AB 1603 (Schulz) has been introduced to the State Legislature and would require pesticides containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to be deemed “restricted materials beginning in July 2028 and then prohibit the application of these pesticides beginning in 2030. What is most troubling here is the premise of the bill, that somehow use of these pesticides is exposing farmers, farmworkers and the general population to unmitigated contamination from PFAS. This is simply not true. Before any active ingredient can be registered, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) conducts extensive evaluations of human health, environmental fate, and ecological risk. In California, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (Cal DPR) applies an additional layer of review that is widely recognized as the most stringent in the nation. Net, pesticides approved for use in California are among the most rigorously reviewed products in commerce, including for PFAS presence. Much of the push for this legislation is based on comments siting residue testing on fruits and vegetables where traces of PFAS were found.  However, those claims lack scientific context. These claims rely on DPR monitoring data but misinterpret what detection means in a regulatory framework. Detection of residues does not equate to risk. Regulatory frameworks are specifically designed to account for both hazard characteristics, such as persistence, and real-world exposure, ensuring that products meeting these standards do not pose unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. DPR and EPA establish tolerances with large built-in safety margins to ensure protection of consumers, including sensitive populations. Residue monitoring is specifically designed to confirm compliance with these safety thresholds. In 2023, of the 1,059 produce samples labeled as “grown in California,”  99% had pesticide residues below US EPA tolerance levels. Across all samples test, including organic and conventional, more than 97% of fruits and vegetables sold in California contained no detectable pesticide residues or residues below federal standards. AB 1603 would eliminate critical tools for California agriculture without alternatives and for absolutely no sound scientific reason. Rest assured this is at the top of the priority list for the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association to fight this year.
 
For the cotton industry in California, the following active ingredients would be restricted in 2028 and then prohibited in 2030:

The final agenda for the 2026 California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA) Annual Meeting has been announced. Joining CCGGA this year will be Supima and the Western Cotton Shippers Association (WCSA) as they will hold their Annual Meetings in conjunction with CCGGA, making it a full but impactful and informative day. The cost to attend is free and includes lunch, but you must register in advance. Please call (559)252-0684 or email Michelle at michelle@ccgga.org. The agenda is below.

The Association’s 2026 Regional Forklift Train-the-Trainer workshop series is underway, with many successful trainings already completed. This year, the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, The Zenith, Fresno County Farm Bureau, Nisei Farmers League, California Fresh Fruit Association, California Citrus Mutual, InterWest Insurance Services, CopperPoint Insurance Companies, African American Farmers of California, and the Western Tree Nut Association have partnered to provide bilingual (English and Spanish) Forklift Safety Train-the-Trainer workshops through the region.

Upcoming workshop locations include:

• Dunnigan – April 8th
• Turlock – April 21st
• Wasco – April 23rd

These workshops are designed for owners, managers, supervisors, safety personnel, and individuals responsible for employee training. Each participant will receive a comprehensive binder with the materials needed to understand applicable rules and regulations and to conduct effective forklift safety training. Attendees who complete the full class will also receive a certificate of completion.

Earlier this spring, the Association also hosted Machine Guarding webinar, with additional Confined Spaces and Respiratory Protection webinars planned later this season.

Training Cost:

• $65 per training (members)
• $85 per training (non-members)

For registration details and additional information about the workshops and webinars, please refer to the event flyer.

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted the critical April snow survey at Phillips Station this past week and found no measurable snow, a stark indicator of how record‑hot March temperatures and high‑elevation rain have erased the Sierra Nevada snowpack months ahead of schedule. The combination of warm storms and unusually hot temperatures rapidly melted what remained of this year’s already sparse snowpack. Statewide, the snowpack is now just 18 percent of average for this date, according to the automated snow sensor network. These results are the second lowest April measurement on record for Phillips Station, largely because there was still some visible snow on the ground. The April measurement is a critical marker for water managers across the state, as it is typically when the snowpack reaches its maximum volume and begins to melt. However, this year’s extremely hot and dry conditions throughout the month of March, along with a warm atmospheric river system in late February, initiated snowmelt several weeks ahead of schedule. According to automated sensors across the Sierra Nevada, this year’s statewide snowpack likely reached its peak on or near February 24. “It feels like we skipped spring this year and dropped straight into a summer heatwave,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “What should be gradual snowmelt happened suddenly weeks ago. To me, this is another reminder that aging water systems need to be retrofit for more volatile precipitation patterns. We’re seeing fewer, warmer storms and shorter wet seasons. Future water supplies will depend upon our ability to capture water when it’s available and manage it more efficiently.” Although some additional snow is forecasted to arrive in the coming days, it is not likely to make up for the rapid snowmelt and hot, dry March. In the Northern Sierra Nevada, where the state’s largest water supply reservoirs are located, the snowpack is just 6 percent of average.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has announced the appointment of 12 members to its inaugural Scientific Prioritization and Review Committee (SPARC) and 18 members to the Sustainable Pest Management Advisory Committee (SPMAC). “DPR is thrilled to onboard such a remarkable group of committee members to support our work to continuously evaluate and mitigate pesticides and to effectively foster sustainable pest management approaches across the state,” said DPR Director Karen Morrison. “The breadth of expertise represented – from scientific and academic fields to public health, agriculture, community and environmental protection – will enhance DPR’s ongoing commitment to making decisions that are informed, inclusive, and grounded in the best available information to protect California’s people and environment.” Both committees will host meetings that will be open to the public, with dates and information posted on DPR’s website in advance:

SPARC Members (in alphabetical order):

1. Kari Arnold, Ph.D. — Associate Director, IR-4 Western Region/UC Davis (SPARC expertise: Agricultural Academic Extension)
2. Asa Bradman, Ph.D. — Professor for Public Health Department and Environmental Systems Graduate Group, UC Merced (SPARC expertise: Public Health, Environmental, and Urban Practitioner)
3. Staci Cibotti, Ph.D. — Pesticide Program Specialist (Western Agriculture), The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (SPARC expertise: Environmental and Ecotoxicology)
4. Chris Geiger, Ph.D. — President, Lacewing Collaborations LLC, and part time at San Francisco Environment Department (former Citywide IPM Program Manager) (SPARC expertise: Urban Practitioner)
5. Beau Howard — District Manager, JG Boswell Company (SPARC expertise: Agricultural Practitioner)
6. Olukayode Jegede, Ph.D. — Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension for Agricultural Toxicology (SPARC expertise: Ecotoxicology, Environmental, and Human Health Toxicology)
7. Chow-Yang Lee, Ph.D. — Professor and Endowed Presidential Chair in Urban Entomology, UC Riverside (SPARC expertise: Urban Academic Extension)
8. Kelly Moran, Ph.D. — Senior Scientist, San Francisco Estuary Institute (SPARC expertise: Public Drinking Water Utilities, Wastewater Utilities, Environmental, and Ecotoxicology)
9. Sasch Nicklisch, Ph.D. — Assistant Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Assistant Environmental Chemist in the Agricultural Experiment Station at UC Davis (SPARC expertise: Ecotoxicology, Environmental, and Human Health Toxicology)
10.  Jhalendra Rijal, Ph.D. — Integrated Pest Management Advisor, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources/Cooperative Extension (SPARC expertise: Agricultural Academic Extension)
11. Hillary Q. Thomas-Sanchez, Ph.D. — Research & Technical Director, Naturipe Berry Growers, Inc. (SPARC expertise: Agricultural Practitioner and Agricultural Academic Extension)
12. Jess Tyler — Staff Scientist, Center for Biological Diversity (SPARC expertise: Environmental)

SPMAC Members:

1. CDFA seat: Kevi Mace, Ph.D. is a Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
2. UC ANR seat: Jim Farrar, Ph.D. is the Director of the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM).
3. Jo Ann Baumgartner is Executive Director of Wild Farm Alliance, a national nonprofit advancing biodiversity conservation on farms to support sustainable pest management and resilient agricultural systems.
4. Lena Brook is Deputy Director at Fullwell, a San Francisco Bay Area-based policy advocacy organization where she leads campaigns to expand values-aligned food procurement at public institutions and strengthen the food assistance safety net.
5. Jennifer Clarke is the Executive Direct of the California Leafy Greens Research Board.
6. Laura Krueger is a Board Certified Entomologist specializing in urban pest management and mosquito and vector control operations.
7. Michael Mellano, Ph.D. is a third generation cut flower farmer and former CEO, Chairman of the Board, and Vice President of Production for Mellano & Company.
8. Cuong “Jimmy” Nguyen, Ph.D. is a food scientist and UC Agricultural and Natural Resources (UC ANR) Advisor specializing in sustainable pest management, food safety, and organic production.
9. Mahmood Nikbakhtzadeh, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Science and Program Coordinator at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB).
10. Daniel Palla is an organic pistachio farmer. His family has farmed in Kern County since 1913.
11. Renee Pinel is the President/CEO of Western Plant Health Association (WPH) and brings 35 years of experience and holistic knowledge in pest management, plant and soil health, and human and environmental health related issues.
12. David Poplin serves as CEO of CDS Services Inc. dba Legion Pest Management, overseeing more than 69 federal government contracts
13. Margaret Reeves is a senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network (PAN) (now Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network).
14. Maggie Rodriguez currently serves as Director of Global Regulatory and Government Affairs for Pro Farm Group, based in Davis, California.
15. Jason Saling is a veteran viticulturist with more than 30 years experience in California winegrowing. Jason currently serves as Viticulturist at Aperture Cellars.
16. Mayra Sanchez, Ph.D. is the Associate Director of Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR).
17. Paul R. Squires has been a licensed pest control adviser for 32 years, now living in Yuba City.
18. Andrew Sutherland, Ph.D. is an extension entomologist employed as the University of California’s Urban Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisor for the San Francisco Bay Area.

It’s time for the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association’s (CCGGA) 2026 Annual Meeting! Following the success of last year’s meeting, Supima and Western Cotton Shippers Association (WCSA) will join CCGGA to bring together growers, ginners, and industry leaders for a day of valuable industry updates and discussions. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20^th at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, California. Please complete and submit the registration form linked below. You can email the form to Michelle Franco at michelle@ccgga.org or fax it to our offices promptly at (559) 252-0551.

There is also an opportunity to sponsor the event. All sponsorships go toward offsetting the costs, which helps us deliver our message to the industry. If you’d like to sponsor, you may do so by clicking the sponsorship link below.

The cost of the event is free, but we encourage you to consider making a donation of at least $50 to the CCGGA Federal PAC or CCGGA State PAC to help protect California cotton at the state and federal levels. The CCGGA Federal PAC can only accept personal checks. Any corporate contributions must be made to the CCGGA State PAC.

The Association’s 2026 Regional Forklift Train-the-Trainer workshop series is underway, with successful trainings already completed in Fresno and Tulare earlier this month.
 
This year, the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, The Zenith, Fresno County Farm Bureau, Nisei Farmers League, California Fresh Fruit Association, California Citrus Mutual, InterWest Insurance Services, CopperPoint Insurance Companies, African American Farmers of California, and the Western Tree Nut Association have partnered to provide bilingual (English and Spanish) Forklift Safety Train-the-Trainer workshops through the region.
 
Upcoming workshop locations include Chico, Dunnigan, Turlock, and Wasco.
 
These workshops are designed for owners, managers, supervisors, safety personnel, and individuals responsible for employee training. Each participant will receive a comprehensive binder with the materials needed to understand applicable rules and regulations and to conduct effective forklift safety training. Attendees who complete the full class will also receive a certificate of completion.
 
Earlier this spring, the Association also hosted Machine Guarding webinar, with additional Confined Spaces and Respiratory Protection webinars planned later this season.
 
Training Cost:

• $65 per training (members)
• $85 per training (non-members)

 
For registration details and additional information about the workshops and webinars, please refer to the event flyer or visit https://ccgga.org/ .

The Western Tree Nut Association (WTNA) and California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA), in partnership with AgSafe, will offer a one-hour Harassment Prevention Training for nonsupervisory employees via live webinar on Monday, March 30 and Wednesday, April 15.
Each webinar will be offered in two sessions:

• Spanish: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• English: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The cost to attend is $35 per participant. Participants will receive a certificate of completion following the training.
 
This training satisfies California’s mandatory harassment prevention requirements for nonsupervisory employees and provides practical guidance on maintaining a respectful and compliant workplace.
 
Under California law, employers with five or more employees must provide harassment prevention training to all employees. Nonsupervisory employees are required to complete at least one hour of training, while supervisors must complete a separate two-hour course.
 
To register, please complete the attached form and return it to michelle@wtna.org or contact our office at (559) 455-9272 for additional information. We encourage members to take advantage of this convenient webinar format to ensure compliance.

The Association’s 2026 Regional Forklift Train-the-Trainer workshop series is underway, with successful trainings already completed in Fresno and Tulare earlier this month.
 
This year, the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, The Zenith, Fresno County Farm Bureau, Nisei Farmers League, California Fresh Fruit Association, California Citrus Mutual, InterWest Insurance Services, CopperPoint Insurance Companies, African American Farmers of California, and the Western Tree Nut Association have partnered to provide bilingual (English and Spanish) Forklift Safety Train-the-Trainer workshops through the region.

Upcoming workshop locations include Chico, Dunnigan, Turlock, and Wasco.
 
These workshops are designed for owners, managers, supervisors, safety personnel, and individuals responsible for employee training. Each participant will receive a comprehensive binder with the materials needed to understand applicable rules and regulations and to conduct effective forklift safety training. Attendees who complete the full class will also receive a certificate of completion.
 
Earlier this spring, the Association also hosted Machine Guarding webinar, with additional Confined Spaces and Respiratory Protection webinars planned later this season.
 
Training Cost:

• $65 per training (members)
• $85 per training (non-members)

 
For registration details and additional information about the workshops and webinars, please refer to the event flyer or visit https://ccgga.org/.

The Bureau of Reclamation is updating Central Valley Project water supply allocations to reflect current reservoir storage, snowpack, and runoff forecasts. These adjustments are intended to provide water users with improved certainty while maintaining flexibility as conditions evolve. Initial allocations for the 2026 water year were announced Feb. 25 and are updated today.  “Hydrologic conditions this year have required careful, real-time management of our water resources,” said Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. “These modest increases reflect both the improvements from late February storms and the need to remain cautious as we move through the remainder of the water year, especially given the current extended dry period and state of the Sierra snowpack. Our priority remains delivering reliable water supplies while protecting the long-term sustainability of the system.”  Reclamation continues to optimize operations across the Central Valley Project to balance water supply deliveries, environmental requirements, and reservoir management. Operational improvements supported by Executive Order 14181 have also enhanced Reclamation’s ability to efficiently manage and deliver available water supplies under these conditions.  Based on current hydrology and updated forecasts, Reclamation is announcing the following changes to CVP water supply allocations:

In-Delta Contractors

• Cross Valley irrigation water service and repayment contractors are increased from 15% to 20% of their contract total. In-Delta Municipal and Industrial contractors remain at 100%, as announced February 25. 

 
South-of-Delta Contractors

• Irrigation water service and repayment contractors south-of-Delta are increased from 15% to 20% of their contract total.
• Municipal and Industrial water service and repayment contractors south-of-Delta allocations are increased from 65% to 70% of their historic use, or public health and safety needs, whichever is greater.

An additional 222,000 acre-feet (around an additional 10%) of water that was previously rescheduled by south-of-Delta contractors is also available for use this water year. Further, Reclamation continues to manage a portion of storage—about 94,000 acre-feet of water—in San Luis Reservoir as part of its drought reserve strategy, which is not included in current year allocation determinations. All other allocation amounts announced on Feb. 25 remain unchanged.