THIS WEEK IN
Federal Policy News
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Rep. Costa Hosts Farm Bill
Listening Session in California
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Yesterday, Representative Jim Costa (CA-16) held a Farm Bill listening session in Fresno, California. As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman of the Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee, Rep. Costa remains heavily engaged in hearings and other discussions preparing lawmakers and staff for the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill. Organized by the various Titles within the legislation, dozens of speakers had the opportunity to share remarks with the Representative and Committee staff.
California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson presented comments during the Crop Insurance (Title XI) portion of the hearing; however, he touched upon several broader priorities for farmers, ranchers, and foresters across the state. Johansson highlighted how only about 80 of the 400 commodities farmed in the state are covered by specific crop insurance programs—while alternative programs such as Whole Farm Revenue Protection fail to adequately cover these gaps as intended. And although the Risk Management Agency (RMA) has made efforts to introduce new pilot programs for certain specialty crops, such as strawberries, he explained that a “one size fits all” approach often does not work for different farmers in different regions of the country.
Given these limitations, public-private partnerships between lawmakers and agricultural producers remain as important as ever. In addition, although some improvements can always be made, initiatives such as Dairy Margin Coverage and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program have continued to provide significant benefits to farmers and ranchers. CAFB was appreciative of Rep. Costa’s interest in hosting a listening session here locally in California and continues to welcome your feedback as we prepare for next year’s Farm Bill. To view yesterday’s session, please click the link below (CAFB remarks at 3:34:40).
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Drought Survey Closing July 15 -
Please Respond Today!
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American Farm Bureau Federation’s Assessing Western Drought Survey is still open! The survey is open to all members; both those who took previous versions of the survey as well as those who did not. The data collected from this survey will be aggregated and summarized by American Farm Bureau Federation staff economists and be utilized to inform short-term disaster relief needs as well as long-term policy proposals aimed at assisting agriculture with drought preparedness, resilience, and response. Please consider responding today here.
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Sequoia & Sierra National Forest Plan Meetings Scheduled for Next Week |
The United States Forest Service will hold two virtual forest planning meetings next week, one for the Sequoia National Forest and the other for the Sierra National Forest. These meetings will provide information about the availability of revised forest plans for Sierra and Sequoia National Forests. Part of the planning process, both national forests are currently within the pre-decisional administrative review process, also known as the objection process, for the final environmental impact statement, revised forest plans, draft records of decision, and the species of conservation concern lists for the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests.
Sequoia National Forest: July 12 from 6-8 PM Pacific - Link to Join
Sierra National Forest: July 13 from 6-8 PM Pacific – Link to Join
The virtual meeting will provide information on the status of plan revision, including the objection process. Time will be allotted for attendees to ask questions and forest-level and regional staff will be available to address the various resource areas covered under the plans.
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Devil’s Garden Plateau Wild Horse
Meeting Scheduled for July 13
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The Modoc National Forest is planning to gather wild horses form the Devil’s Garden Plateau Wild Horse Territory again this fall to continue moving toward the appropriate management level. Reducing the population of wild horses on national forestlands helps address impacts on wildlife, aquatic resources, grazing, among other uses.
A virtual meeting is scheduled for July 13, 2022, at 4 PM Pacific to provide updates on planning for the upcoming gather. During the meeting, public comments will also be accepted regarding the use of mechanized equipment to gather horses in 2022. We urge members to participate in the virtual meeting to express support for gathering as well as usage of helicopters and other motorized vehicles.
Join the virtual meeting here with Meeting ID: 161 910 7646 and Passcode: WHmtg22! (if prompted).
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FSA Local County Committee Nominations Remain Open Through August 1st
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Last month, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that they would be accepting new nominations for farmers and ranchers interested in serving on local county committees. These committees help serve as a direct connection between the USDA and farmers and ranchers across the country, providing invaluable feedback on how the myriad of agency and subagency programs impact agricultural producers. If elected, members serve for three-year terms and work closely in conjunction with their local FSA staff and other committee members. Nominations are still open and will remain so through August 1st. For more information, please click here.
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BFR Q&A Mondays Start July 11
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The USDA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Q&A Monday’s starts this coming Monday July 11, 2022. Each Monday, USDA staff will host a one-hour Microsoft Teams session from 10-11 AM Pacific focused on providing additional assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers. Structured as an open platform, the USDA team will be available to answer questions and provide direct feedback. Topics include, but are not limited to, conservation contracts, land stewardship, risk management, assistance in rural communities, disaster assistance, and farm loans. USDA considers anyone who has operated a farm or ranch for less than ten years to be a beginning farmer or rancher. Click here to join the session each Monday on the same MS Teams channel. |
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Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Biden Challenge on “Remain in Mexico” Policy
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Last week, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled in favor of the Biden administration on a case determining their legal authority to end a Trump-era immigration program. The Migrant Protection Protocols (also known as the “Remain in Mexico” program) gave the administration the authority to release certain asylum seekers into Mexico while they awaited court proceedings within the US. The Biden administration tried to end the program in January of last year; however, lower courts had ruled against these efforts up until the SCOTUS’ ruling.
The 5-4 decision hinged on the text of the law, which stated that detained individuals “may” be released into the country they originated from—and that “may” does not constitute “shall” (be required to). Despite this win for the Biden administration, the program was not utilized much over the past year and a half. The broader implications hinge more on the ruling’s argument that lower courts should not have the jurisdiction to handle certain immigration cases or make immediate decisions that halt or approve legally challenged provisions. Do note this is separate from the Title 42 case that is still ongoing, which will have a much broader impact on current immigration debates.
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Sara Arsenault
Director of Federal Policy
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Matthew Viohl
Federal Policy, Associate Director
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Erin Hutson
Federal Policy, Consultant
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