Bill Text: CA SB466 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Agriculture: environmental farming program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB466 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB466-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
| Senate Bill | No. 466 |
| Introduced by Senator Wilk |
February 21, 2019 |
An act to amend Section 561 of the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to agriculture.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 466, as introduced, Wilk.
Agriculture: environmental farming program.
Existing law, the Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and oversee an environmental farming program to provide incentives to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat. The act states the intent of the Legislature, among other things, that environmental laws should be based on the best scientific evidence gathered from public and private sources and that the best scientific evidence should include the net environmental impact provided by agriculture.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 561 of the Food and Agricultural Code is amended to read:561.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) California agriculture helps to feed the world and fuel our economy. Agriculture provides one out of every 10 jobs in California, and our state has led the nation in total farm production every year since 1948. During 1993, California’s 76,000 farms generated nearly $20 billion in cash receipts and another $70 billion in economic activity.
(b) Many farmers engage in practices that contribute to the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat. Agriculture plays a pivotal role in preserving open
space that is vital to the environment. Seventy-five percent of the nation’s wildlife live on farms and ranches. Freshwater streams and stockponds on farms and ranches provide habitat to millions of fish. Corn, wheat, rice, and other field crops provide bountiful food and habitat for deer, antelope, ducks, geese, and other wildlife.
(c) Environmental laws should be based on the best scientific evidence gathered from public and private sources.
(d) Best scientific evidence should include the net environmental impact provided by agriculture.
(e) Additional research is necessary to adequately inventory the impact that agriculture has on the environment. Recognition should be afforded to agricultural activities that produce a net benefit for the environment, which is consistent with the growing trend of providing
incentives for the private sector to undertake economic activities that benefit the environment.
