Farm bill on horizon

from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Every five years, Congress is tasked with reauthorization of the Farm Bill, the multi-million-dollar bill that funds numerous agricultural and food programs governed through the United States Department of Agriculture. Farm Bill reauthorization is a critical priority because without it, the continuation of some agricultural-related programs would cease and much needed policy updates to Farm Bill programs would not be made. In fact, failure to reauthorize the Farm Bill would result in reverting to versions of the Bill passed in the first half of the 19th century that simply will not work for today’s producers.

As the deadline for the 2023 Farm Bill approaches, preliminary conversations around Farm Bill priorities are underway between Congress and industry groups. While the Bill does not need to be reauthorized until next year, Congress will engage with stakeholders in the agricultural and food industry for months to determine the components of the Farm Bill. Writing this Bill is a huge undertaking as it encompasses 12 titles spanning from nutrition to crop insurance to conservation.

While a large portion of the overall Bill is allocated toward nutrition assistance programs, cattle producers benefit from the Bill through a variety of ways. As a result, NCBA’s Government Affairs team is already engaging with key members of Congress to ensure cattle producers benefit from both new and existing provisions in the Bill.

Even in early conversations, our team stressed the importance of continued funding for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) to protect against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), secured in the 2018 Farm Bill. This is an important tool as the cattle industry works toward proactive preparedness in the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak.

As part of our 2022 Policy Priorities, NCBA is focused on the financial sustainability of farms and ranches. One way we can promote that is through ensuring the continuation of USDA risk management and disaster assistance programs. It is critical to protect these programs for producers, and make sure they meet producer needs as severe weather conditions, including snowstorms, hurricanes and drought continue across the country.

In addition, conservation is anticipated to be a key focus for many. As discussions around conservation drive the focus of the Bill, we are working to ensure that conservation measures included are voluntary and allow cattle producers across the country to do what they do best – conserve the land and natural resources in a way that is suitable to their region of the country and the type of operation they are running.

While there are several provisions NCBA will advocate for, the Government Affairs team is also working to ensure certain provisions are not included, such as a separate livestock title. Cattle producers across the country benefit from programs administered through other titles in the Farm Bill, but efforts to create a separate livestock title would not be beneficial to the industry as it could increase government oversight and regulations on certain programs and business practices and it opens the door to unwanted policy initiatives.

As debate ramps up between industry groups and Congress, NCBA has already been engaged in conversations to ensure decision makers understand how cattle producers benefit from this legislation. In addition, the team is working to ensure we have the critical relationships to help secure beneficial provisions.

However, like any other NCBA policy, our official priorities will be determined by membership. State affiliates will have the opportunity to present policy recommendations to our current Farm Bill Directives, and members will vote to determine NCBA’s official next steps at Summer Business Meeting in July. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your state affiliate or NCBA staff with questions you have regarding this process and how you can get involved.

As Californians prepare for another year of drought and an anticipated intense fire season, landowners and organizations across California have been working to reduce forest fuels – flammable woody material – that can endanger their properties and communities.

For many of them, however, their urgent efforts hit a sizable speed bump: a massive rulebook that describes, amid a thicket of other information, the permits required before people can treat or remove fuels – as well as a litany of attached requirements, restrictions and stipulations.

“The California Forest Practice Rules are 410 pages, in font size 6,” said Yana Valachovic, UC Cooperative Extension forest advisor for Humboldt and Del Norte counties and registered professional forester. “Trying to figure out what permit vehicles make sense in the rulebook is not easy even for the experienced professional forester.”

To assist private landowners and community groups in deciphering the rules and determining their most cost-effective options, Valachovic took the lead in writing a new guide, “Planning and Permitting Forest Fuel-Reduction Projects on Private Lands in California,” available as a free resource in the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources catalog.

“We tried to create a system where all the permits are laid out side-by-side, and put in a decision tree framework to help make it easier,” said Valachovic, highlighting the publication’s tables that break down the project goals and parameters a permit applicant should think about when weighing their choices.

Considerations include whether the project is pre- or post-wildfire, the location and dimensions of trees targeted for removal, the conditions of the site before and after the project, potential time limits, commercial options and, crucially, budget constraints – given that the permitting process could comprise up to one-third of total project costs.

Chris Curtis, the unit forester for CAL FIRE’s HumboldtDel Norte Unit, said that he and his colleagues are grateful for this new tool and plan to use it as an “over the counter” handout for community members. He added that the charts summarizing timberharvesting regulations and possible funding sources are especially helpful.

“These give a landowner a starting place to sort through the many commercial timber harvesting documents and fuel-modification project funding source options available,” Curtis said. “A landowner is selfguided to a few options that will seem most appropriate, and this will facilitate a resource professional to assist that person in selecting the most appropriate permitting.”

Just as a homeowner would talk with a contractor before tackling a construction project, landowners and community groups must consult with an range, pasture and forage advisor 9 (RFP), Valachovic said. RPFs have the specialized knowledge of forest practice rules and regulations related to water, air quality and endangered species protections, and the license to file the permitting documents.

“Landowners come to me and we start talking about goals and objectives,” she said. “We start thinking about potential timelines – which goals are short-term, which are long-term – and how we can put an operational plan together to help those landowners achieve their goals.”

Among the many practical tips outlined in this guide, Valachovic emphasized one in particular: for landowners dipping their toes into fuel reduction for the first time, keep the project “simple and realistic.”

And while even smaller projects could be more expensive this year due to higher costs for gas, equipment and supplies, she said that now is still “a great time to plan,” as fuelreduction projects can take months to develop and execute.

In the short-term, however, Valachovic stressed that the extremely dry conditions across the state make it imperative for Californians to harden their homes, manage the fuels (i.e., landscape plants, stored wood, tall grass, etc.) immediately adjacent to their homes, and devise and review family emergency plans; see UC ANR’s Wildfire Preparation page for detailed information and resources.

“There are a lot of immediate actions that people can be doing this year to help mitigate their wildfire risks and prepare for the unexpected,” she said.

In addition to Valachovic, co-authors of “Planning and Permitting Forest Fuel-Reduction Projects on Private Lands in California” are Jared Gerstein of BBW Associates and Brita Goldstein, UCCE staff research associate in Humboldt and Del Norte counties; both are registered professional foresters.

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