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SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced legislation on Friday to increase conservation on California’s farms and ranches by offering incentives and technical assistance for adopting practices that protect wildlife and the environment.
“Rural landowners play a huge role in conservation and are critical to the economic vitality of our state,” Sen. Dodd said. “This bill would encourage farmers and ranchers to continue their stewardship, boosting the land’s resiliency and production. It’s an important step that will allow people and the environment to reap the benefits.”
California agriculture is a $54 billion industry with 76,000 farms and ranches statewide. It generates at least $100 billion in related economic activity. Benefits include preservation of open space and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.
In recent years, especially around droughts, conservation practices have declined, in part because of rising agricultural production costs, including water and energy costs.
Senate Bill 1028 would revitalize conservation, providing assistance to agricultural producers who want to voluntarily make wildlife-friendly improvements on their land.
The program would provide financial and technical assistance to create fish and wildlife habitat. It would provide added environmental benefits such as improved water quality, erosion control and conserved groundwater. Eligible land would include cropland, rangeland, pastureland and other farm or ranch lands.
SB 1028, which is similar to a measure introduced last year by Sen. Dodd (SB 253), is supported by The Nature Conservancy and the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts.
“Working landscapes provided by California’s farmers and ranchers provide an essential element of the habitat conditions that migratory birds, fish and wildlife rely on,” said Jay Ziegler of The Nature Conservancy. “Scientific analysis shows that the on-farm practices necessary to meet wildlife needs have declined substantially both during and after our recent drought. The legislation Sen. Dodd has introduced is designed to provide incentives for farmers to provide wildlife habitat consistent with their farming and ranching operations. This is a critical step forward in helping to protect wildlife habitat across California.”
“Rural landowners play a huge role in conservation and are critical to the economic vitality of our state,” Sen. Dodd said. “This bill would encourage farmers and ranchers to continue their stewardship, boosting the land’s resiliency and production. It’s an important step that will allow people and the environment to reap the benefits.”
California agriculture is a $54 billion industry with 76,000 farms and ranches statewide. It generates at least $100 billion in related economic activity. Benefits include preservation of open space and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.
In recent years, especially around droughts, conservation practices have declined, in part because of rising agricultural production costs, including water and energy costs.
Senate Bill 1028 would revitalize conservation, providing assistance to agricultural producers who want to voluntarily make wildlife-friendly improvements on their land.
The program would provide financial and technical assistance to create fish and wildlife habitat. It would provide added environmental benefits such as improved water quality, erosion control and conserved groundwater. Eligible land would include cropland, rangeland, pastureland and other farm or ranch lands.
SB 1028, which is similar to a measure introduced last year by Sen. Dodd (SB 253), is supported by The Nature Conservancy and the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts.
“Working landscapes provided by California’s farmers and ranchers provide an essential element of the habitat conditions that migratory birds, fish and wildlife rely on,” said Jay Ziegler of The Nature Conservancy. “Scientific analysis shows that the on-farm practices necessary to meet wildlife needs have declined substantially both during and after our recent drought. The legislation Sen. Dodd has introduced is designed to provide incentives for farmers to provide wildlife habitat consistent with their farming and ranching operations. This is a critical step forward in helping to protect wildlife habitat across California.”
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), co-chair and founder of the Congressional Wine Caucus, lauded the decision by the United States Trade Representative not to increase tariffs on wine imports, a revision for which Thompson fought.
“The revised tariffs are a huge win for our American wine community. While I disagree with the current 25 percent rate, I applaud the ambassador for not instituting additional levels,” Thompson said Friday.
“Ensuring that wine tariffs do not increase from the current status is something I have been fighting for since December as such an increase would harm our American wine community, putting jobs and local economies at risk. I wrote to the ambassador asking him to take this important step and I am glad to see it put into place today. This is a win for our wine community. It will benefit everyone from consumers to vineyard workers. I will continue to fight to keep wine off the next list of potential tariff increases,” Thompson said.
In January, Thompson and 107 other members of the Congressional Wine Caucus wrote to United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, asking him to refrain from including wine in potential retaliatory tariffs in response to the European Union’s illegal Airbus subsidies.
The letter’s signers highlighted the potential harmful effects on the American wine community, which has a year impact of $220 billion on our economy.
Thompson is proud to represent California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
“The revised tariffs are a huge win for our American wine community. While I disagree with the current 25 percent rate, I applaud the ambassador for not instituting additional levels,” Thompson said Friday.
“Ensuring that wine tariffs do not increase from the current status is something I have been fighting for since December as such an increase would harm our American wine community, putting jobs and local economies at risk. I wrote to the ambassador asking him to take this important step and I am glad to see it put into place today. This is a win for our wine community. It will benefit everyone from consumers to vineyard workers. I will continue to fight to keep wine off the next list of potential tariff increases,” Thompson said.
In January, Thompson and 107 other members of the Congressional Wine Caucus wrote to United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, asking him to refrain from including wine in potential retaliatory tariffs in response to the European Union’s illegal Airbus subsidies.
The letter’s signers highlighted the potential harmful effects on the American wine community, which has a year impact of $220 billion on our economy.
Thompson is proud to represent California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
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