The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for farmers to apply for Stages 1 and 2 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) to Sept. 30, 2026. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing greater flexibility for farmers who experienced quality losses on eligible crops. Now, when applying for this key program, farmers who experienced quality-related discounts can use verifiable and reliable documentation to show quality losses due to natural disasters occurring 2023 and 2024. Farmers also now have the flexibility to use a quality loss percentage for crops having a final use that is different from their intended use. FSA Administrator Bill Beam said “We’re extending the program deadline, giving producers additional time and flexibility to document quality-related losses resulting from natural disasters. Coupled with these program enhancements, the extension helps simplify program requirements, encourages participation, and ensures more eligible producers can access the assistance they need.” SDRP provides more than $16 billion in disaster relief payments to producers who suffered revenue, quality or production losses to crops, trees, bushes, or vines due to qualifying disaster events in calendar years 2023 and 2024. These payments are authorized under the American Relief Act, 2025.

Producers with indemnified losses can apply through SDRP Stage 1, which leverages Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data as the basis for calculating payments. Producers with non-indemnified (including shallow losses), uncovered (uninsured), and quality losses can apply for Stage 2 assistance. Eligible producers can receive SDRP payments for both Stages 1 and 2, if applicable, and for one or both calendar years 2023 and 2024, depending on losses.

For more information on SDRP, visit fsa.usda.gov/sdrp. Producers can request an application or make an appointment online with their FSA county office.

Thomas Gibson, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Water Resources. Gibson has been Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Water Resources since 2024, where he was Chief Counsel from 2021 to 2024. He held multiple positions at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2014 to 2020, including Deputy Secretary and Special Counsel for Water, Undersecretary, and General Counsel. Gibson held multiple positions at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2007 to 2014, including General Counsel and Assistant Chief Counsel. He held several roles at Best, Best, & Krieger LLP from 2002 to 2008, including Partner and Associate. Gibson was an Associate at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara PC from 1999 to 2002 and at Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard PC from 1997 to 1999. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from University of California, Davis.

The California Cotton Industry Research Committee, made up from the three principal funding groups for California cotton research, sends out a “Request for Proposal” each year to researchers and educators known to the cotton industry as having interests and involvement in research that could benefit the cotton industry in California. By combining the research funding efforts from these three groups into one, projects are funded through a more streamlined process and effective process. This research request is for 2026-2027 projects. The dead- line for receipt of proposals is 5:00 PM (close of business day) on Monday, August 31, 2026. This is a firm deadline. No extensions will be granted due to the need to reproduce proposals, distribute them to the committee, and allow time for review prior to the Committee meeting. If you have any questions, reach out to priscilla@ccgga.org.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) held a meeting on the 2026 State Implementation Plan Revisions for California Extreme Ozone Nonattainment Areas. At the hearing, more than 90% of the speakers attacked agriculture urging CARB to adopt regulations to reduce emissions from pesticides, fertilizers and a mandatory replacement of agricultural tractors. One CARB Board Member Dr. John Balmes commented “Ag has gotten a free pass from air quality regulations for a long time, and I think it is ridiculous.” Then, the ag member of the board, John Eisenhut, commented that while he has previously supported the use of incentives for tractor replacement, “the time has come to regulate ag tractors”. This was echoed by several of the board members, and a motion was made to include agriculture equipment into the SIP. Despite these comments, there was some lengthy discussion, and coming out of a meeting break, the board rescinded the motion and moved forward with the approval of the SIP as planned, and without a mandatory tractor replacement rule. Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom responded to the comments by stating “It is unfortunate that we could not respond at the meeting to these completely unfounded remarks. It is equally unfortunate and quite surprising that the one agricultural person on the board would advocate for farmers to mandatorily replace their tractors without incentive funds. Agriculture has made huge strides reducing emissions from tractors, pump engines, trucks, ag burning, and dust from farms, and that should have been recognized!”  This was the closest it has ever come to happening, and we will have to fight even harder moving forward.

More than 30 participants attended the 2026 American Pima Guide Box Review and Standards Matching Meeting this week at the USDA AMS Cotton Classing Office in Visalia, California. This important event provides an opportunity for cotton industry representation to review, comment on, and approve the official American Pima Grade Standards. The guide boxes have now been approved, and the standards will become effective immediately. Several representatives from USDA AMS were on hand for the event. Attending on behalf of the Association was President/CEO Roger Isom.

Effective July 17, 2026, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is adding welding fumes to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, sections 25249.5 et seq. of the Health and Safety Code, otherwise known as Proposition 65. Businesses should evaluate their operations to determine if welding fumes are present and if warnings should be posted.

Cotton Incorporated works to highlight cotton’s natural advantages and uses science to compete with synthetics. During Plastic-Free July, these efforts take center stage through targeted outreach, education, and industry engagement. Join us on July 21st for Cotton & Coffee as we explore how cotton is being positioned as a solution to plastic pollution. The presentation will include and update on marketing efforts for Plastic-Free July from CMO Bev Sylvester.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID:  848 1402 8170 
Passcode: Cotton1

Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Visalia, CA Classing Office
9:00am

Please join us next week to review, comment, and approve the six guide boxes of the 2026 American Pima Grade Standards. Once approved, the guide boxes will be used as the reference to match all the 2026 American Pima Grade Standards. The guide box review and the standards matching will both take place the morning of July 22nd.

Industry participation is key to this process, and we hope you all can come and be a part of this important annual event.

For additional information please contact:

Ryan Phillips, Assistant Area Director
E-mail: ryan.phillips@usda.gov
Visalia Classing Office
7100 West Sunnyview Avenue
Visalia, CA 93291
Phone: (559) 651-3015

or

David Rowland, Director
E-mail: David.Rowland@usda.gov
Standardization and Engineering Division
3275 Appling Road
Memphis, TN 38133
Phone: (901) 384-3030

The Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce has announced they have finalized a rule rescinding the outdated regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act. The action returns the interpretation of the ESA back to its actual text and original intent, which will end years of federal overreach. This reform is based on the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which requires agencies to follow the single best meaning of a statute rather than contorting laws to fit political agendas. Using the legally justifiable standard, the Services determined that the prior definition of “harm” was an unlawful regulatory intrusion that interfered with private property rights. “For years, federal agencies abused the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and burden American families and businesses,” said Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “That approach turned routine activity into a regulatory trap, drove up costs that impacted people’s lives, and expanded federal authority beyond what Congress intended. This action restores common sense, respects private property, provides much-needed certainty for landowners and follows the statute Congress actually passed.”

Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, stated “We’re returning the ESA to its foundational purpose to ensure legitimate conservation goals are met without sacrificing economic growth and American prosperity.”  The ESA’s core protections remain firmly in place. Actions that directly injure or kill listed wildlife will continue to be prohibited. Existing permits and incidental take statements remain valid and unchanged. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik, commented  “We can protect species and respect communities at the same time.” According to the Department of Interior, the final rule will reduce unnecessary permitting, cut compliance costs, and eliminate confusion for landowners, small businesses, energy producers, farmers, ranchers and local governments. It brings long overdue financial and regulatory relief to citizens who faced unpredictable delays and unnecessary costs due solely by interpretations that went far beyond the statute.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has proposed an Inhalation Unit Risk (IUR) Factor of 7.9 × 10–4 (µg/m3).  Put another way, the risk from acrolein is estimated to be 1,300 excess cancer cases in a million. So, what does that mean?  For agriculture this will be a big deal. First, acrolein can be found in many places, but primarily as a product of combustion. It can also be found in tobacco smoke, wildfire smoke, pesticides and food processing. More importantly, the level of the IUR is the concern. At the proposed level, the risk is 10 times higher than that of benzene and is in the same range as diesel exhaust in total. If adopted as is, more pressure would be put on mobile sources to convert to electric. It should be noted that there are large uncertainties associated with the draft proposal and the Association is part of a large coalition digging into the proposal and pushing back on the lack of information and suspect data used to make the proposed determination. This is one everyone should monitor closely in the coming months.