Almond Industry Headline Environmental News

   Air Quality

• No burn era: First regulations banning open-air burning of ag waste take effect. - - The first phase of a ban on open-field burning of ag wastes took effect on Wednesday, with fruit and nut growers and producers of certain field crops bearing the brunt of the early stages. It's the latest chapter in a long overdue effort to eliminate an important component of Valley air pollution. <more> June 3, 2005 Fresno Bee Editorial
   

• Farmers prepare for burn bans. The first to prohibit burning prunings from some orchard and field crops begins Wednesday. - - Farmers in eight Valley counties are gearing up for the first in a series of agricultural burning bans that takes effect Wednesday, prohibiting using fires to dispose of prunings from a couple dozen orchard crops and about 18 field crops. <more> May 31, 2005 Fresno Bee
   

Crop Protection

• California Almond Industry Embraces Reduced Risk Compounds - - No matter how you measure it, the improvements are dramatic.  On a per-acre basis or total used, the California almond industry is reducing the use of chemicals on their crops to create a healthier environment. Trends over the last ten years compiled from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) pesticide use reports confirm that the almond industry is embracing reduced risk orchard management.  <more> June 14, 2005 Almond Board of California press release
   

• EPA policy imperils kids, suit says. Acceptable pesticide level called too high for farm children - -The government's failure to take the vulnerabilities of farmworkers' children into account when setting tolerance levels for pesticide residue on food has endangered hundreds of thousands of children, environmental and labor groups charged in a federal lawsuit Tuesday. <more> June 8, 2005 San Francisco Chronicle
   

Water Quality

• Ag Water Quality Publications Translated to Punjabi  - - Efforts to protect Sacramento Valley streams and rivers from farm runoff have led to the translation of several popular farm best management practice (BMP) publications into Punjabi.  The new publications are part of an orchard grower outreach effort coordinated by the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) and funded through a CALFED Bay-Delta Watershed Program grant. <more> June 13, 2005 CURES press release
   

• Water Quality Monitoring in Butte County: Butte growers to get the official word on water discharge rules - - Letters from the State Water Resources Control Board will soon be sent out to landowners in Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties who have not signed up to be a part of a watershed coalition for water quality monitoring. Landowners with irrigated land are now required to join a watershed coalition and contribute to pay for water quality monitoring. This allows farmers to avoid a more costly water discharge permit on an individual basis. <more> June 13 2005 Chico Enterprise
   

Endangered Species

• Online animal database debuts. State Web site locates endangered species, advises safe pesticides. - - A new online resource that debuted Tuesday for tracking the habitat of endangered species in California is drawing praise from agricultural officials, pest-control advisers and environmentalists. <more> May 18, 2005 Fresno Bee
   

General Industry News

• Parts of Tejon Ranch safe from development. Partners pick 100,000 acres as part of ambitious plan - - Tejon Ranch and its conservation partner, The Trust for Public Land, have figured out which 100,000 acres of the ranch's 270,000 acres will be carved out into a preserve. <more> May 24, 2005 Bakersfield Californian.

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