YOUR DUES DOLLARS AT WORK
MONEY TALKS
CCA ENGAGED ON ITEMS IMPACTING YOU by Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur Late into the evening on Sunday, Aug. 28, California legislators unveiled 13 bills related to the state budget. While the bills had been introduced earlier in the legislative year, they were mostly “intent” bills – empty vessels which could be heavily amended later in session to reflect ongoing budget negotiations. With voters adopting a constitutional amendment in 2016 requiring that legislation be in print for 72 hours before being eligible for a legislative vote, the Aug. 28 amendments ensured that the bills could be voted on – but not further amended – before the constitutionallymandated close of legislative business on Aug. 31. Fortunately, CCA had been engaged in budget discussions throughout the year, and those late-session budget bills contained several provisions supported by California’s ranching community. The most significant of these bills was Assembly Bill 179, the “Budget Bill Junior” which amends the Budget Act of 2022 initially signed into law on the final days of June. The “Budget Bill Junior” – which Governor Newsom signed on Sept. 6 – contains several promising wildfire resilience provisions which should be attractive to California’s cattle producers. For instance, the legislation augments by $3 million the amount available as local assistance for wildfire prevention and forest resilience and provides $20 million to the Department of Conservation for regional forest and fire capacity. The Budget also allocates $2 million to the California Air Resources Board for enhanced permitting for prescribed fire and provides an additional $2 million to support University of California Fire Advisors. Streamlined permitting for prescribed fire has been a CCA policy priority since 2018, and University of California Fire Advisors like Lenya Quinn-Davidson in Humboldt County have been invaluable advisors to CCA’s Fire Subcommittee and play a 8 California Cattleman October 2022
crucial role in deploying ‘good fire’ throughout the state. The Budget Bill Junior also includes promising funding provisions regarding grazing and grazing infrastructure. For years, CCA has sought to promote budget allocations to advance grazing as a fire-fuels management tool. In 2021, the Association sought a “one-time appropriation of $20 million to fund a pilot program providing grants to state lands grazing lessees/permittees for the purposes of installing and/or maintaining grazing infrastructure” which, regrettably, was not funded. This year, CCA followed up that request by joining nearly 40 other organizations asking for $8 million in the 2022-23 State Budget “to invest in prescribed and targeted grazing infrastructure” which would allow the state to better scale up the “proven and effective strategy for wildfire prevention” that is livestock grazing. Fortunately, the Budget Bill signed into law last month does provide funding for livestock grazing and infrastructure to facilitate those grazing practices – provided ranchers apply for available grants. Specifically, among the $120 million allocated to Cal Fire for fire prevention and resource management in AB 179, ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 10