A sprawling heat dome put more than 30 million people across the Western U.S. under excessive heat advisories last week, triggering warnings from the National Weather Service about the danger of extreme heat to human health and potential impacts on “heat-sensitive industries.” Over the past two decades, heat illness awareness and prevention has become a […]
On Friday, May 31, 2024, the Superior Court of Yolo County released an Order denying all claims in the Friends of the River v. Sites Project Authority case. In late 2023, six environmental organizations, Friends of the River, Center for Biological Diversity, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network, Save California Salmon, and Sierra […]
Directors of the Kings County Water District (KCWD) voted unanimously to sever the district’s relationship with the embattled Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency at a special meeting Wednesday, May 29. The change will take effect in 60 days on July 28. The departure caused an outcry from members of the agricultural community and municipal representatives. […]
The 2024 California Almond Forecast published Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) estimates that the crop harvested in 2024 will come in at 3 billion pounds, 21 percent higher than last year’s 2.47 billion pounds. Forecasted yield is 2,170 pounds per acre, up 380 pounds from the 2023 harvest. […]
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday presented his revised state budget plan, including spending cuts to address California’s historic budget deficit. In his presentation, the governor also said California should live within its means and avoid raising taxes. California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass commented on budget challenges affecting water priorities for agriculture. She noted that […]
To limit the spread of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in livestock, all lactating dairy cows must test negative for the virus before they can cross state lines under new requirements by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The federal order, which took effect Monday, excludes heifers, dry cows and bull calves. Culled cows going to […]
Facing challenging times, California’s almond industry is looking to expand foreign export markets and increase the diversity of almond products in domestic supermarkets. That is the strategic roadmap outlined by Almond Board of California President and CEO Clarice Turner. In a media briefing this month commemorating her first 100 days at the helm of the […]
Proposed state legislation to modify California’s longstanding farmland conservation law could pave the way for large swaths of farm acreage to be repurposed as sites for renewable energy projects. The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, commonly known as the Williamson Act, preserves farmland by assessing property taxes based on the land’s agricultural value rather […]
Today, Presidents of California Citrus Mutual (CCM) and Citrus Research Board (CRB) issued statements applauding Congressional leaders for recently approving additional funds for the new citrus breeding program in Parlier, California. Congress is allocating an additional $500,000 in federal funding on top of the $1 million granted last year to expand the program into California. The […]
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the all-important April snow survey, the fourth measurement of the season at Phillips Station. The manual survey recorded 64 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 27.5 inches, which is 113 percent of average for this location. The snow water equivalent measures the amount […]