Brad Hooker

California ag and water policy veteran Aubrey Bettencourt is expected to be nominated to lead the Bureau of Reclamation as the agency faces major decisions over Colorado River rules and federal water deliveries in the West.

California air regulators are looking for new tools to tackle warehouse and freight pollution as federal rollbacks threaten clean air gains. But a bill to expand CARB’s authority stalled after farm and supply chain groups warned it could raise costs across the food and goods movement sectors.

A bill to extend State Water Project water rights is drawing support from water agencies and farm groups seeking reliability, while Delta advocates warn it would bypass oversight and advance the Delta tunnel.

California’s new regulatory alignment roadmap promises clearer rules, better data systems and more help for farmers navigating food safety and water quality requirements.

CDFA is racing to track down grapevines sold at Northern California Costco stores after glassy-winged sharpshooters were found on stock shipped from a Fresno County nursery, raising fears of a wider Pierce’s disease threat to winegrapes.

California’s cap-and-invest approval gives food processors and dairy biogas developers a potential boost. But farm groups warn the changes could squeeze funding for farmland conservation and other climate programs.

A bill targeting farmworker wage theft would raise bond requirements and tighten licensing rules for farm labor contractors, but grower groups warn it could add costs for law-abiding employers.

Delta rice farming could help slow land subsidence and protect California’s water infrastructure. But a new report says the region will need local milling and bioproduct investments to turn the crop’s rapid growth into a broader economic opportunity.

Federal lawmakers are pushing a $15 million-a-year response to golden mussels as the invasive species spreads through California waterways, threatening Delta infrastructure, water deliveries and farm production.

California water leaders are moving from broad planning to hard math, with the next administration facing tough choices over new supplies, groundwater recharge, nitrate rules and how much farmland the state can keep in production.