Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995: Environmental Farming Incentive Program.

Existing law, the Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and oversee an environmental farming program to provide incentives to farmers whose practices promote the well-being of ecosystems, air quality, and wildlife and their habitat. The act requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to convene the Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming, as prescribed, for the purpose of providing advice to the secretary on the implementation of the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program and assistance to federal, state, and local government agencies on issues relating to the impact of agricultural practices on air, water, and wildlife habitat, as specified. This bill would additionally require the panel to assist government agencies to incorporate the conservation of natural resources and ecosystem services practices into agricultural programs. The bill would require the department, with advice from the panel, to establish and administer the California Environmental Farming Incentive Program, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would require the program to support on-farm practices seeking to optimize environmental benefits while supporting the economic viability of California agriculture by providing incentives, educational materials, and outreach to farmers or ranchers who want to pursue adopting management practices that contribute to wildlife habitat and result in on-farm activities that provide multiple conservation benefits, as prescribed. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the panel, to determine priorities for the program and give priority to specified projects, such as those that benefit socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. The bill would create the California Environmental Farming Incentive Program Fund in the State Treasury, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, authorize the department to expend funds for purposes of the program. The bill would require the department to provide funds for incentives to private landowners, nonprofit organizations, the University of California Cooperative Extension, or local agencies, including resource conservation districts, for activities that support the program and implementation of on-farm practices. Existing law requires the department to establish a technical assistance grant program to provide funds to technical assistance providers, as defined, to provide assistance to Healthy Soils Program, alternative manure management practices programs, and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program applicants, as prescribed. This bill would include the California Environmental Farming Incentive Program as a program that the technical assistance grant program may provide funds to provide assistance for applicants. The bill would revise the definition of technical assistance for the purpose of the grant program.