There is a lawsuit agreement between the California Farm Bureau Federation and CalTrans. Sabrina Hill has more.
Click to open or download audio report.
There’s a settlement in the case of the California Farm Bureau against CalTrans. The dispute was over the Willits Bypass Project on Highway 101 in Mendocino County. The CFBF took the case to court because of concern about how the project would impact farmland in the Little Lake Valley. The fear was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would destroy too much farmland during the project, due to trying to save more wetlands.
Terms of the new agreement state CFBF and Caltrans agree to participate in further informational discussions regarding how farmland impacts are considered under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Caltrans agrees to cooperate with the University of California, Davis, and UC Cooperative Extension on a long-term study of how grazing management contributes to enhanced wetland function.
And, Caltrans also agrees to meet with farmers and ranchers adjacent to the mitigation lands to discuss concerns about how mitigation requirements may impact their ability to continue to farm and ranch in the area.
The CFBF will dismiss its claims against Caltrans and the Corps of Engineers.
For the California Farm Bureau Federations press release about the agreement, click here.