[New] YOUR DUES DOLLARS AT WORK MEMBERSHIP ADOPTS NEW POLICY, NEW AT 106TH ANNUAL MEETING

by CCA Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur

Hundreds of California cattle producers convened in Reno, Nev. from Nov. 30 through Dec. 2, 2022 for the 106th Annual California Cattlemen’s Association/ California CattleWomen, Inc. Convention and California & Nevada Cattle Industry Trade Show.

While there was plenty of education, entertainment and networking on tap at this year’s Annual Meeting, membership was also tasked with the responsibility of setting CCA’s policy priorities. To that end, six standing policy committees met on Thursday, Dec. 1 to consider readoption of expiring policy resolutions and to advance new policy to guide CCA’s lobbying efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Amid a third consecutive year of severe drought, it is no surprise that the bulk of the new resolution adopted this year relate to water policy.

Below are the operative provisions of newlyadopted policies and staff directives advanced by CCA’s policy committees and approved by membership at CCA’s Board of Directors meeting. While “whereas” clauses have been omitted for brevity, additional context has been provided for each policy and directive below. To view CCA’s full policy book, visit www.calcattlemen.org/cca-policy.

CATTLE HEALTH & WELL-BEING COMMITTEE

During the Cattle Health & Well Being Committee meeting, producers expressed concern that the State’s existing trichomoniasis control program has been insufficient to reduce or eliminate the prevalence of the disease within California. Rather than pushing the Association to advocate for stricter trichomoniasis controls via legislation or regulation, though, the Committee has instead directed CCA staff to first assess existing regulations and their enforcement to determine whether additional policy may be prudent in the future.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS — STAFF DIRECTIVE —

Assesment Of Trichomaniasis Regulations

BE IT DIRECTED, that California Cattlemen’s Association staff reach out to the California Department of Food and Agriculture to assess the status of current regulations and enforcement of such regarding trichomoniasis testing.

CATTLE MARKETING & INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMITTEE

The Packers and Stockyards Act requires packers and other covered entities to initiate payment via check, wire transfer or other expeditious method by the close of the next business day following a sale. Unfortunately, slowing mail service has increasingly delayed the delivery of payments made via check. To incentivize prompter payment via electronic means, CCA’s Cattle Marketing & International Trade Committee passed the following resolution:

COMMITTEE BUSINESS — RESOLUTION

PROMPT PAYMENT TIMING & ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Cattlemen’s Association support amending 7 U.S.C. 228(b) to allow for regulated entities to meet prompt payment requirements by sending a push automated clearing house (ACH) transfer by the close of the second business day or a wire transfer by the close of the third business day following a sale, in addition to the current option of mailing a check by the close of the next business day.

PROPERTY RIGHTS & ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Irrigated pastures present low risk to beneficial water uses in California waterways. Nevertheless, irrigated pastures are often covered by the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP), unjustifiably imposing significant costs on producers. Last year, CCA successfully supported a proposal to exempt Goose Lake watershed irrigated pastures from the ILRP. During this year’s Annual Meeting, CCA members explicitly condoned such advocacy efforts by passing the policy below; CCA will soon have occasion to advance this policy, as the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board recently proposed exempting the Upper Feather River watershed from the ILRP.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS — RESOLUTION

Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program

BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Cattlemen’s Association work with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to expedite the removal of irrigated pasture from the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program.

Ranchers throughout Northern California have been hard-hit by water rights curtailments issued by the State Water Resources Control Board in response to a third consecutive year of drought conditions. Producers in Siskiyou County’s Scott and Shasta River watersheds have been particularly hard-hit by persistent curtailments of all surface water and groundwater diversions within the watersheds. While CCA generally advocates for curtailment relief on behalf of all cattle producers throughout the state, the Property Rights & Environmental Management Committee advanced, and the Board approved, the following policy aimed at providing relief to Siskiyou County cattle producers.

THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD’S ISSUANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF CURTAILMENT ORDERS FOR THE SHASTA AND SCOTT RIVERS

BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) make it a priority to work with the SWRCB on the following items: 1. Determine how curtailment orders can incorporate the Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) for the Shasta and Scott Groundwater Basins and respect the role of the GSA in light of the fact that the GSA, advisory committees, irrigators, and many other stakeholders dedicated three years to the thoughtful development of the GSPs with the intention of ensuring the availability of groundwater supplies for future generations, the environment, and wildlife species; 2. Develop a rapid response procedure, including the lifting of curtailment orders on currently curtailed water rights, to appropriate excess water over the minimum flow requirement during the non-irrigation season for the beneficial use of human health and safety, water storage, groundwater recharge, and livestock watering, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if coordination with the SWRCB produces additional opportunities to work on curtailment-related issues, that CCA capitalize upon any such opportunities to provide drought curtailment relief to cattle producers throughout the state.

TAX & CREDIT COMMITTEE

Given that severe drought has resulted in the diminishment or elimination of water deliveries to irrigated pastures and given that owners of irrigated pastures “typically pay a higher per-acre property tax than owners of non-irrigated lands,” the Tax & Credit Committee passed the following policy directing CCA to seek tax relief for such owners of irrigated pasture.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS — RESOLUTION

Decreased Value Of Irrigated Land Impacted By Drought

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Cattlemen’s Association work with county governments, other appropriate agencies, and allied agriculture organizations to seek appropriate property tax relief for these landowners.

CCA thanks those who made the trek out to Reno for the 106th Annual Convention and helped to guide the Association’s policy over the coming year.