Sacramento, Calif., (February 5, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded $9.64 million in grant funding to 17 alternative manure management projects across the state. These projects, part of the Alternative Manure Management Program, or AMMP, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions on California dairy farms and livestock operations by using manure management practices that are alternatives to dairy digesters (i.e. non-digester projects).
When livestock manure decomposes in wet conditions, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 72 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Changing manure management practices so that manure is handled in a dry form can help significantly reduce methane emissions. These reductions contribute to the state’s overall short-lived climate pollutant strategy under Senate Bill 1383, which aims to reduce California’s methane emissions to 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030.
“California dairy farmers are leading the way in proactively addressing greenhouse gas emissions” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “I am excited to see both the diversity of farms and the variety of non-digester manure management practices being adopted through these projects that will help meet the state’s climate goals.”
Financial assistance for the implementation of non-digester practices comes from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that uses Cap-and-Trade program funds to support the state’s climate goals. CDFA and other state agencies are investing these proceeds in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide additional benefits to California communities. AMMP grant recipients will provide an estimated $2.7 million in matching funds for the development of their projects.
The Alternative Manure Management Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap and Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Turlock, Calif., (February 2, 2018) – Stanislaus County Farm Bureau has announced the details for their four remaining regional meetings. Regional meetings are typically held in February and March leading up to the larger meeting of members, to be held this year on April 19 in Modesto.
These smaller meetings are a great opportunity for members to get to know the directors of your region or for non-members looking to learn more about joining Farm Bureau. Board directors for the coming year are also nominated during regional meetings.
Please consider attending a regional meeting near you and RSVP to the Farm Bureau office at (209) 522-7278.
Southern Region – Thursday, February 8, 2018 at 7:30 a.m., Location: Latif’s – Turlock, Guest Speaker: SCFB Programs Director/Grower Relations for ESJWQC Caitie Campodonico, Directors with expiring terms: Trevor Cordova, Arby Hoobyar & Ted Reimers
Northeast Region: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at 6 p.m. – Location: Oakdale Golf and Country Club – Oakdale, Guest Speaker: Sheriff Adam Christianson – Directors with expiring terms: Pete Dykzeul, Kurt Hoekstra & Ray Lial, Jr.
Westside Region: Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 6 p.m., Location: Apricot Wood – Patterson, Guest Speaker: TBD, Directors with expiring terms: Rob Brooks, Bill Cox & Jerry Goubert
Eastside Region: Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 6 p.m., Location: The Fruit Yard – Empire, Guest Speaker: Supervisor Vito Chiesa, Directors with expiring terms: Dave Absher, Corinne Santos & Randy Weststeyn
SAVE THE DATE! – SCFB’s 104th Annual Meeting of Members, April 19, 2018, Double Tree, Modesto, Details TBA
Merced, Calif., (February 2, 2018) – An ongoing effort to collect, digitally preserve and share 100 years of historical records by the UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) has earned the UC Merced Library a more than $300,000 grant.
“We’re extremely proud to be able to further the work already begun on the UCCE project,” UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland said. “Our library is producing a collection that demonstrates the organization’s lasting effects on the state, the work it has done in the past and its potential for the future.”
The work is especially relevant to the San Joaquin Valley, said Emily Lin, the UC Merced Library’s Head of Digital Curation and Scholarship.
“We have a lot of archives and historic records based around urban centers, but we haven’t been collecting the records of rural California in any systematic way,” she said. “But rural California has had an incredible influence on the state’s history. California was transformed by agriculture over the past century.”
The Archivist of the United States approved the $308,900 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission for “A Century of Impact: Documenting the Work of the Cooperative Extension in California’s Counties.” The three-year project will begin in the summer, after Lin and others hire a group of undergraduate students to help with the work. Additionally, the project will be part of an informational booth at the World Ag Expo in February in Tulare — UC Merced’s first appearance at the exposition, which draws more than 100,000 people from all over the world.
“We were convinced the history of Cooperative Extension in California was worthy of preserving when we launched the pilot project four years ago,” said Glenda Humiston, vice president of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), the organization that oversees UCCE. “The federal grant to continue this work confirms the value of UCCE history and its contribution to California’s prosperity.”
A pilot project, begun after the 2014 centennial of the UCCE, looked at Merced, Ventura and Humboldt counties’ UCCE records, and produced a stack of material 70 linear feet long — just for Merced County. A banker box is about 1 linear foot.
Records from Humboldt County included disaster responses from the 1955 and 1964 historic floods, while Merced County’s records were mainly about crops, irrigation, the beginnings of the Merced Irrigation District and 4-H. Each county’s records provide insight into its unique characteristics, Lin said.
The new project will collect 100 years’ worth of reports and historic photographs from 20 California counties — in the Valley, along the coast, up north at the edges of the Sierra and along the southern border — and will geocode all the records.
“This project is of great potential value in supporting a number of lines of existing research, as well as in opening up new and fruitful areas of inquiry into the interrelated topics of democracy, technology and community,” said David Campbell, a political scientist and the associate dean for social/human sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis. He wrote a letter of support for the project that was included in the application.
The digitization project will help researchers at all levels, Professor Mario Sifuentez said.
“It provides access to a trove of documents that shed light on the nature and development of agriculture in the region, which amazingly has been understudied,” he said. “Despite living in the heart of one of the most productive agricultural regions of the world, few people really understand how agriculture in the Central Valley works. I am invested in producing work and helping students produce work that explains the historical trajectory of how the Valley ended up as ‘The Valley,’ and agriculture is the main component of that story.”
The archives set the stage for many research projects across many disciplines. Historians will find the records helpful, but so will people studying progressive era institutions, immigration, race relations, social movements, technological change or the rich history of food and agriculture in California, Campbell said. There are also implications for political science and public policy scholarship; environmental and climate studies around such topics as water and pesticide use; material for economists and labor market scholars; and geographers.
The library is working with the San Joaquin Valley Historical Society, and San Diego State University will also have a set of the records digitized when the project is completed. In addition, regional 4-H students will be part of the project, helping tag and digitize the material.
Cornell University Professor Scott Peters, a historian of higher education who wrote a letter of support for the project, said engaging with local students and their families through a 4-H project is particularly valuable.
“It’s always important to help young people connect with the history of their communities,” Peters said. “These historical materials will enrich their understanding of the vision, values, ideals, tensions, dilemmas and struggles that the work of building a democratic culture in partnership with higher education requires and involves. And it helps them understand their own role in history and ask themselves what they are creating and leaving that will be part of history 100 years from now.”
After the 2014 centennial, UC ANR allocated funds to locate a professional archivist at the UC Merced library, which is becoming known for creating comprehensive digital collections of historical materials.
Archivist Lisa Vallen began work with the three pilot counties. She found UCCE records in the National Archives as well as pictures, negatives and documents spread throughout the state.
“Ideally, historical records should be kept in a space that’s climate controlled,” Vallen said. “In Ventura, they have some in a container on a farm. That’s not ideal at all.”
The ANR hopes this project will help not only researchers, but will educate the public and policy makers about UCCE.
“There’s no question about the value of this project and the richness it brings to the whole state, not just UC,” said UC Merced University Librarian Haipeng Li.
A four-year pilot archive project begun after the UCCE centennial in 2014.Part of the archive collection, a vintage photo of a UCCE Merced County vehicle.
Sacramento, Calif., (February 2, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Pest Exclusion Branch is announcing two, mid-term vacancies on the Nursery Advisory Board. The Board is composed of twelve voting members, each representing an establishment with a valid California License to Sell Nursery Stock. No two members shall represent the same organization. Members will represent a wide spectrum of the nursery industry, and the Board will be geographically representative of the nursery industry in California.
The term of office for Board Members is four years. These positions are mid-term appointments. Members typically meet twice per year but can meet more frequently if needed. The members receive no compensation but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the California Department of Human Resources.
In addition, the Board includes eight non-voting ex officio members from the County Agricultural Commissioner and Sealers Association, the University of California, and groups affiliated with the nursery industry.
The mission of the Nursery Advisory Board is to grow and maintain a strong relationship between CDFA and the nursery industry in order to secure the industry’s future. The Board facilitates communication between state and federal regulators and the nursery industry, and it advises CDFA’s Nursery Services Program on policies, fees, and other issues concerning nurseries and nursery stock.
Individuals interested in being considered for this Board appointment should send a brief résumé to Erin Lovig, Board Manager, by February 12, 2018 at:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Pest Exclusion Branch
1220 N Street, Room 344
Sacramento, CA 95814
Attention: Erin Lovig
For additional information, you may contact the Nursery Services Program at (916) 654-0435.
Modesto, Calif., (February 1, 2018) – This memorandum provides advice and guidance concerning the implementation of AB 450, and its integration under federal immigration laws. To understand the significance of the new law, and the public threats being made by state officials against employers, employers must understand the process for enforcement of immigration laws. There are two primary methods used by ICE for worksite enforcement, raids and audits.
Raids: In a raid, ICE will typically appear with a search warrant in hand, and a significant law enforcement presence to make arrests. The employer will have an opportunity to verify and receive a copy of the warrant, and is entitled to an inventory of any records or evidence seized, but the employer cannot interfere with execution of the warrant.
I-9 Audit: An audit is typically conducted by an ICE employee who has only civil authority, and typically lacks the authority to issue warrants or make arrests. These audits are conducted under federal regulations and are limited to I-9s and their supporting documents. ICE must provide a 3 day written notice, referred to as a “Notice of Inspection,” and will conduct the audit 72 hours later. As will be discussed below, AB 450 is largely a piece of political grandstanding, and for the most part should not present a significant threat to employers who understand its provisions.
Effective January 1, 2018, Gov. Brown signed AB 450 which does the following:
Requires employers to ask immigration agents for a warrant before granting access to a worksite.
Legal Guidance: Remember, immigration agents almost never show up and demand broad access without a warrant. When they do so, they will likely have a justification such as hot pursuit or some other emergency circumstance that eliminates the need for a warrant, and employer consent is a non-issue. The odds are very low that an employer will ever face the threat of a warrantless search by ICE that relies on employer consent for access. If such a circumstance arises, the employer should express a desire to cooperate, but a need to avoid fines under state law, and should ask the agent to obtain a subpoena or warrant.
Prevents employers from voluntarily sharing confidential employee information without a subpoena.
Legal Guidance: Under existing law, employers must generally avoid sharing confidential information without a subpoena. Typically, ICE does not need subpoenas, as the documents they ordinarily seek are I-9s, which they are entitled to audit. If ICE has a broader document request, express a desire to cooperate, explain the state law, and ask them to provide a subpoena.
Requires employers to notify their workers before a federal audit of employee records.
Legal Guidance: This is the most dangerous part of the law, because it can trigger employee flight that damages the business, and can needlessly frighten employees. This requirement will be discussed in further detail below.
Gives the attorney general and labor commissioner exclusive authority to enforce new provisions of state labor laws.
Prohibits employers from re-verifying information on employment verification forms, unless compelled to by federal law.
Legal Guidance: Employers can only re-verify under limited circumstances already, and federal law outlines the circumstances in which they can do so.
At this time, only the state can enforce these laws, and the bill does not authorize private lawsuits.
AB 450 implements these prohibitions as follows:
Sec on 7285.1 is added to the Government Code:
Unless required by federal law, an employer cannot voluntarily allow immigration to enter any nonpublic area of the workplace. This does not apply if immigration provides a judicial warrant or if they enter without consent.
If section (a) above is violated by employer or agent, employer will be subject to civil penalty of $2,000 to $5,000 for its first offense. Subsequent viola on fines can be between $5k and $10k.
Employer can talk to immigration in a nonpublic area, where employees are not present and no consent is given for immigration to search nonpublic area, for the purpose of verifying whether or not enforcement agent has a judicial warrant.
Legal Guidance: As discussed above, it is exceedingly rare for ICE depend upon employer consent to gain worksite access. However, a constructive dialogue with the ICE agent will always be the best approach. Employers should be ready to express the desire to cooperate, but the need to avoid state fines, and should avoid antagonizing ICE agents.
Sec on 7285.2 is added to the Government Code:
Except as required by federal law, and except for where Notice of Inspection has been given to the employer for eligibility verification, Employer cannot provide voluntary consent for immigration to have access to employee records without a subpoena or judicial warrant. Does not prohibit employer from challenging validity of subpoena or warrant in court.
Legal Guidance: Again, it is rare for ICE to request documents without a subpoena or a Notice of Inspection. However, should such circumstances arise, express the desire to cooperate but ask the agency to serve a subpoena.
Does not apply to I-9 verification forms and other documents for which Notice of Inspection has been provided to employer.
Legal Guidance: I-9 audits remain the most likely law enforcement activity most employers will encounter, and they can only be conducted pursuant to a Notice of Inspection.
If voluntary consent by employer is given, the employer will be subject to civil penalty of $2,000 to $5,000 for its first offense. Subsequent violation fines can be between $5k and $10k. Again, this will not apply if the federal agency takes access over the employer’s objection.
Sec on 7285.3 is added to the Gov’t Code: Employers may still enroll in E-Verify.
Sec on 90.2 is added to the Labor Code:
Notice of Inspection: Except as otherwise required by federal law, within 72 hours of receipt of inspection notice, the employer must provide a written notice to each current employee of any I-9 verification or employment records inspections (can be posted where employer normally posts employment-related notices to employees). Notices must contain the following: Name of immigration agency; Date employer received notice of inspection; Nature of the inspection; and Copy of the Notice of Inspection (A. On or before 7/01/2018, the Labor Commissioner will have a template posting for employers available on its website. B. Upon reasonable request, employer must give affected employee copy of the Notice of Inspection.)
Legal Guidance: This notice requirement is problematic, as it may create fear and cause loss of employees who cannot be detained or arrested by the auditor. Historically, I-9 audits have not resulted in wholesale deportation of employees. Employers facing the audit must make the posting or face penalties, and there appears to be no basis to avoid it. However, employees often do not look at the workplace postings, which may help minimize the impact. Concerned employers can word the notice to advise employees that it has valid I-9s on all of them, and is confident that there are not violations of immigration law. But realistically, employers should expect the notice to cost them employees.
Inspection Results: Except as otherwise required by federal law, within 72 hours of receipt of inspection results, employer must provide an individualized written notice to each affected employee (an employee identified by immigration who may lack work authorization or whose authorization documents may have deficiencies) containing the individualized results and any employer/employee obligations arising from said results. Individualized Employee Notices must contain the following:
List deficiencies or other items identified in the results related to the employee; – Time period for corrections;
Time/date of any meeting with the employer to correct deficiencies;
Notice to employee re: right to representation during meeting with employer.
Legal Guidance: This is a largely meaningless requirement. If ICE conducts an I-9 audit and finds one or more workers to be undocumented, they will order that the employer immediately terminate the employment. Written notice will be required, but it seems unlikely that many scenarios will arise that will enable the worker to resolve the problem, at least in the short term.
There is a civil penalty of $2,000 to $5,000 for its first offense. Subsequent violation fines can be between $5k and $10k. Doesn’t apply if immigration directs or requests that no notice be provided to an employee.
Sec on 1019.2 is added to the Labor Code:
Employer shall not reverify employment eligibility of a current employee, except when required under federal law.
Penalty for violations are up to $10,000.
CONCLUSION: The most critical aspect of immigration compliance strategies for employers remains the I-9 form. Especially in the current environment, the employer’s best opportunity to avoid significant penalties, including criminal consequences, will be ensured that it properly completes the I-9 for each and every employee. Even if it is discovered that an employee is undocumented, an employer whose I-9 practices are strong can avoid liability. Employers should train all personnel involved in hiring on I-9 compliance, and should conduct internal I-9 audits as soon as possible to ensure compliance.
Tulare, Calif., (February 1, 2018) – International Agri-Center® to hold its 51st World Ag Expo® farm show on February 13-15, 2018
The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo® boasts more than 1,500 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. In 2017, 105,780 people came from 43 states and 71 countries to attend the 50th anniversary of World Ag Expo®.
The World Ag Expo® Arena will once again offer daily Equipment Showcases, where exhibitors will perform live demonstrations of their latest products. Seminars will be offered in a variety of categories, including dairy, irrigation, international trade, business and farm management, marketing and media, and general agriculture. These seminars are presented by professionals in the industry and provide attendees with valuable information to improve their operations.
The Top-10 New Products Competition, sponsored by Bank of America, is back with products offering new technology and increased efficiencies. From unmanned spray systems and remote monitoring, to new tire traction solutions and ag film recycling, the Top-10 New Products has something to offer every type of farming operation.
“World Ag Expo® has built a legacy of bringing agricultural buyers and sellers together,” says Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center®’s Chief Executive Officer. “Ag is always evolving in order to feed a growing world. World Ag Expo is here to facilitate the connections between the exhibitors who provide the most advanced technology and equipment and the farmers who continue to evaluate and improve their operations to meet that demand.”
The 2018 World Ag Expo® will host daily events, including the Wednesday evening Bud Light After-Hours Party in the Arena, with a free concert by Craig Campbell.
Attendees can look forward to a few new events this year, including a livestock seminar and demonstration on Wednesday afternoon in the Arena, a woodworking demonstration, the Italian Trade Agency pavilion, and a wide variety of new seminars that cover everything from Organic farming to new technology in the ag industry. Attendees will also be able to enjoy the 20 new acres of parking to the south side of the International Agri-Center® grounds. This new addition will allow for easier parking and greater attendance.
World Ag Expo® attendees can get the latest news, information and updates about the show by downloading the new 2018 mobile app. The free app provides mobile access to the schedule of events, an exhibitor directory, map of the show grounds and other visitor resources. The app is available for download from the app store by searching “2018 World Ag Expo.”
For a full schedule of events, more information about the show or to purchase tickets for 2018 World Ag Expo, visit www.WorldAgExpo.org.
World Ag Expo – bringing you the best in Ag since 1968.
In addition to producing World Ag Expo®, International Agri-Center® is also home to the AgVentures! Learning Center and Museum, the California Antique Farm Equipment Show, and the Harvest Festival and has a wide range of facility rentals available for any size event.
Event Details At-A-Glance:
2018 World Ag Expo®, February 13-15
February 13: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
February 14: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
February 15: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
International Agri-Center®, 4500 S. Laspina St.,Tulare, CA 93274
$15 gate admission
$12 online ticket price with a discount code
Sacramento, Calif., (February 1, 2018) – The California Natural Resources Agency has released an updated report on state actions and strategies to adapt to a changing climate. The Safeguarding California Plan: 2018 Update lays out a road map for everything state agencies are doing and will do to protect communities, infrastructure, services, and the natural environment from climate change impacts.
As California continues to experience rising average temperatures, destructive fires, higher sea levels, and extreme precipitation events, the plan lays out 69 recommendations across 11 sectors and more than 1,000 ongoing actions and next steps developed by scientific and policy experts across 38 state agencies.
CDFA’s Climate Smart Agriculture outreach program is included as a platform that allows for the development of specific climate change adaptation and mitigation measures while at the same time sustainably increasing agricultural productivity. It is noted that climate-smart agriculture management practices are most efficiently and effectively shared by peer-to-peer, farmer-to-farmer interactions.
Later this year, the Natural Resources Agency and other agencies will release California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment, which will include more than 50 reports on expected climate change impacts in California. The Assessment will also include nine regional reports, three topical reports, and a statewide report on vulnerabilities and solutions to climate impacts across the 11 sectors addressed in the 2018 update to the Safeguarding California Plan.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 31, 2018) – The 2017 Census of Agriculture is underway in California and across the country, but the deadline for response–February 5, 2018–is closing fast.
The USDA mailed questionnaires to over 3 million US producers in December 2017. So far, 21.75 percent of California producers have responded, close to the national return rate of 23.34 percent.
The findings of the Census of Agriculture–conducted every five years–impact everything from production practices, farming technologies, and broadband expansion. The data are used by farmers, ranchers, trade associations, researchers, policymakers, and many others to help make decisions in community planning, farm assistance programs, technology development, farm advocacy, agribusiness setup, rural development, and more.
Farm operations of all sizes which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2017 are included in the census. The census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every state and county in the nation.
Producers can respond to the census online or by mail. For more information, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call 1-800-727-9540.
Davis, Calif., (January 31, 2018) – Current levels of greenhouse gas emissions are putting nearly half of California’s natural vegetation at risk from climate stress, with transformative implications for the state’s landscape and the people and animals that depend on it, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis. However, cutting emissions so that global temperatures increase by no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) could reduce those impacts by half, with about a quarter of the state’s natural vegetation affected.
The study, published in the journal Ecosphere, asks: What are the implications for the state’s vegetation under a business-as-usual emissions strategy, where temperatures increase up to 4.5 degrees Celsius by 2100, compared to meeting targets outlined in the Paris climate agreement that limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius?
As climate change transforms California’s landscape in the years to come, coastal habitats appear to be more resilient than many other places in the state. (Getty Images)
“At current rates of emissions, about 45-56 percent of all the natural vegetation in the state is at risk, or from 61,190 to 75,866 square miles,” said lead author James Thorne, a research scientist with the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis. “If we reduce the rate to Paris accord targets, those numbers are lowered to between 21 and 28 percent of the lands at climatic risk.”
The climate exposure of 30 California vegetation types under the current time (A) and three future periods: (B) 2011–2039, (C) 2040–2069, and (D) 2070–2099. Red and orange areas above 95 percent are most at risk. Blue areas less than 80 percent exposed are considered climatically suitable. “Lower emissions” are in line with Paris agreement targets; “higher emissions” represent current, business-as-usual trajectories. (Map courtesy UC Davis)
The report notes that this is a conservative estimate because it only examines direct climate exposure. It does not include increased wildfire or insect attacks on forests, which are also intensifying and likely to increase with further warming. These secondary effects are likely to have large impacts, as well, the authors say. For example, during the recent drought, more than 127 million trees died primarily due to beetle outbreaks, and wildfires have consumed extensive amounts of natural vegetation.
The climate exposure of 30 California vegetation types under the current time (A) and three future periods: (B) 2011–2039, (C) 2040–2069, and (D) 2070–2099. Red and orange areas above 95 percent are most at risk. Blue areas less than 80 percent exposed are considered climatically suitable. “Lower emissions” are in line with Paris agreement targets; “higher emissions” represent current, business-as-usual trajectories. (Map courtesy UC Davis)
68 percent of LA, San Diego regions impacted – The study features maps of the state and shows the climate risk to 30 different vegetation types under different climate scenarios. It projects that at current rates of greenhouse gas emissions, vegetation in southwestern California, the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada mountains becomes more than 50 percent impacted by 2100, including 68 percent of the lands surrounding Los Angeles and San Diego.
“This is the map of where we live,” Thorne said. “The natural landscapes that make up California provide the water, clean air and other natural benefits for all the people who live here. They provide the sanctuary for California’s high biodiversity that is globally ranked. This map portrays the level of climate risk to all of those things. In some cases, the transformation may be quite dramatic and visible, as is the case with wildfire and beetle outbreaks. In other cases, it might not be dramatically visible but will have impacts, nevertheless.”
Resilient areas also identified – The study and its maps are being used by state agencies and land managers to make decisions under changing conditions. Commissioned by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the data is helping the agency understand not only which parts of the state are vulnerable to climate change, but also which areas are more resilient, such as some coastal areas and parts of northwestern California, so they can ensure they remain resilient.
“In California, we have good information on the vulnerability of fish and wildlife to climate change,” said Whitney Albright, a project manager with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “But we were missing this crucial piece of climate risks to underlying habitat. This study helped fill the information gap. We’ve already started to use its data in our conservation planning efforts.”
The study also provides a risk assessment for policymakers to consider the benefits to California of reaching Paris climate agreement emission targets that limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, and the risks to the state of remaining on the current business-as-usual level of emissions and temperature warming.
Co-authoring institutions included the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The study was funded by the U.S. National Park Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 31, 2018) – Taking action to further California’s climate leadership, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed an executive order to boost the supply of zero-emission vehicles and charging and refueling stations in California. The Governor also detailed the new plan for investing $1.25 billion in cap-and-trade auction proceeds to reduce carbon pollution and improve public health and the environment.
“This executive order aims to curb carbon pollution from cars and trucks and boost the number of zero-emission vehicles driven in California,” said Governor Brown. “In addition, the cap-and-trade investments will, in varying degrees, reduce California’s carbon footprint and improve the quality of life for all.”
Climate Smart Agriculture is a significant component of the cap-and-trade plan – an integrated approach to achieving GHG reductions while also ensuring food security in the face of climate change. This strategy is defined by three main pillars: (1) sustainably increasing farm productivity and incomes, (2) adapting and building resilience to climate change, and (3) reducing and removing GHG emissions, where possible. The Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan supports these efforts through the following proposals, including CDFA programs housed in the agency’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation:
Agricultural Diesel Engine Replacement and Upgrades—$102 million for the Air Board to provide incentives for farmers and agricultural businesses to replace existing diesel, agricultural vehicles and equipment with the cleanest available diesel or advanced technologies. Emissions from agricultural equipment are a significant source of air pollution, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, and reducing these emissions is critical for meeting federal ozone and particulate matter air quality standards.
Agricultural Energy Efficiency Program—$34 million for the Energy Commission to reduce energy costs, increase efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the food processing sector. Funded technologies will be reliable, have potential for broad sector adoption and help contribute to meeting the state’s energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Healthy Soils Program—$5 million for the Department of Food and Agriculture to provide financial incentives to farmers to implement conservation agriculture management practices that sequester carbon, reduce atmospheric GHGs, and improve soil health. The program is the first in the world to directly relate agricultural management practices to quantitative GHG reductions and promote the development of healthy soils on California’s farmlands and ranchlands. The Budget also includes an additional $9 million from the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoors Access for All Fund (SB 5), for a total of $14 million for this program.
Renewable Energy Program—$4 million for the Energy Commission to provide grants for the installation of cost-effective on-site renewable energy for agricultural operations located in disadvantaged communities.
Short-lived Climate Pollutants
The warming effect of short-lived climate pollutants, such as methane, fluorinated gases and black carbon, can be significantly greater than that of carbon dioxide. Reducing these emissions can have an immediate beneficial impact on both climate change and public health. Chapter 523, Statutes of 2014, included a number of requirements for addressing dairy and livestock sector methane emissions and landfill methane emissions via diversion of organic material from the waste stream. The Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan includes the following proposals in support of these efforts:
Methane Reduction—$99 million for the Department of Food and Agriculture’sDairy Digester Research and Development Program and Alternative Manure Management Program to reduce methane emissions. Methane is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide. The Dairy Digester Research and Development Program offers grants to dairies to capture methane to be used for transportation fuels and clean energy production. The Alternative Manure Management Program provides financial incentives to dairy farms to implement non-digester manure management programs to reduce methane emissions.
Waste Diversion—$20 million for the Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery to provide financial incentives for infrastructure facilities that divert waste from landfills, which will reduce methane emissions. Projects include composting, anaerobic digestion, and fiber, plastic, and glass recycling facilities.
