Local Issues
Water
The Central Valley is considered to be one of the top regions for agriculture production due to its Mediterranean climate, rich soils and access to water. Water has long been a controversial and confusing issue in the state of California as it is a finite resource as well as a necessity for all mankind. As the population in California and the United States continues to grow, the burden rests on the farmers and ranchers to fulfill the public’s demands. We at MCFB plan on being more cognizant of water issues in 2011 and follow CFBF’s lead to push for stronger management plans to store water in preparation of those dry years. Ideally we would like the various agencies to address how best to facilitate water storage, conveyances, and other conservation issues as a means to prepare for the inevitable dry years that occur in the Central Valley and California. The CFBF endorsed the Water Bond will be on the horizon as it is planned to be on the 2012 ballot which the Board of Directors will again address the bond measure. On the west side the San Joaquin River Restoration Project is still on schedule with the legislation to increase interim flows which previously has been detrimental to many growers along the river due to seepage impacts. It remains to be seen how the Bureau of Reclamation plans on addressing these problems.
Membership/Outreach
MCFB began in 1917 with the mission of protecting and preserving the agriculture industry and its membership. Although we have faced several controversial issues over the years MCFB member-ship had continued to stay around 2,200 members. Over the last decade membership statewide has declined and MCFB has not been an exception. Many variables have contributed to the decline, but we cannot overlook the obvious miscues our industry and organization has made. The rapidly evolving media and internet have been overlooked for far too long and it’s good to see the ag industry, including Farm Bureau, finally beginning to catch up. By forcing ourselves into the conversation the industry is finally able to have their voice heard because people need and want to know where their food is from and the nutrition aspects for their children. Like most of our membership, childhood is where agriculture should be introduced into the everyday life. MCFB is making it a priority to use Ag in the Classroom as a tool to reach out to the schools in Merced County by educating teachers and students on “where milk comes from” or “what those bushes in the ground are growing.” MCFB Directors are planning on participating in the CFBF hosted San Francisco Farm Day as an educational tool for urban dwellers and voters in the city who are disconnected from “farm to fork” process. By educating these kids at a young age we are setting the groundwork for a generation that is more inclined to appreciate and support the farmers and ranchers in the United States.
General Plan
All counties and incorporated cities have a General Plan which defines how the projected population growth will be dispersed amongst the county in the next twenty to thirty years. Currently, both Merced County and the City of Merced are in the midst updating their respective General Plans. MCFB has been involved with the Ag Focus Groups, attending scoping meetings, and providing in-formation to the consultants and planning staff to make sure all of agriculture’s concerns are ad-dressed in the reports. In 2011, plan to see MCFB become even more involved in activities as the Environmental Impact Reports will be released and a thorough review will be required.
City of Livingston: After a detailed review of the City of Livingston’s General Plan Update, MCFB took the City of Livingston to court based on the evidence that the city had largely inflated population projections in their EIR. These projections were used to rapidly expand the land annexed into the city and its sphere of influence, eliminating large swaths of highly productive agriculture land. In 2009, the courts ruled in favor of MCFB, requiring the city to redo its General Plan Update with more accurate population projections. We are hoping to see the DEIR in early 2011 which staff and the Board of Directors will also be closely reviewing.
High Speed Rail
MCFB has been at the table with local officials endorsing both routes along existing corridors which include: A-2 along Highway 99/Union Pacific Railroad (Merced to Fresno segment) and State Route 152 (Merced to San Jose segment). MCFB has repeatedly submitted comments for the official record to the HSR Authority on the many impacts agriculture will face and questions we would like answered. MCFB has been working to unite Farm Bureaus and ag interests from Sacramento County to Kern County to make our voices heard in Sacramento and Washington, DC because the Authority only has one chance to get the routes correct. Since Merced County was not included as a priority segment we have an opportunity to redirect the Authority to keep the routes along existing corridors, which follows the language of the Bond passed by Californians in 2008. MCFB will stay vigilant in its notification of membership, Board of Directors and elected officials as this rapidly moving projects continues in 2011.
Solar Facilities
In 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order which required the California Air Re-source Board to adopt regulations requiring 33 percent of the utilities’ power to come from renewable sources by 2020. Tax incentives are given to those owners who are willing and able to place the renewable energy devices and who are approved to contribute to the grid. This large incentive has dramatically increased the presence of solar facility companies in the Central Valley. Merced County currently has several sites beginning the permitting process which MCFB has made a priority to comment on. Our primary concerns are the loss of prime ag land with accessible water (albeit temporary according to the developers), the long-term impacts on surrounding owners operations and finally the assurances from the developers and owners to completely revert the land back to an ag use once the lease has expired. This is the first time county staff has encountered planning decisions of this sorts and magnitude so MCFB’s input in addressing the impact early on will be crucial to the final outcome and mitigation opportunities. It remains to be seen how the Supervisor’s will move forward with these projects.
Williamson Act (WA)
In 2010, CFBF President Paul Wenger and staff made the WA program a priority by working with the legislature, county officials and Governor Schwarzenegger’s office to create options to that would give counties with difficult fiscal constraints an opportunity to continue participation. The signed compromise SB863, or 9 year contracts were approved by Merced County Board of Supervisors in December 2010. Currently, Governor Brown has proposed eliminating the $10 million that was also approved for the WA by Governor Schwarzenegger in late-2010. This $10 million would backfill counties for the losses they experience when Arnold red-lined the program in late 2009. MCFB is concerned that with the elimination of backfill funding, we are taking away any hope of future state budgets including funding for participating counties. Likewise, many cash strapped counties, including Merced County, will be unable to continue in providing this land preservation tool
The Central Valley is considered to be one of the top regions for agriculture production due to its Mediterranean climate, rich soils and access to water. Water has long been a controversial and confusing issue in the state of California as it is a finite resource as well as a necessity for all mankind. As the population in California and the United States continues to grow, the burden rests on the farmers and ranchers to fulfill the public’s demands. We at MCFB plan on being more cognizant of water issues in 2011 and follow CFBF’s lead to push for stronger management plans to store water in preparation of those dry years. Ideally we would like the various agencies to address how best to facilitate water storage, conveyances, and other conservation issues as a means to prepare for the inevitable dry years that occur in the Central Valley and California. The CFBF endorsed the Water Bond will be on the horizon as it is planned to be on the 2012 ballot which the Board of Directors will again address the bond measure. On the west side the San Joaquin River Restoration Project is still on schedule with the legislation to increase interim flows which previously has been detrimental to many growers along the river due to seepage impacts. It remains to be seen how the Bureau of Reclamation plans on addressing these problems.
Membership/Outreach
MCFB began in 1917 with the mission of protecting and preserving the agriculture industry and its membership. Although we have faced several controversial issues over the years MCFB member-ship had continued to stay around 2,200 members. Over the last decade membership statewide has declined and MCFB has not been an exception. Many variables have contributed to the decline, but we cannot overlook the obvious miscues our industry and organization has made. The rapidly evolving media and internet have been overlooked for far too long and it’s good to see the ag industry, including Farm Bureau, finally beginning to catch up. By forcing ourselves into the conversation the industry is finally able to have their voice heard because people need and want to know where their food is from and the nutrition aspects for their children. Like most of our membership, childhood is where agriculture should be introduced into the everyday life. MCFB is making it a priority to use Ag in the Classroom as a tool to reach out to the schools in Merced County by educating teachers and students on “where milk comes from” or “what those bushes in the ground are growing.” MCFB Directors are planning on participating in the CFBF hosted San Francisco Farm Day as an educational tool for urban dwellers and voters in the city who are disconnected from “farm to fork” process. By educating these kids at a young age we are setting the groundwork for a generation that is more inclined to appreciate and support the farmers and ranchers in the United States.
General Plan
All counties and incorporated cities have a General Plan which defines how the projected population growth will be dispersed amongst the county in the next twenty to thirty years. Currently, both Merced County and the City of Merced are in the midst updating their respective General Plans. MCFB has been involved with the Ag Focus Groups, attending scoping meetings, and providing in-formation to the consultants and planning staff to make sure all of agriculture’s concerns are ad-dressed in the reports. In 2011, plan to see MCFB become even more involved in activities as the Environmental Impact Reports will be released and a thorough review will be required.
City of Livingston: After a detailed review of the City of Livingston’s General Plan Update, MCFB took the City of Livingston to court based on the evidence that the city had largely inflated population projections in their EIR. These projections were used to rapidly expand the land annexed into the city and its sphere of influence, eliminating large swaths of highly productive agriculture land. In 2009, the courts ruled in favor of MCFB, requiring the city to redo its General Plan Update with more accurate population projections. We are hoping to see the DEIR in early 2011 which staff and the Board of Directors will also be closely reviewing.
High Speed Rail
MCFB has been at the table with local officials endorsing both routes along existing corridors which include: A-2 along Highway 99/Union Pacific Railroad (Merced to Fresno segment) and State Route 152 (Merced to San Jose segment). MCFB has repeatedly submitted comments for the official record to the HSR Authority on the many impacts agriculture will face and questions we would like answered. MCFB has been working to unite Farm Bureaus and ag interests from Sacramento County to Kern County to make our voices heard in Sacramento and Washington, DC because the Authority only has one chance to get the routes correct. Since Merced County was not included as a priority segment we have an opportunity to redirect the Authority to keep the routes along existing corridors, which follows the language of the Bond passed by Californians in 2008. MCFB will stay vigilant in its notification of membership, Board of Directors and elected officials as this rapidly moving projects continues in 2011.
Solar Facilities
In 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order which required the California Air Re-source Board to adopt regulations requiring 33 percent of the utilities’ power to come from renewable sources by 2020. Tax incentives are given to those owners who are willing and able to place the renewable energy devices and who are approved to contribute to the grid. This large incentive has dramatically increased the presence of solar facility companies in the Central Valley. Merced County currently has several sites beginning the permitting process which MCFB has made a priority to comment on. Our primary concerns are the loss of prime ag land with accessible water (albeit temporary according to the developers), the long-term impacts on surrounding owners operations and finally the assurances from the developers and owners to completely revert the land back to an ag use once the lease has expired. This is the first time county staff has encountered planning decisions of this sorts and magnitude so MCFB’s input in addressing the impact early on will be crucial to the final outcome and mitigation opportunities. It remains to be seen how the Supervisor’s will move forward with these projects.
Williamson Act (WA)
In 2010, CFBF President Paul Wenger and staff made the WA program a priority by working with the legislature, county officials and Governor Schwarzenegger’s office to create options to that would give counties with difficult fiscal constraints an opportunity to continue participation. The signed compromise SB863, or 9 year contracts were approved by Merced County Board of Supervisors in December 2010. Currently, Governor Brown has proposed eliminating the $10 million that was also approved for the WA by Governor Schwarzenegger in late-2010. This $10 million would backfill counties for the losses they experience when Arnold red-lined the program in late 2009. MCFB is concerned that with the elimination of backfill funding, we are taking away any hope of future state budgets including funding for participating counties. Likewise, many cash strapped counties, including Merced County, will be unable to continue in providing this land preservation tool