California's Water Flow Measures and RFA Blasts EPA's Science Advisory Board
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**The California State Water Resources Control Board has delayed a decision to set minimum instream flows on the Scott and Shasta rivers but instead return next month with a plan to adopt interim flow measures that support salmon.
The board asked farmers, tribes and other stakeholders to work on solutions.
Chairman “Buster” Attebery says while salmon are important, the tribe’s goal is not to drive farmers and ranchers out of business.
**The Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan blasting the agency’s Science Advisory Board.
The RFA accuses the panel of making misleading and unfounded claims about corn ethanol’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
RFA President Geoff Cooper says the overwhelming evidence of scientific analysis and data clearly shows corn starch ethanol significantly reduces GHG emissions relative to gasoline.
**Regional obesity rates grew further apart during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service.
From 2019 thru March 2020, the regional differences expanded to 7.2 percentage points.
At 36.7%, the West had the lowest adult obesity rate before the pandemic but experienced the largest increase of any region during the first year of 2.8%.
That’s nearly twice what the South experienced after having the highest regional obesity rate before the pandemic of 42.1%.
