Several items of news have been released this month, some as recently as yesterday.
Last week a brief radio news bit stated that the Department of Interior has received an ultimatum from the court to decide on the polar bear issue
within 15 days.
The only print confirmation, in several local papers, found is the following
summary:
“Law firm set to join fight over polar bear”
A California law firm is poised to join the political melee over the
polar bear, vowing to sue the government if it cites global warming as a threat to the species.
The warning comes in response to a much-anticipated decision by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on whether to protect Alaskan polar bears under the Endangered Species Act by the court-ordered deadline May 15.
At issue is growing debate over how aggressively government should act
to protect wildlife supposedly threatened by climate change. The sides disagree on the effect on polar bears.
From the Riverside Press Enterprise, May 9,2008
This issue of polar bears does not pertain directly to California ag,
but the same methods using pressure groups and the courts could apply to any species that are
threats to our farms and businesses.
Good News for California AG:
The California Farm Bureau sponsored and supported SB 1436, Senator
Denise Ducheny, San Diego, one of several bills having far-reaching benefits for family farms and ranches in California. This and other legislation will improve the business climate, protect the workforce
and protect the availability of production practices for farmers and ranchers.
SB 1436 Amended, Ducheny, Protected species: accidental take: agricultural
activities.
Amended in the Senate April 15, 2008
The California Endangered Species Act, until January l, 2009, exempts
from its provisions the accidental take of candidate, threatened, or endangered species resulting from acts that occur on
a farm or a ranch in the course of otherwise lawful routine and ongoing agricultural activities.
This bill changes the repeal date of that exemption to January 1, 2011.
SECTION 1, Section 2087 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read:
2087 (a) Accidental take of candidate, threatened, or endangered species
resulting from acts that occur on a farm or a ranch in the course of otherwise lawful routine and ongoing agricultural activities
is not prohibited by this chapter.
(b) This section
shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2011, and as of that date is repealed unless a later enacted statue deletes or
extends it.
Other News:
Riverside Press Enterprise, May 8, 2008:
Washington: Salmon restoration
legislation approved
A U.S.
Senate committee has approved legislation implementing a sweeping settlement to restore salmon to the San Joaquin River, moving
the deal a step closer to reality.
The
Senate Energy Committee approved the bill 15-7. Similar legislation passed a House committee last fall.
The
legislation, which still must pass the full House and Senate, would implement a legal settlement that would return water to
a dry 60-mile stretch of the San Joaquin River by 2009 and bring back Chinook salmon three years later.
The
lawsuit stems from the opening of Friant Dam in 1949 , which dried up portions
of the river below the dam.
(Am not sure where this belongs in CWA information/news as the story
may have been featured in local papers. I noticed the story because of our informative
field trip to Friant Dam in January during the convention and the discussion of reintroduction of salmon.
Another article I found interesting in view of CA tree, nursery and
fish businesses:
Investors Business Daily, May 5, 2008:
The New York Botanical Garden researchers will create a DNA database
for thousands of trees from around the world to help identify existing plant species. For the project called TreeBOL, participants
gather genetic material from trees around the world so scientists can create a bar code database.
Trees make up 25% of all plants, with an estimated 100,000 different
species. A similar database project on fish is under way.
Jane Hawkins, President
CWA Inland Empire Chapter
CWA Endangered Species Director
