications.

16. To assist landowners meet their responsibilities for removing dead, dying and diseased trees and to help landowners clear other trees and plants close to structures that increase fire danger, certain noticing requirements are suspended for these activities. Specifically, the requirement that any person who conducts timber operations pursuant to the exemptions in Title 14, California Code of Regulations sections 1038 (b) and (c) submit notices to CAL FIRE under the provisions of Title 14, California Code of Regulations, section 1038.2 is hereby suspended. Timber operations pursuant to sections 1038(b) and (c) may immediately commence operations upon submission of the required notice to CAL FIRE and without a copy of the Director’s notice of acceptance at the operating site. All other provisions of these regulations will remain in effect.

17. The Water Board will adopt and implement emergency regulations pursuant to Water Code section 1058.5, as it deems necessary to prevent the waste, unreasonable use, unreasonable method of use, or unreasonable method of diversion of water, to promote water recycling or water conservation, and to require curtailment of diversions when water is not available under the diverter’s priority of right.

18. In order to ensure that equipment and services necessary for drought response can be procured quickly, the provisions of the Government Code and the Public Contract Code applicable to state contracts, including, but not limited to, advertising and competitive bidding requirements, are hereby suspended for directives 7 and 14. Approval by the Department of Finance is required prior to the execution of any contract entered into pursuant to these directives.

19. For several actions called for in this proclamation, environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act is suspended to allow these actions to take place as quickly as possible. Specifically, for actions taken by state agencies pursuant to directives 2, 3, 6­–10, 13, 15, and 17, for all actions taken pursuant to directive 12 when the Office of Planning and Research concurs that local action is required, and for all necessary permits needed to implement these respective actions, Division 13 (commencing with section 21000) of the Public Resources Code and regulations adopted pursuant to that Division are hereby suspended. The entities implementing these directives will maintain on their websites a list of the activities or approvals for which these provisions are suspended. This suspension and that provided in paragraph 9 of the January 17, 2014 Proclamation will expire on December 31, 2014, except that actions started prior to that date shall not be subject to Division 13 for the time required to complete them.

20. For several actions called for in this proclamation, certain regulatory requirements of the Water Code are suspended to allow these actions to take place as quickly as possible. Specifically, for actions taken pursuant to directive 2, section 13247 of the Water Code is suspended. The 30-day comment period provided in section 1726(f) of the Water Code is also suspended for actions taken pursuant to directive 2, but the Water Board will provide for a 15-day comment period. For actions taken by state agencies pursuant to directives 6 and 7, Chapter 3 of Part 3 (commencing with section 85225) of the Water Code is suspended. The entities implementing these directives will maintain on their websites a list of the activities or approvals for which these provisions are suspended.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Proclamation shall be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Proclamation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 25th day of April, 2014

                                               __________

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

Governor of California

 

ATTEST:

 

__________________________________

DEBRA BOWEN

Secretary of State

 

 

Link to news release