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Diesel Engine Regulations | Illegal Dumping | California State Water Bonds
Reporting is Rewarding | Williamson Act
Diesel Engine Reporting Requirements
If you use diesel trucks in your ag business, you must register your trucks with the California Air Resources Board BEFORE March 31 in order to delay the implementation of expensive upcoming diesel truck regulations. Vehicles that are not registered by March 31 will be subject to the standard implementation schedule.
You are encouraged to attend a workshop Monday, March 15 at 1pm at the Imperial County Farm Bureau Board Room 1000 Broadway in El Centro to learn more about the regulations and how they will affect your business.
The ARB has established five categories of trucks that can qualify as agricultural vehicles: fertilizer or pesticide trucks; trucks owned by a farming business and used exclusively in agricultural operations; trucks designed for in-field operations; trucks used to carry products from farm to "first point of processing"; and specialty agricultural vehicles, a limited category for equipment such as cotton module movers, feed trucks at feedlots or nurse rigs for agricultural aircraft.
It is extremely important to register your diesel trucks before March 31. It is our understanding that there will be no flexibility with this deadline. Vehicles that are not registered by March 31 will be subject to the more accelerated standard implementation schedule rather than the delayed ag implementation schedule. Qualified ag vehicles will have until at least 2017 to meet the new diesel engine standards. The Air Resources Board granted this additional time for agricultural trucks because of their generally lower number of miles operated per year.
In order to report your vehicles, click here to download the forms from the ARB web site. Completed forms should be printed and mailed according to the instructions on the form. There are no fees associated with reporting.
Under the rules, trucks reported as agricultural vehicles must be clearly identified as such by May 1. Owners will be required to label or paint the letters "AG" on the left and right door of each qualified vehicle. Farm Bureau members are encouraged to contact Farm Bureau about purchasing inexpensive decals to satisfy this requirement.
For more detailed information on the rules, visit the California Farm Bureau Federation web site.
Illegal Dumping in Rural Imperial County
We all know illegal dumping in the rural areas of Imperial County is a huge problem. To help combat this problem, the County of Imperial has developed an Illegal Dumping Task Force, which is made up of representatives of local companies and organizations, as well as County staff members. Farm Bureau participates with four representatives on the task force.
Rural residents and businesses know all too well the costs of cleaning up what other people have dumped on your property. One part of this effort is a one-time waste tire cleanup. Click here for more details about this waste tire cleanup.
The focus of the Illegal Dumping Task Force is not only to clean up the dumping that has already taken place, but also to develop ways to prevent dumping in the future. These efforts will include public outreach, making proper waste collection more efficient for residents, and increased enforcement & penalties for dumping illegally.
If you have any questions about the Illegal Dumping Task Force or the Waste Tire Cleanup, contact Farm Bureau or call the County's Environmental Health Department at 760-336-8530.
Recently, the California Legislature finalized a package of water bills that included both policy changes and an $11 billion water bond measure which will be voted on in the November 2010 election.
We urge you to take some time to review the information about these water bonds. Click here, or go to the Water link in the navigation page for more details.
Reporting is Rewarding Program
Aims to Reduce Ag Crime
Local farmers are facing a significant crime wave.
Every day, thieves are taking anything and everything they can find, from vehicles to irrigation pipes, livestock, tires and even alfalfa seed.
Additionally, people are illegally dumping their trash and waste on rural properties, costing farmers and other rural residents hundreds and even thousands of dollars to clean up each site.
The local agricultural and law enforcement communities are coming together to fight these crimes with a new crime fighting campaign around the slogan Reporting is Rewarding.
Everyone is encouraged to watch for signs of crime and to immediately report a crime in progress. It is important to emphasize that anyone observing a crime stay a safe distance away, both to maintain your personal safety and to avoid disturbing evidence at the crime scene.
$1000 REWARD
A reward of up to $1,000 will be offered to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator of an ag-related crime in Imperial County.
If your information leads to an arrest, an initial award of $500 will be given.
Upon conviction of the perpetrator, an additional award of $500 will be issued, for a total of $1,000.
REWARD FUND
To create the reward funds, the program bumper stickers, tank decals and large outdoor signs will be sold to anyone interested in fighting ag crime.
Bumper stickers are available for $1 each,
in English or Spanish (click for an image of the English version of the bumper stickers)
12” x 18” fertilizer tank decals are available for $3 each,
in English or Spanish (click for an image of the English version of the tank decals) and the
large 2’ x 4’ outdoor farm signs are available for $25 per sign.
These have both English and Spanish on each sign (click for an image of the large outdoor signs)
Anyone who is interested in purchasing bumper stickers, tank decals or large outdoor signs with the Reporting is Rewarding slogan and information, please contact us, or just stop by our office any time during business hours.
Officially known as the "Land Conservation Act of 1965". It is the premier land conservation program and farm land protection program in California, since 1965.
Nearly 16 million of the state's 30 million acres of farm land are currently in the program. In the Imperial County, we have about 100,000 acres in the program out of the total 450,000 acres in production.
The act creates an contract whereby private landowners voluntarily restrict their land to agricultural and compatible open space uses under a rolling ten-year contract. In return, parcels are assessed for property tax purposes at a rate consistent with their actual use, rather than their potential market value.
The Department of Conservation has estimated that without the Williamson Act, one in three farmers or ranchers would no longer own their property.
During recent state budget cuts, the State of California has eliminated the funding that is sent to counties to make up for the reduction in property taxes from Williamson Act contracts. The Imperial County Board of Supervisors recently voted to non-renew Williamson Act contracts within Imperial County.
These non-renewal notices will not be issued until the end of 2010. Farm Bureau is keeping a close watch on this issue and will
keep our members informed as this deadline approaches.