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- Written by: California Department of Food and Agriculture
The program brings all medically important antimicrobials used in livestock under veterinary oversight; prohibiting their use for growth-promotion and limiting their use for disease prevention; providing resources to veterinarians and livestock producers to implement antimicrobial stewardship plans; and initiating the collection of antimicrobial use information and monitoring of trends of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria.
A mandated 2019 report recently delivered to the California Legislature describes how CDFA has developed strong relationships with federal, state, and academic partners to gather meaningful data that will help improve antimicrobial use decision-making and inform the development of antimicrobial stewardship guidelines for California’s diverse livestock industries and producers.
“California is paving the way to comprehensively understand current antimicrobial use and animal health in livestock,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Using the information we’re developing, California’s veterinarians and livestock owners can identify the best ways to use antibiotics while preserving their effectiveness for human and veterinary medicine.”
CDFA has utilized voluntary participation in data gathering efforts to engage livestock producers; create program buy-in; and ensure that stewardship materials are evidence-based, meaningful, and practical for California’s many different livestock industries.
Using scientifically established methods as employed by other research groups including in a publication by the Pew Research Center, CDFA is confident that data gathered through AUS surveys accurately reflect the target population and provide sufficient information to evaluate trends and inform future program efforts.
Moving forward in 2019, the AUS program will focus on analyzing and reporting the results of initial data collection activities and developing scientifically valid resources for veterinarians and livestock owners as they promote antimicrobial stewardship while protecting animal health and well-being.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Commissioner Lara is the eighth Insurance commissioner of California since voters created the position in 1988.
Commissioner Lara is the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be elected to statewide office in California. U.S. Judge Vaughn R. Walker administered the oath of office. Judge Walker wrote the decision in Perry v. Schwarzenegger in 2010, overturning Proposition 8 and allowing marriage equality in California.
"California's Department of Insurance is the largest state consumer protection agency in America," said Commissioner Lara. "We are the Department of Fair Deals, the Department of Fresh Starts, the Department of Rebuilding Your Home, the Department of Protecting your Investment, and the Department of the Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow. In short, we are the Department of Hope, and we have never been more important."
He pledged to protect the victims of wildfires and other disasters, defend all Californians from the threat of climate change and insurance scams, and promote innovation and technology.
"Our seniors, people living in poverty, and immigrant communities are targets of con artists and scams. Our entrepreneurs face economic uncertainty. Millions of us live one emergency room visit away from financial ruin. We cannot deny that with climate change, California faces a threat like never before," said Commissioner Lara."
Commissioner Lara announced the creation of a deputy commissioner of climate and sustainability, a first for the department, to work with environmental and industry leaders on innovative solutions to the risk of climate change.
"To the insurance industry – I ask you to join me in this fight against extreme disasters linked to climate change. We need bold action to ensure our communities adapt and are resilient to this new reality," said Commissioner Lara. "There is no other industry that has the necessary expertise to ensure that California is prepared to mitigate and reduce risk to our communities and environment. Our planet can't wait. I am ready, and I hope you are too."
Commissioner Lara took the oath of office on a facsimile of California's first Constitution from 1849 in its original Spanish translation. For California's first 30 years as a state, all laws were translated into Spanish, starting with the Constitution. As the son of two immigrant parents from Mexico, Commissioner Lara grew up in a bilingual house and has been a champion for multilingual learning.
Commissioner Lara was first elected to the California State Legislature in 2010 and represented the 33rd Senate District from 2012 to 2018.
As Senator, he won healthcare for more than 250,000 California children and introduced universal health care legislation.
Commissioner Lara said he would work with the new administration of Governor Gavin Newsom to expand access to health care.
"To Gov. Newsom – I am excited to be your partner in expanding affordable healthcare for every Californian," said Commissioner Lara. "There is nothing we cannot achieve with our new common agenda. We stand ready for your California4All vision."
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the area south of Patrick’s Point, Humboldt County to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line will open at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, to be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period that would begin no earlier than 8:01 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12.
This delay shall remain in effect until the director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, or OEHHA, in consultation with the State Public Health Officer at California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, determines that domoic acid no longer poses a significant risk to public health and recommends opening the fishery in this region.
CDFW will continue to coordinate with CDPH and OEHHA to test domoic acid levels in Dungeness crab to determine when the commercial fishery in this area can safely be opened.
No vessel may take, possess or land crab within a delayed area during the closure period. In addition, any vessel that takes, possesses on board or lands Dungeness crab from ocean waters outside of this delayed area is prohibited from taking, possessing onboard or landing Dungeness crab for 30 days in this area once it opens to commercial fishing pursuant to Section 8279.1 of the Fish and Game Code.
Once a positive determination is made to open the fishery, CDFW may provide the fleet a minimum of 72-hour advance notice announcing when trap gear can be set.
For more information, please see CDFW’s Frequently Asked Questions regarding the 2018-19 Dungeness crab commercial season.
This area north of Patrick’s Point remains closed for recreational take of Dungeness crab, also due to domoic acid.
Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin produced by a naturally occurring marine alga, whose levels can be increased under certain ocean conditions, and can accumulate in shellfish, other invertebrates and sometimes fish. It causes illness and sometimes death in a variety of birds and marine mammals that consume affected organisms. At low levels, domoic acid exposure can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness in humans. At higher levels, it can cause persistent short-term memory loss, seizures and death.
For more information visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Health-Advisories or www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.
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- Written by: Caltrans
“This is great news for Caltrans and the numerous partners we work with daily,” said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. “DBE contractors, consultants, truckers, suppliers and others interested in benefitting from increased contracting opportunities will now have more opportunity to do so, right here in California.”
Requirements set forth under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s DBE Program are intended to ensure non-discrimination and allow women- and minority-owned businesses have a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded contracts.
As recipients of this federal funding, Caltrans must set an overall annual goal, every three years.
The new goal will apply to federally funded contracts entered between the federal fiscal years of 2019 to 2021.
Over the last six years there has been a 30 percent increase in DBE participation on department contracts and Caltrans is taking steps to ensure this upward trend continues.
In addition, SB 1 funding will provide $54 billion dollars over the next decade for repairing both state and local roads. Caltrans wants to see the benefits of these increased resources reach many groups, including the diverse businesses operating in the state.
As it gears up to expand contracting under SB 1, new efforts must be made. Caltrans’ Office of Business & Economic Opportunity has plans to build upon its existing success by increasing training and certifying more DBEs over the next year.
Caltrans also plans on engaging with the DBE community further to explain the potential benefits of such a significant increase in contracting dollars.
Caltrans is dedicated to increasing DBE participation on federally funded contracts as well as increasing participation by Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) firms both on state contracts and other procurement opportunities.
For more information on certification, training or outreach for these programs visit www.dot.ca.gov/obeo.