California Ag Network

Category: Weather

  • UCCE Seeks Statewide Input to Develop Future Wildfire Programs

    University of California Cooperative Extension invites English- and Spanish-speaking adults in California and natural resource professionals to complete a 15-minute anonymous survey to inform the development of wildfire-related education and outreach programs.

    Results of the survey will guide local and statewide programming at UCCE and be used to inform organizations, policymakers and scientists working to reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire throughout California.

    “Wildfires will continue to affect all Californians, either directly or indirectly,” said Katie Low, UCCE statewide fire coordinator. “It’s invaluable to have the input of as many people as possible to guide the development of our wildfire-related extension programs, so that they can provide the most useful resources and information to communities across California.”

    The survey asks questions about topics such as:

    • Gaps within existing educational programming and resources
    • Challenges community members are facing in addressing wildfire risk
    • Empowerment of communities to make property management decisions and prepare for wildfire
    • Acceptability of prescribed fire and other fuels treatments

    Fifty survey respondents who complete the survey by Feb. 28 will be selected at random to win a $20 prepaid gift card. To take the online survey, please visit https://bit.ly/UCCE_Fire_Survey.

    If you have any questions about this survey please contact your nearest fire or forestry advisor:

    • Luca Carmignani, UCCE fire advisor for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, carmignani@ucanr.edu
    • Alison Deak, UCCE fire advisor for Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties, aldeak@ucanr.edu
    • Katie Low, UCCE fire academic coordinator for Nevada and Placer counties, katlow@ucanr.edu
    • Barb Satink Wolfson, UCCE fire advisor for Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, bsatinkwolfson@ucanr.edu
    • Ryan Tompkins, UCCE forestry advisor for Plumas, Sierra, and Lassen counties, retompkins@ucanr.edu

    For more information about wildfire-related programming from University of California Cooperative Extension, please visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/ or the Facebook page https://bit.ly/fireSolutions.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

  • Infrastructure Law to Help Safeguard Water Supplies in Wake of Western Drought

    The Department of the Interior announced a $36.1 million investment, including $26.7 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds, to safeguard local water supplies in the wake of record drought across the West.

    Twenty-seven projects in 12 states and the first-ever in Puerto Rico will be awarded funding to advance quantifiable and sustained water savings by protecting watersheds impacted by wildland fire, restoring aquatic habitats and stream beds, and advancing other environmental restoration projects to mitigate drought-related impacts. These investments will be leveraged through partnerships with local communities to address regional water challenges, including projects to address damage left by the Caldor Fire in California and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. These funds follow a $25.5 million investment announced last month allocated for 14 water efficiency projects across eight western states.

    “President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is advancing locally-led initiatives to address severe and historic western drought,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo. ”Through the Water Smart program funded under this law, we are addressing a variety of regional challenges to increase water reliability and accessibility for families, farmers and Tribes. Today’s investment will conserve water, restore riparian habitat and stream function, and improve watershed health to benefit local supplies and the surrounding environment.”

    “Adequate and safe water supplies are fundamental to the health, economy and security of the country. By restoring ecosystems and improving the health of rivers and watersheds, we can provide more local communities reliable access to water,” said Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “These grants invest in water management projects that will directly benefit plant and animal species, fish and wildlife habitat and ecosystems.”

    Overall, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $8.3 billion to address water and drought challenges for the nation’s western water and power infrastructure by repairing aging water delivery systems, securing dams, completing rural water projects, protecting aquatic ecosystems and fulfilling Indian Water Rights Settlements.

    The funding announced today is part of the $160 million in WaterSMART grants provided by the Law in 2022. Local governments in states set to receive funding must complete their project within three years. Through a 25 percent cost-share, a total of $56.2 million in federal and non-federal investments will be leveraged to support selected projects.

    For more than 100 years, Reclamation and its partners have developed sustainable water and power solutions for the West. This Department’s WaterSMART Program focuses on collaborative efforts to plan and implement actions to increase water supply sustainability, including investments to modernize infrastructure.

    More information about the Environmental Water Restoration Projects is available on Reclamation’s website.

    Selected projects:

    Recipient 

    State

    Title 

    Federal Funding 

    Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District 

    AZ 

    Roosevelt Watershed Protection and Forest Thinning Project 

    $560,250 

    Marin Municipal Water District 

    CA 

    Lagunitas Creek Stream Channel Restoration Project 

    $1,400,000

    San Bernadino Valley Municipal Water District 

    CA 

    Anza Creek Aquatic and Riparian Habitat Restoration Project 

    $2,000,000

    Resource Conservation District of Monterey County 

    CA 

    Salinas River Arundo Eradication Project Phase V 

    $1,479,262

    El Dorado County Water Agency 

    CA 

    Post Caldor Fire Watershed Restoration for Securing Water Supply for the Grizzly Flats Community 

    $1,875,000

    The Nature Conservancy 

    CO 

    Modernization of the Maybell Irrigation District’s Diversion from the Yampa River in Colorado 

    $1,920,900

    Trout Unlimited 

    CO 

    Pagosa Gateway Project 

    $375,000 

    State of Hawai’i DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife 

    HI 

    Protecting Forests for Water Supply Sustainability in Kohala Hawaii Phase 1 

    $996,487 

    State of Hawai’i DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife 

    HI 

    Protecting Forests for Water Supply Sustainability in Kohala Hawaii Phase 2 

    $931,783 

    Friends of the Teton River, Inc. 

    ID 

    Reconnecting Canyon Creek 

    $2,000,000

    Board of Control for Triangle Irrigation and Wood River 

    ID 

    Board of Control Diversion 45 Stabilization and Fish Passage Remediation 

    $629,000 

    The Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation 

    ID 

    Battle Creek Ecological Restoration at Sowo Gahni 

    $1,999,711

    Sun River Watershed 

    MT 

    Muddy Creek Restoration and Resilience Project Phase I 

    $1,769,323

    Southern Nevada Water Authority 

    NV 

    Las Vegas Wash Riparian Restoration Project 

    $900,500 

    Rogue Valley Council of Governments 

    OR 

    Bear Creek Fish Passage Barriers Removal 

    $784,151 

    East Fork Irrigation District 

    OR 

    Oanna & Yasui Sublateral Efficiency Project 

    $2,000,000

    Curry Watersheds Nonprofit 

    OR 

    Sixes Riverbank Restoration and Estuary Enhancement 

    $268,789 

    Protectores de Cuencas Inc 

    PR 

    Accelerating Recovery and Increasing Resiliency of Coastal Wetlands in Punta Tuna Natural Reserve in Maunabo Puerto Rico 

    $509,694 

    Cameron County Water Improvement District No. 10 

    TX 

    Pipeline Improvements and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Water Management Improvements 

    $1,500,000

    Cache Water District 

    UT 

    Lower Logan River Trapper Park River Restoration Project 

    $2,000,000

    Trout Unlimited 

    UT 

    Weber River Ecological Resiliency Project 

    $1,864,032

    Trout Unlimited 

    UT 

    Paris Creek Hydropower Decommissioning and Instream Flow Restoration 

    $900,798 

    Kittitas Reclamation District 

    WA 

    South Branch Piping 

    $2,000,000

    Clallam Conservation District 

    WA 

    Irrigation Efficiency and Improvement Project 

    $1,535,937

    Clallam County 

    WA 

    Dungeness Reservoir Irrigation Conveyance Improvement Project 

    $1,813,275

    Wyoming Game and Fish Department 

    WY 

    New Fork River Gas Wells River Restoration and Fish Habitat Improvement 

    $100,000 

    Deaver Irrigation District 

    WY 

    D52 Lateral Piping and Shoshone River Sediment Reduction Project 

    $2,000,000

    More information, including details about other current opportunities to apply for funding available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is available on Reclamation’s WaterSMART program webpage.

  • USDA Issues Over $4 Billion to Farmers in Emergency Relief Payments to Date

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that to date, agricultural producers have already received more than $4 billion through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), representing approximately 67% of the more than $6 billion projected to be paid through this first phase of the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed out pre-filled applications in late May to producers with crop insurance who suffered losses due to natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. Commodity and specialty crop producers have until July 22 to complete applications.

    “We recognize the financial recovery need is great and worked deliberately to create a program delivery process that would ensure quick payments to producers,” Vilsack said. “I am extremely proud to share that the strategically streamlined ERP application and program implementation process have yielded the desired results – reduced burdens on and expedited payment to approximately 120,000 disaster-impacted agricultural producers, to date.”

    USDA is implementing ERP and ELRP in two phases, with the first phase utilizing existing claim data to provide relief expediently, and the second phase focusing on ensuring producers not covered by other programs receive assistance. For phase one, USDA used crop insurance and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) claim data.

    Both ERP and the previously announced Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) are funded by the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, which President Biden signed into law in 2021. The law provided $10 billion to help agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021, of which $750 million is committed to livestock producers who experienced losses to drought or wildfire in calendar year 2021. Eligible livestock producers received ELRP payments totaling more than $590 million since the program was rolled out in late March.

    Pre-Filled Applications

    Eligible producers with eligible crop insurance claims have received pre-filled applications, which included eligibility requirements and payment calculations. Producers received a separate application form for each program year in which they experienced an eligible loss.

    Producers should check with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) at their local USDA Service Center to confirm eligibility and to ensure that all required farm program participation, adjusted gross income and conservation compliance forms are on file. Producers who have previously participated in FSA programs likely have these required forms already on file.

    ERP provisions allow for a higher payment percentage for historically underserved producers, including beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged and military veteran producers. To qualify for the higher payment rate, individuals must have a Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification on file.

    To receive a payment, producers must complete and submit their forms by the July 22 deadline. Once the completed ERP application for payment is submitted to and signed by the FSA, producers enrolled in direct deposit should look for their payment within three business days.

    Additional Assistance through Phase One

    FSA will be sending pre-filled applications for about 9,000 eligible producers with NAP coverage in mid-July.

    The Federal crop insurance data used to populate ERP phase one pre-filled applications included claim data on file with USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) as of May 2, 2022. At that time, claim data for the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO), Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX), Margin Protection Plan (MP) or Area Risk Protection Insurance (ARPI) were not complete, so crop/units including these coverage options were not included in the pre-filled ERP application form. In late summer 2022, updated claim information will be used to generate a second pre-filled application for those crop/units with eligible losses on file with RMA not included in the first mailing.

    More Information 

    ERP covers losses to crops, trees, bushes and vines due to a qualifying natural disaster event in calendar years 2020 and 2021.  Eligible crops include all crops for which crop insurance or NAP coverage was available, except for crops intended for grazing. Qualifying natural disaster events include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought and related conditions.

    All producers who receive ERP phase one payments are statutorily required to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage where crop insurance is not available for the next two available crop years.

    Producers should contact their local Service Center if they have questions. Additionally, other resources include:

  • Historic Drought Impacts Northern California Tree Nut Growers

    Northern California growers are really feeling the impact of drought this year with record low water allocations if any.  Watch this brief interview with grower Blake Vann, who serves on the Glenn Colusa Irrigation District Board as he explains, and read more about it in the next issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Spring Freeze Devastates Clarksburg CA Vineyards

    Several wine grape growing regions of California were impacted by freeze events this spring. How severe are the impacts and how will this affect the 2022 vintage? Watch this brief interview with Tom Merwin from the Clarksburg Wine Growers & Vintners Association as he shares his perspective of what he’s seeing in the Clarksburg AVA.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • $6 Billion on its Way to Commodity & Specialty Crop Producers Impacted by 2020, 2021 Natural Disasters

    The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses.

    “For over two years, farmers and ranchers across the country have been hard hit by an ongoing pandemic coupled with more frequent and catastrophic natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.  “As the agriculture industry deals with new challenges and stressors, we at USDA look for opportunities to inject financial support back into the rural economy through direct payments to producers who bear the brunt of circumstances beyond their control. These emergency relief payments will help offset the significant crop losses due to major weather events in 2020 and 2021 and help ensure farming operations are viable this crop year, into the next growing season and beyond.”

    Background

    On September 30, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43), which includes $10 billion in assistance to agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms, and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021. FSA recently made payments to ranchers impacted by drought and wildfire through the first phase of the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP). ERP is another relief component of the Act.

    For impacted producers, existing Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data is the basis for calculating initial payments. USDA estimates that phase one ERP benefits will reach more than 220,000 producers who received indemnities for losses covered by federal crop insurance and more than 4,000 producers who obtained NAP coverage for 2020 and 2021 crop losses.

    ERP Eligibility – Phase One

    ERP covers losses to crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to a qualifying natural disaster event in calendar years 2020 and 2021.  Eligible crops include all crops for which crop insurance or NAP coverage was available, except for crops intended for grazing. Qualifying natural disaster events include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions.

    For drought, ERP assistance is available if any area within the county in which the loss occurred was rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a:

    •  D2 (severe drought) for eight consecutive weeks; or 
    •  D3 (extreme drought) or higher level of drought intensity. 

      

    Lists of 2020 and 2021 drought counties eligible for ERP is available on the emergency relief website.

    To streamline and simplify the delivery of ERP phase one benefits, FSA will send pre-filled application forms to producers where crop insurance and NAP data are already on file. This form includes eligibility requirements, outlines the application process and provides ERP payment calculations. Producers will receive a separate application form for each program year in which an eligible loss occurred. Receipt of a pre-filled application is not confirmation that a producer is eligible to receive an ERP phase one payment.

    Additionally, producers must have the following forms on file with FSA within 60 days of the ERP phase one deadline, which will later be announced by FSA’s Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs:

    • Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.  
    • Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.   
    • Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).   
    • Form FSA-510, Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs (if applicable).   
    • Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, if applicable, for the 2021 program year.   
    • A highly erodible land conservation (sometimes referred to as HELC) and wetland conservation certification (Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification) for the ERP producer and applicable affiliates.  

    Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm the status of their forms can contact their local FSA county office.

    ERP Payment Calculations – Phase One 

    For crops covered by crop insurance, the ERP phase one payment calculation for a crop and unit will depend on the type and level of coverage obtained by the producer. Each calculation will use an ERP factor based on the producer’s level of crop insurance or NAP coverage.

      

    • Crop Insurance – the ERP factor is 75% to 95% depending on the level of coverage ranging from catastrophic to at least 80% coverage. 
    • NAP – the ERP factor is 75% to 95% depending on the level of coverage ranging from catastrophic to 65% coverage.      

     

    Full ERP payment calculation factor tables are available on the emergency relief website and in the program fact sheet.

    Applying ERP factors ensures that payments to producers do not exceed available funding and that cumulative payments do not exceed 90% of losses for all producers as required by the Act.

    Also, there will be certain payment calculation considerations for area plans under crop insurance policies.

    The ERP payment percentage for historically underserved producers, including beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers will be increased by 15% of the calculated payment for crops having insurance coverage or NAP.

    To qualify for the higher payment percentage, eligible producers must have a CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, form on file with FSA for the 2021 program year.

    Because the amount of loss due to a qualifying disaster event in calendar years 202 and 2021 cannot be separated from the amount of loss caused by other eligible causes of loss as defined by the applicable crop insurance or NAP policy, the ERP phase one payment will be calculated based on the producer’s loss due to all eligible causes of loss.

    Future Insurance Coverage Requirements

    All producers who receive ERP phase one payments, including those receiving a payment based on crop, tree, bush, or vine insurance policies, are statutorily required to purchase crop insurance, or NAP coverage where crop insurance is not available, for the next two available crop years, as determined by the Secretary.  Participants must obtain crop insurance or NAP, as may be applicable:

    • At a coverage level equal to or greater than 60% for insurable crops; or 
    • At the catastrophic level or higher for NAP crops. 

     

    Coverage requirements will be determined from the date a producer receives an ERP payment and may vary depending on the timing and availability of crop insurance or NAP for a producer’s particular crops.  The final crop year to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage to meet the second year of coverage for this requirement is the 2026 crop year.

    Emergency Relief – Phase Two (Crop and Livestock Producers)

    Today’s announcement is only phase one of relief for commodity and specialty crop producers.  Making the initial payments using existing safety net and risk management data will both speed implementation and further encourage participation in these permanent programs, such as Federal crop insurance, as Congress intended.

    The second phase of both ERP and ELRP programs will fill gaps and cover producers who did not participate in or receive payments through the existing programs that are being leveraged for phase one implementation.  When phase one payment processing is complete, the remaining funds will be used to cover gaps identified under phase two.

    Through proactive communication and outreach, USDA will keep producers and stakeholders informed as program details are made available.   More information on ERP can be found in the Notice of Funding Availability.

    Additional Commodity Loss Assistance

    The Milk Loss Program and On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program are also funded through the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act and will be announced in a future rule in the Federal Register.

    More Information

    Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool. For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.

  • Hotter, Drier Nights Mean More Runaway Fires

    Thanks to the warming climate, the potential for more severe nighttime wildfires is increasing, and warmer nights mean firefighters will not be able to rely on cooler temperatures to help them get a handle on fires, a new study shows.

    Forty years ago, cool, moist nights regularly provided relief to firefighters, and “flammable nights” that facilitated fire activity were rare. Now, because of climate change and warmer overnight temperatures, there are 11 more flammable nights every year in the U.S. West — a 45 percent spike, the team found.

    “Our evidence shows the candle literally burning at both ends in terms of extending the diurnal cycle of fire activity,” said UC Merced climatologist Professor John Abatzoglou, one of the co-authors of the study published today in the journal Nature. “This study adds to the rich body of science documenting significant changes in the fire environment in recent decades that obviously have played out here in California and the western U.S.”

    The study was led by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Earth Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder and included authors from UCLA and Boise State University.

    “Night is the critical time for slowing a speeding fire — and wildfire’s night brakes are failing,” said Earth Lab Director Jennifer Balch, lead author.

    The new analysis relied on a key measurement of the thirst of the atmosphere — the Vapor Pressure Deficit or VPD. When the VPD is relatively low, the air is cool and moist, and fires cannot thrive. Fire suppression operations take advantage of these nighttime conditions to squelch flames. But when the VPD is high, the air is hot and dry, parched and primed for burning.

    And in a first: the team analyzed satellite observations and hourly climate data for 81,000 global fires to pinpoint the VPD tipping point when it becomes hot and dry enough to burn at night. The researchers found one full week of additional flammable nights per year in burnable lands across the globe in the last 40 years. And in the western United States, they increased by 45 percent.

    The team also used a novel remote sensing and modeling technique to evaluate fire progression hourly for tens of thousands of fire events and found globally, night fires became 7.2 percent more intense from 2003–2020. In the U.S. West, that number was much higher: 28 percent.

    People tend to pay more attention to daytime conditions, but the nighttime really matters: Human-caused climate change has comparatively warmed the night more than the day over the past seven decades — and it’s only going to get worse from here, the team said.

    “We really don’t need yet another reason to keep ourselves up at night, but with warming nights enabling nocturnal fires — here we are,” Abatzoglou said.

    California has endured a series of historic fire seasons in recent years exacerbated by several factors, including extreme drought and heat. Ongoing changes in climate in the context of these fire seasons have increased the urgency to scale-up proactive land management to limit negative fire impacts to society and ecosystems, he said.

    The past few fire seasons, including the Colorado fire near Big Sur in dry, windy late January, further highlight the importance of better understanding the climate-related drivers of wildfire. In 2021, California experienced more than 8,600 fires that burned more than 2.5 million acres. — By Lorena Anderson, University of California Merced & Katherine Weeman, University of Colorado Boulder

  • USDA Provides Update on Implementation of Forthcoming Disaster Assistance

    Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided an update at the Cattle Industry Convention on forthcoming assistance for agricultural producers impacted by weather-related disasters in calendar years 2020 and 2021.

    “Over the past two years, as agricultural producers have struggled with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have been hard-hit by more frequent and more intense natural disasters,” said Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation.  “With the help of Congress, USDA is working to deliver $10 billion in much-needed relief, including $750 million for livestock producers impacted by the severe drought.  As we work to administer this assistance, we remain guided by our goals to streamline the application process to reduce the burden on producers, proactively include underserved producers who have been left out of past relief efforts and encourage participation in existing risk management tools that can help producers weather future extreme weather events.”

    Background

    On September 30, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43). This Act includes $10 billion in assistance to agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms, and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the Act specifically targets $750 million to provide assistance to livestock producers for losses incurred due to drought or wildfires in calendar year 2021.

    According to Under Secretary Bonnie, USDA will follow a two-phased process to administer relief to eligible livestock and crop producers, with the first phase utilizing a streamlined process that relies on existing data that producers have already reported to USDA.

    Phase One for Livestock Producers

    For impacted ranchers, USDA will leverage Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) data to administer relief. LFP is an important tool that provides up to 60 percent of the estimated replacement feed cost when drought adversely impacts grazing lands. FSA continues to tally 2021 LFP applications filed by the January 31, 2022, deadline, but early estimates show 74,000 applications totaling more than $500 million in payments to livestock producers under LFP.

    While LFP has provided a critical infusion of assistance for ranchers, widespread and severe drought conditions, especially in the Western and Plain states, last year drove prices for feed 50 percent or more above the feed cost formula.

    Congress recognized requests for aid go beyond this existing program and provided specific funding for livestock producers in 2021.

    For the first phase of livestock assistance, USDA intends to:

    • Use existing LFP application data;
    • Streamline the application process to require no or minimal additional paperwork; and
    • Distribute at least half the $750 million through the first phase by the end of March 2022.

    Phase One for Crop Producers

    The broader program to provide assistance to crop producers will follow a two-phased process similar to that of the livestock assistance with implementation of first phase this spring.  Phase one of the crop assistance program delivery will use existing Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program data as the basis for calculating initial payments.

    Making the initial payments using existing safety net and risk management data will both speed implementation and further encourage participation in these permanent programs, including the Pasture, Rangeland, Forage Rainfall Index Crop Insurance Program, as Congress intended.

    Phase Two for Livestock and Crop Producers

    The second phase of both the livestock and crop programs will fill additional assistance gaps and cover eligible producers who did not participate in these existing programs.

    More Information 

    Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool. For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.

  • How Extreme Weather Affects Ag and Wine Production Keynote Address at 2022 Unified Symposium

    With so much attention paid to climate change, the 2022 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium this January has appropriately recruited the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) climate director to open the prestige three-day event. As Unified’s Tuesday luncheon keynote speaker, Dr. Steven Ostoja, director of the USDA California Climate Hub, will offer his  insights into how a changing climate and extreme weather are affecting agriculture and winegrape production, adaptation strategies growers need to know about and ways the industry can combat a changing climate. The luncheon will take place at Sacramento’s SAFE Credit Union Convention Center on Tuesday, January 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

    Based at the Agricultural Research Services’s Sustainable Agriculture Water Systems Research Unit, Dr. Ostoja is a Fellow at the John Muir Institute of the Environment at the University of California, Davis. He’s responsible for leading the development and delivery of regional, science-based information to enable climate-smart agricultural and forestry decision-making for the largest agricultural producing state in the nation. Dr. Ostoja’s research into applied natural resources management, human-environment ineractions, and climate adaptation science has been published in over 50 peer-reviewed government and technical publications.

    Registration for the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium is online at www.unifiedsymposium.org or by calling (888) 529-9272. The Keynote Luncheon is a separate fee and includes a plated lunch and wine. The 2022 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium will be held on January 25-27, with exhibits open on January 26 and 27, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, 1400 J St., Sacramento, Calif. 95814. Committed to providing the safest possible environment for guests, the Unified is following the most current COVID-19 health and safety requirements. To learn more about our safety protocol, visit the website or click on this link.

    Built with the joint input of growers, vintners and allied industry members, the Unified Symposium has served as a clearinghouse of information important to wine and grape industry professionals for 28 years. Unified also hosts the industry’s largest trade show of its kind, with more than 850 booths displaying supplier’s products and services. For more information, go to www.unifiedsymposium.org.

  • Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Homeland Security Jointly Establish New Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission

    The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the establishment of a new Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. Establishing this Commission fulfills a key provision of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and represents a critical step in combating the nation’s wildfire crisis and improving resilience in America’s landscapes.

    The Commission is tasked with recommending federal policies and strategies to more effectively prevent, mitigate, suppress and manage wildland fires, including the rehabilitation of land affected from wildland fires. It will include representation from federal, state, Tribal, county and municipal governments as well as non-governmental stakeholders from private industry. Through a coordinated effort, the Commission will deliver a report to Congress with practical policy recommendations one year from the first meeting. In addition, the Commission will outline a strategy to cost effectively meet aerial firefighting equipment needs through 2030.

    The work of the Commission will build on existing interagency federal efforts such as the Wildland Fire Leadership Council and the White House Wildfire Resilience Interagency Working Group and will continue to pursue a whole-of-government approach to wildfire risk reduction and resilience.

    “We have a historic opportunity to take action on forest restoration, hazardous fuels management and post-wildfire restoration activities, and better address the needs of federal wildland firefighters,” said Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “The Commission established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide valuable insight into ways we can better prepare communities and ecosystems against the threat of wildland fire across our nation’s public and Tribal lands.”

    “The effects of a changing climate are all around us. Americans, especially those in rural communities in the West, are experiencing a growing number of bigger, hotter, and more destructive wildfires that threaten people, livelihoods, and our natural resources. The Commission will bring together a diverse group of leaders to help tackle this crisis and inform our collective ability to improve the health and resilience of our forests and communities” said Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

    “This Commission represents a unified effort across the federal government to answer a call that is quickly growing louder; we must protect our wildlands from the ravaging impacts of climate change,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “In coordination with our partners at USDA and DOI, FEMA is committed to doing our part to help build readiness and resilience in communities who are at risk from wildfires.”

    “Climate change and increasing development in the wildland urban interface are rapidly changing the complexity and response challenges for the fire service. It is time for us all to recognize that wildland fire is not just a forest or rural problem any longer. Urban and suburban fire departments that had no part in wildland firefighting 30 years ago are now heavily engaged in wildland fire prevention, mitigation, and response. The wildland urban interface is now the frontier for wildland fire,” said U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore Merrell. “This Commission will pull together our partners and stakeholders to focus on community risk reduction, enhanced prevention efforts, and overall response and mitigation capacity that matches the wildfire risks within the nation’s wildland urban interface.”

    “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law calls for a dramatic increase in the scale and pace of wildfire mitigation, restoration and post-fire recovery work,” said Executive Director of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council Mike Zupko. “Success can only be accomplished through dedicated partnerships and collaboration. The Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission will advance our collective ability to combat the nation’s wildfire crisis and accelerate implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.”

    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests unprecedented funding for America’s natural infrastructure. The joint Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission will support the implementation of effective wildfire risk reduction and resilience strategies to combat the wildfire crisis, recovering and protecting our nation’s forests, landscapes and surrounding communities.

    About the U.S. Department of the Interior

    The Department of the Interior (DOI) conserves and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people, provides scientific and other information about natural resources and natural hazards to address societal challenges and create opportunities for the American people, and honors the Nation’s trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities to help them prosper.