Federal and state officials say they need to study the environmental effect of building a canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta—even though a decision about the project is years away. Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources, says the issue is so complex and controversial that the state must begin its environmental studies now. Snow and other government officials on Monday held the first of many planned meetings on how to stabilize the delta's ecosystem and water delivery. SJ Mercury 3/24/08
Tuberculosis cases in the Bay Area are increasing after a decade of decline, a worrisome change that local public health officials believe is linked to years of eroding financial support for TB control efforts. In 2007, the number of TB cases in the nine Bay Area counties rose 10 percent over the prior year, while cases statewide dropped 1.9 percent. SF Chronicle 3/25/08
After a week of negotiating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mexico has backed off its demands for more stringent regulations regarding the light brown apple moth. Mexican officials agreed to remove a required trapping protocol that the USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture had determined would be impossible to meet, said Jay Van Rein, a spokesman for the state agency. The Packer 3/25/08
A 10-square-mile area in Carpinteria has been placed under quarantine because of the discovery of two light brown apple moths, a crop-destroying scourge of the agriculture industry. SJ Mercury 3/25/08
To reduce fuel consumption, more farmers are changing their cultural practices, even adopting methods that their Midwestern counterparts have used for years. Others are incorporating new technologies into their operations to maximize overall farm efficiency. For example, a growing number of farmers in California are shifting toward minimum tillage practices, which allow him to do fewer passes in the field with tractors and other equipment and thereby save not only fuel, but time and labor. California Farm Bureau 3/25/08
There are no confirmed human cases yet, but a dead bird has tested positive for West Nile Virus near Bakersfield. KGET 3/25/08
Lincoln Burton, state conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California, has announced that statewide distribution of conservation cost share contracts has been completed for fiscal year 2008. According to Burton, 1,078 farmers and ranchers are receiving contracts totaling nearly $39 million under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Some of the most popular conservation improvements funded this year include air quality improvements, nutrient planning and management on dairies, and water efficiency measures. Western Farm Press 3/24/08
Water tables are dropping in the Sacramento Valley portion of the Great Central Valley as farmers respond to cutbacks in supplies from federal reservoirs. Agricultural contractors in the Central Valley Project have seen allotments cut with the giant pumps turned down under court order to protect an endangered fish, the Delta smelt. But another reason is more elemental: There isn’t as much water in storage, such as the state’s Lake Shasta. Central Valley Business Times 3/25/08
Tony Lesperance, a rancher who had a key role in an anti-federal government crusade in eastern Nevada a decade ago, took over Monday as head of the state Agriculture Department. Lesperance said he will work with federal agencies but remains committed to representing "the state's interests to the best of my abilities." KTNV March
With obesity-related illnesses now costing $28.5 billion annually in lost wages and medical care statewide, two California organizations have stepped in to create "how to" guides to help thousands of doctors emphasize to patients the importance of diet and nutrition to kids and adults alike. The massive informational "tool kit," available today, will encourage physicians to conduct body mass index, or BMI, measures on all patients. It will also offer guides on how doctors should discuss weight issues with patients, how to include more information about nutrition inside waiting rooms, and the importance of providing a sturdy scale for those 300 pounds or more, as well as appropriate-size examination gowns. Daily News 3/24/08
Water Recycling Efforts Spark Policy Debate in California PBS 3/24/08
In California, a state of 37.4 million people, there are only 198 Fish and Game Wardens in the field working to prevent and prosecute polluters, and protect fisheries, wildlife, fauna, and the public. This staffing level is the same as in the 1950s in actual personnel. This state level of wardens per capita to the general populace is the “worst in America,” according to the “2007 California Fish and Game Warden Expose Update.” Aquafornia 3/24/08
Boulevard, owner Nancy Oakes and The Slanted Door, owner Charles Phan, both of San Francisco, were nominated for James Beard Foundation awards for Outstanding Restaurant. James Beard Foundation 3/24/08
In planning for this future, the State Board of Food and Agriculture will bring together the public and the agricultural industry to create an “Ag Vision” for California at this month’s board meeting and will begin to determine the format for the agricultural vision and when public input meetings will occur. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s main auditorium, 1220 ‘N’ Street, Sacramento. CDFA Press Release 3/25/08
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