Valley Headlines

Finding and fighting bird flu

YouTube. Gray promises support in fight against avian influenza.
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray asked a panel of industry experts what barriers existed to fighting H5N1, the bird flu that has killed more than 160 million commercial birds, hundreds of cows and uncounted smaller mammals while sickening over 70 farmworkers. Noting that he represents one of the largest poultry districts in the nation, Gray said there “is a lot to be concerned about.” He praised the $100 million being allocated by the USDA to combat the impacts of bird flu but wanted to know how best to spend that money. One of the most important responses came from John Zimmerman, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, who said “surveillance is key. If we don’t know where the virus is, we can’t even begin to control it.” Gray assured those testifying that “my office is a friend and ally” in this “very serious situation.”

Farms.com. New biosensor can detect airborne bird flu in under 5 minutes.
Synopsis: One of the problems in combatting bird flu is that you never know where or when it will arrive. Washington University of St. Louis has developed “ACS sensors” that can detect bird flu in aerosol particles. Previous detection methods were all dependent on testing done long after the fact. The results are known within minutes. As Prof. Rajan Chakrabarty was developing his methods, the disease was evolving -- meaning his procedures had to evolve as well. Now, his sensors can detect H5N1, SARS-CoV-2, E.coli and even pneumonia. He already has a contract to mass produce the sensors.  

SF pollution can continue

Courthouse News. Supreme Court deals blow to wastewater regulations, nixing generic restrictions.
Synopsis: The City of San Francisco will be allowed to continue polluting San Francisco Bay after a 5-4 Supreme Court decision written by Alito. The court ruled the city cannot be held responsible for the quality of water in the Bay using generic or “blanket rules” and goals. The EPA resorted to those blanket rules because Bay Area cities have not been forthcoming in detailing effluents from each of their 47 facilities, other than acknowledging that billions of gallons of untreated effluent overflow into the Bay each year. Coney Barrett joined Sotomayor, Kagan and Jackson in dissent. The case was sent back to the 9^th Circuit.
MAD Note: As the old axiom says, “The solution to pollution is dilution.” With so much pollution entering the Bay, the only way to meet water-quality standards is to add more water. Where do you get that much water? From our rivers. If the Bay Area cannot be made to clean up its act, then more of our water is required to flush out the filth. That’s why this case matters.

Studying state park’s dirt

Modesto Bee. How abundant is wildlife at Dos Rios and other Modesto preserves? DNA will tell.
Synopsis: River Partners is working with nonprofits and the state at 22 sites in the Valley to sample the soil. At Dos Rios, they want to see what’s living in the former farmland and how it compares to other soils. Other testing sites include the nearby Hidden Valley Dairy, Island Dairy, the Hagemann Tract on the San Joaquin River, the Vierra Tract and nearby Ott Farms, on Shiloh Road. Since being restored, the Dos Rios floodplains have become home to 80 bird species, bobcats, deer, beaver, the riparian brush rabbit and an abundance of native shrubs and grasses. The studies are being funded by $40 million in conservation grants from the state.

Saving CA’s water system

Modesto Bee. CA’s water management system needs balance solutions, not politics.
Synopsis: Westands GM Allison Febbo says managing CA’s water is complicated, and the political landscape “can be treacherous.” She urges people to discard the “us-against-them mentality or we will continue to fail.” Water cannot be “the only tool to solve habitat threats.” Allowing water to flow into the ocean during wet years won’t solve problems like invasive predators, degraded habitat and lost feeding opportunities. She wants to expand Shasta, expand San Luis, build Sites and improve the canal conveyance system (i.e., tunnel) so that we can “add new supplies at a rate equal to our conservation.”

Lots of water, will fish follow?

PPIC. How three (fairly) wet winters could help CA’s salmon. 
Synopsis: Jeffrey Mount and Carson Jeffers sat for a Q&A with PPIC staffer Sarah Bardeen, explaining that three consecutive wettish water years are rare in CA (the last time this happened was in the 1990s). Because Bardeen came to the PPIC from Cal Trout, her first question is what wet winters mean for fish. Jeffers calls wet years a “huge opportunity” for salmon.
MAD Take: The biggest take-away from this conversation is just how little scientists actually know about salmon reproduction. The best example was on Butte Creek, where biologists feared a generation of salmon would be wiped out in 2018. Instead, 10 times the number expected returned to spawn in 3 years. Now that we’ve had 3 wet years, we should expect salmon numbers to skyrocket in 2028. If they don’t, then those arguing that only more water can solve the salmon problem are wrong. Case closed.  

A list we (happily) avoided

EdSource. Which districts are on CA’s latest financial danger lists – and why. 
Synopsis: Reporter John Fensterwald writes about the 7 school districts that are setting off “five-alarm” bells at the state watchdog’s office. Another 32 districts are on the “cautionary” list. Combined, they make up 4% of the state’s total districts, which is hardly any compared to 2011 when it was 5 times that number. Reasons vary, but mostly it’s declining enrollment and the end of COVID money. The two biggest districts in trouble are Oakland and San Francisco. But tiny Siskiyou County has three. Here’s the good news: Not one of the seven five-alarm districts are from the Valley or even the next 10.

CSU honors astronaut, dad

Modesto Bee. Trailblazing father-and-son duo to receive honorary doctorates from Stan State.
Synopsis: Astronaut Jose Hernandez and his father, Salvador, will be honored at the university’s 65^th commencement ceremony in May. Salvador migrated from Michoacan as a teen, then started a family near Stockton. His son earned his Ph.D. and became an engineer, astronaut, author, subject of a movie and winemaker.

Office ‘closed,’ protests go on

Modesto Bee. Second round of protests at House Rep. McClintock’s Modesto office.
Synopsis: Some 50 people gathered outside McClintock’s 15^th Street office on Monday, waving signs and carrying statements they wanted to give to staff. But the doors were locked and office hours scheduled for Tuesday were canceled. Organizers say they will be back until McClintock responds. A few of the protesters entered through a back door and met with staffer Matt Reed. Apparently, it was a respectful meeting. Among their complaints: Shame over Donald Trump’s treatment of Ukraine, fear that Medicaid and Social Security will be gutted, and just being “overwhelmed” by the extreme actions of Trump and Elon Musk. Interestingly, Elena Bush brought along a speech written by McClintock in 2013 in which he railed against abuse of executive power … by Barack Obama.

Modesto camps to be cleared

Modesto Bee. Modesto receives over $5 million to clear encampment on Yosemite Blvd.
Synopsis: The state will spend $5.7 million to help Modesto empty a “larger encampment” and several smaller sites along a two-mile stretch of Yosemite from Santa Rosa to Riverside. Combined, about 140 people drift in and out of the sites. The city will “clear” the camps by helping transients find housing. Camp2home, CHAT, the Salvation Army and Gospel Mission all will take part. The Mission will get $2.4 million. Talking to the transients shows 84% are white and the largest cohort is over age 55. Three-quarters have “barriers” to housing, from drug use to mental health.

Protecting farm workers

Modesto Bee. Are Valley growers exploiting temporary H-2A ag farmworkers?
Synopsis: Marc Grossman, who works for the UFW, says reports that workers are staying out of the fields and that is driving up prices for food, are “simply not true.” The UFW has spoken with Valley citrus, almond, pistachio and winegrape workers and while fear is palpable, the crops are being picked and cultivated. Grossman says some labor contractors and growers are highlighting the problem in an effort to expand the H-2A visa program so they can import more lower-wage temporary immigrants. Worse, H-2A workers are bound to a specific employer, and cannot move from farm to farm in search of higher pay or better treatment. “The UFW doesn’t want farm workers deported. But it also doesn’t want them exploited.”  

Ready for falling exports?

Successful Farming. Trade wars erupt as Trump hits Canada, Mexico and China with steep tariffs.
Synopsis: This farming website reminded farmers that in the first Trump administration “US farmers were hit hard” by tariffs, losing $27 billion in sales of exported food. These new tariffs will impact $2.2 trillion in trade, hitting everything from orange juice, wine, paper, trucks, farm machinery, fruit, vegetables, beef and pork – and that’s just from Canada. Mexico said it will hold off announcing its retaliation until Sunday. China bumped tariffs on meat, grain, cotton, fruit and dairy products. Already, avocados cost more at Target and Walmart; Best Buy bumped prices on electronics.  The Federal Reserve now predicts the US economy will contract by 2.8% in the next quarter, reversing its prediction made just last week of 2.3% growth.

High-rise housing for owls

Merced Sun Star. Silent and deadly, barn owls become farmers’ best friends in pest control.
Synopsis: Reporter Robert Rodriguez writes that the “white-faced barn owl is as majestic as it is lethal to rodents.” His story is about Nick Davis, a farmer who started The Owl Box Co. For $187, he sells an elevated owl house custom designed for families of the large predators. He’s sold 700 of them so far. It’s a good investment considering the thousands of dollars of damage rodents can do to new trees, harvested crops or even irrigation pipes. In one season, a single owl can kill 70 pounds rodents.