CALIFORNIA CATTLE COUNCIL
BY PRODUCERS FOR PRODUCERS RANCHER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM LAUNCHED by California Cattle Council Executive Director Justin Oldfield Today, there is no shortage of evolving regulatory rules and requirements that cattle producers struggle to keep up with in California. From labor regulations to water use reporting, complicated compliance requirements can burden cattle producers with time consuming work and threats of enforcement. Recognizing that many cattle producers could benefit from additional regulatory expertise and professional support, in the Spring of 2021 the California Cattle Council awarded a grant to the California Cattlemen’s Foundation to develop a technical assistance program. This new program, called the Rancher Technical Assistance Program (RTAP), is now underway. Take a minute to look over the questions and answers below to learn how you may be able to use RTAP to help you navigate regulatory compliance issues. 1. What is the technical assistance program? RTAP is a joint project developed by the California Cattlemen’s Association, California Cattlemen’s Foundation and Western Resource Strategies, LLC and funded by the California Cattle Council. RTAP’s goal is to help ranchers stay ahead of the latest regulatory requirements by providing technical assistance to ranchers, enabling them to understand and navigate complex regulatory, environmental and business issues. The technical assistance RTAP provides is limited to understanding and navigating regulatory requirements. The
34 California Cattleman July • August 2021
team will provide general guidance on what is required and where you can find the resources you need to fulfill your regulatory obligations. RTAP cannot provide legal, tax or accounting advice. You should engage your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before making any decisions. 2. What are some of the issues cattle producers can get help with through this program? RTAP’s initial focus is helping cattle producers navigate regulatory requirements related to their operations. This can include water, land use, wildlife, transportation and other issues. For example, a cattle producer may call with questions about stockpond registrations, prescribed fire regulations or vehicle code requirements. When the RTAP team does not know the answer immediately, they will research the issue and respond as quickly as possible. The RTAP team will also work to help you with nonregulatory questions where they can. This might include issues like the tax provisions related to drought-related livestock sales, conservation programs and disaster relief.
