June 2025

Scientists seek to reduce heat-related cotton yield losses
(Farm Press) Todd Fitchette, June 30

The correlation between heat stress events and aborted cotton bolls is being studied in a region of California that can produce epic Upland yields amid some of the hottest temperatures in the U.S. Cotton Belt.

Studies in 2023 and 2024 by Michael Rethwisch, crop production and entomology adviser with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Blythe, are trying to help farmers mitigate crop losses linked to summertime heat.

https://www.farmprogress.com/cotton/scientists-seek-to-reduce-heat-related-cotton-yield-losses

Grasshoppers Wreaking Havoc
(Offrange) Emma Glassman-Hughes, June 27

“Some producers walk out in spring and summer and can smell the onions, because the grasshoppers are eating them so viciously,” said Modoc County natural resources advisor Laura Snell of her region in California’s far northeast. She works for the University of California Cooperative Extension. “You can smell the grasshoppers eating your vegetables. No one feels good about that.”

https://ambrook.com/offrange/crops/not-so-cute-these-grasshoppers

The World Is Warming Up. And It’s Happening Faster.
(NY Times) Sachi Kitajima Mulkey, Claire Brown and Mira Rojanasakul, June 26

“Each additional fractional degree of warming brings about a relatively larger increase in atmospheric extremes, like extreme downpours and severe droughts and wildfires,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California.

“Back when we had lesser levels of warming, that relationship was a little bit less dramatic,” Dr. Swain said. “There is growing evidence that the most extreme extremes probably will increase faster and to a greater extent than we used to think was the case,” he added.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/climate/climate-heat-intensity.html

UCD/ANR communicators bring home the gold
(Davis Enterprise) Kathy Keatley Garvey, June 25

Several agricultural communicators from UC Davis and the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Program won gold, or first-place awards, at the international Association for Communication Excellence conference in Milwaukee.

… Michael Hsu, senior public information representative for UC ANR Strategic Communications, won a gold award in the "Writing for a Diverse Audience” category for his “Fire Advisor Woelfle Hazard Transcends Bounds in Studies, Career.” See https://ucanr.edu/blog/employee-spotlights/article/fire-advisor-woelfle-hazard-transcends-bounds-studies-career.

… UC ANR’s social media team won a gold for its social media series, “Evaluating Different Methods to Attract and Trap Tropical Rat Mites,” featuring the work of UC Davis doctoral alumnus Andrew Sutherland, an urban integrated pest management (IPM) advisor for the UC IPM Urban and Community Program in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Doralicia “Dora” Garay, UC ANR social media strategist and Ethan Ireland, senior videographer, teamed with Sutherland. In their scoring criteria, judges considered planning/development, 15 percent; engagement, 20 percent; quality, 20 percent; reach, 20 percent; and impact, 25 percent.

https://www.davisenterprise.com/features/ucd-anr-communicators-bring-home-the-gold/article_4ed6bfdc-ef17-4666-a6f0-066fd47394b5.html

Alarming Conditions and Federal Chaos Could Spell a Disastrous California Fire Season 
(Gizmodo) Ellyn Lapointe, June 23

“I am not confident in our ability to respond to wildfire [or] concurrent disasters this summer,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, told Gizmodo. Unusually early mountain snowmelt, a very dry winter, and both current and projected above-average temperatures are the main factors likely to increase the frequency and intensity of California’s fires this year, he said. 

“Some aspects of fire season are predictable and some aspects are not. What ultimately happens will be a function of both of those things,” Swain said. “The most likely outcome is a very active fire season both in the lower elevations and also in the higher elevations this year.”

https://gizmodo.com/alarming-conditions-and-federal-chaos-could-spell-a-disastrous-california-fire-season-2000618395

Southern Californians Survey Trees for Destructive Oak Pest
(Planetizen) Clement Lau, June 22

The Goldspotted Oak Borer (GSOB), an invasive beetle responsible for widespread oak tree mortality in Southern California, was the focus of the region's first-ever “GSOB Blitz.” Organized by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources with support from CALFIRE and other partners, the event mobilized about 200 volunteers across five counties to search for signs of infestation, such as D-shaped exit holes in tree bark. Participants included representatives from various public agencies, students, arborists, retirees, and amateur entomologists who gathered valuable field data using a specialized app, contributing to updated beetle range maps and guiding future management efforts.

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/06/135314-southern-californians-survey-trees-destructive-oak-pest

UC Cooperative Extension Tribal Extension Office opens at Middletown Rancheria 
(Lake County News) June 21

A historic agreement between the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has created the first-ever UC Cooperative Extension Tribal Extension Office.

https://lakeconews.com/news/81895-uc-cooperative-extension-tribal-extension-office-opens-at-middletown-rancheria

Marin officials report invasive, oak-threatening beetles 
(Marin Independent/Modesto Bee) Cameron MacDonald, June 19 

An invasive beetle species with a taste for oak trees has been detected in Novato. The county agriculture department announced the discovery of Mediterranean oak borers on Monday and called upon the public to watch for them in their yards.

Michael Jones, a forest adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension, said it's unknown how the species arrived in Marin. He said the beetles fly and also travel on firewood or yard trimmings being sent to green waste sites. Jones said the species can be difficult to detect because they are so small.

https://www.modbee.com/news/article309040565.html

Signs of scorching weather for North America, Europe and Asia
(Oils & Fats International magazine) June 18

Scorching weather conditions are forecast in the coming months for North America, Europe and Asia, according to a Business Times report citing a Bloomberg article quoting government forecasts and climate and weather experts.

There is a chance that the season could exceed global high-temperature records, Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, was quoted as saying.

https://www.ofimagazine.com/news/signs-of-scorching-weather-for-north-america-europe-and-asia

Why Is the Bay Area So Chilly Compared to Inland California? Blame ‘Karl’
(KQED) Ezra David Romero, June 18

..But the disparity people are noticing comes down to “California’s dramatic microclimates” and the fact that weather in your city “can be quite unrepresentative of conditions elsewhere,” wrote Swain, a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UCLA climate scientist, in a post on Threads. While temperatures in places like Sacramento are already warm, meteorologists told KQED that the weather in the Bay Area over the last month or so is quite typical for this time of year, and it’ll only be a matter of weeks before temperatures begin to spike.

https://www.kqed.org/science/1997437/why-is-the-bay-area-so-chilly-compared-to-inland-california-blame-karl

California’s 2025 wildfire season was already going to be dangerous. Trump has made it worse
(LA Times) Hayley Smith, June 18

“The level of anxiety is so extreme among people who understand the consequences of converging crises,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The combination of a bone-dry winter, an early and rapid spring snowmelt, and a forecasted anomalously hot summer raises the risk of intense fire activity across the region, he said. When coupled with new federal policies that decrease the state’s ability to foresee, prepare for and respond to wildfires, it could spell disaster.

“It isn’t just NOAA, it isn’t just the Forest Service, it isn’t just FEMA,” Swain said. “It’s every single one of these agencies, departments and entities that would be helping us either preemptively prepare or emergently respond to wildfire events and other kinds of disasters — all of which are dysfunctional at exactly the same moment.”

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-06-18/california-faces-dangerous-wildfire-season-as-trump-weakens-fema-and-the-forest-service

California preps for intense fire season – as Trump slashes federal aid
(Independent) Michelle Del Rey, June 18

“The level of anxiety is so extreme among people who understand the consequences of converging crises,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, told the newspaper.

“It’s every single one of these agencies, departments and entities that would be helping us either preemptively prepare or emergently respond to wildfire events and other kinds of disasters — all of which are dysfunctional at exactly the same moment.”

… Speaking on the budget cuts, Swain said: “The problem is when there is an extreme event or a disaster or an emergency...That’s where people are going to mess up and make mistakes — not on purpose, not due to lack of training or lack of professionalism, but because they’re being asked to do 200 things simultaneously, and all of them are life-and-death critical.”

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/california-preps-intense-fire-season-221731918.html

California braces for brutal summer of wildfires
(Washington Examiner) Barnini Chakraborty, June 16

“This summer looks to be pretty high in the record books, and that has some significant implications for fire season,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California. 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy-and-environment/3443167/california-wildfires-brutal-summer-forecasts

We set a big chunk of California wilderness on fire. You’re welcome
(LA Times ) Jack Dolan, June 16

They gathered at the University of California’s Hopland Research and Extension Center, where students learn about ranching and wilderness ecology.

But this was no school project. A fire that began in the surrounding hills a couple of years ago threatened to trap people in the center, so the area being burned was along the only two roads that could be used to escape.

“We’re trying to create a buffer to get out, if we need to,” said John Bailey, the center’s director. “But we’re also trying to create a buffer to prevent wildfire from coming into the center.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-16/california-leaders-say-doge-cuts-to-us-forest-service-will-make-wildfires-worse

Letters to the Editor: Deniston 
(Mendocino Beacon) Nan Deniston, June 12 
Recently, my father and I attended a very informative field tour at Jackson Demonstration State Forest. We, along with other private landowners and forestry and fire professionals, walked through 6 test plots designed to explore the effects of different fuel management on prescribed fire treatments in the redwood forest. The research project was a collaboration between the staff at JDSF and the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension staff. The tour was led by Michael Jones, PhD, from the UC Cooperative Extension. We found this on-the-ground practical tour extremely informative. It challenged our preconceived notions that fire is best avoided in our forest. As we walked through the plots, we saw for ourselves how different fuel management treatments affected the forest ground and tree canopy. We also learned how wildlife were attracted to the more open treatment areas. As private forest landowners, we greatly appreciate the educational role of JDSF and commend those who continue to manage our local state demonstration forest for all of its many public values. We take our role as land stewards very seriously and are pursuing proven methods to protect our forest from devastating wildfires. The best way to learn and understand best practices in land management is to see it for yourself through quality science-based research projects like this one. 

https://www.mendocinobeacon.com/2025/06/12/letters-to-the-editor-deniston

The Burn Boss
(California Magazine) Coby McDonald, June 11

Lenya Quinn-Davidson wants to change our relationship with fire. She wants to change how we think about it, how we talk about it, and, most of all, how we use it. “Fire is the most powerful tool we have as a species,” she says. “Fire feels good. It brings people together. It’s something we cook over. It’s something that warms us. It’s just very human. And I think for so long we’ve disconnected from it.”

She’s not talking about eating s’mores around a campfire. She’s talking about communities coming together, putting torch to vegetation, and watching flames spread through grass and brush, bramble and thicket. She’s talking about prescribed burning. 

Quinn-Davidson ’04 is a fire ecologist. As director of the Fire Network, a new UC Agriculture and Natural Resources initiative, her mission is to bring the latest fire science directly to the people who need it most: those living in California’s fire-prone regions—which, according to CalFire, is over 7 million people. 

https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/2025-spring-summer/the-burn-boss

Prices for gas and eggs have dropped. What’s going on?
(SF Chronicle) Jessica Roy, June 8

…Though the current bird flu outbreak, now in its third year, is not over, it’s not as bad as it was at the start of 2025. Detections of bird flu in commercial and backyard flocks have decreased by a lot, which is part of the reason egg prices have dropped, said Daniel Sumner, a professor of agricultural economics at UC Davis. 

…Members of the Trump administration laid out a number of potential policy changes to tackle the bird flu epidemic: increasing imports, boosting biosecurity and exploring vaccination. Sumner dismissed the foreign imports as “publicity” and said the other suggestions haven’t been put into effect at a broad scale since Trump took office.

“There have been no significant changes to egg policy,” he said.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/personal-finance/article/egg-gas-price-trump-20359712.php

Will Sacramento metro area see mass abandonment due to rising climate risks?
(KCRA) Sarah McGrew, June 4

"The Central Valley in California, both the San Joaquin Valley in the south and the Sacramento Valley to the north, are actually very flood-vulnerable places," said University of California climate scientist Daniel Swain. "In some ways, they're among the most flood-vulnerable places in all of the United States."

Ultimately, Swain said, now is the time to think about how we will adapt to a warming world and the climate risks associated with that.

"If we adapt, if we increase our defenses, if we sort of take that voluntary action now to get ahead of these risks, we could actually see a future where fewer people are harmed in these events than we saw historically, even as the number of them or the intensity of these events themselves increases," Swain said. 

https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-mass-abandonment-climate-change-risks/64948126

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/will-sacramento-see-mass-abandonment-due-to-rising-climate-risks/vi-AA1G68bx

California Accelerates Wildfire Plant Ban Despite Scientific Opposition
(Pasadena Now) June 4

“As scientists who study how vegetation ignites and burns, we recognize that well-maintained plants and trees can actually help protect homes from wind-blown embers and slow the spread of fire in some cases,” wrote Max Moritz of University of California, Santa Barbara and Luca Carmignani of San Diego State University in The Conversation.

https://pasadenanow.com/main/california-accelerates-wildfire-plant-ban-despite-scientific-opposition

Egg Prices See New Dramatic Shift In Price
(Patch) Kat Schuster, June 3

…Since avian flu quickly kills birds within 24 to 48 hours, euthanasia is considered the most humane and effective way to keep the spread at bay, Richard Blatchford, Associate Specialist of Cooperative Extension at the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, previously told Patch.

https://patch.com/us/across-america/egg-prices-just-cracked-heres-what-changed

How the spread of avian flu in Arizona could impact prices, bird population
(AZFamily) Alexis Dominguez, June 3

… Experts admit they know very little about bird flu but know it comes from wild aquatic birds like ducks and geese. “Most waterfowl are migratory, so they can literally move thousands of miles every single year during fall and winter migration,” said Dr. Maurice Pitesky with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine-Cooperative Extension.

According to Pitesky, these birds are forced to find other habitats because wetlands across the U.S. are disappearing. “So, they use what I call a suboptimal habitat, dairy lagoons, flooded rice fields, just ponding from rain. They’ll use that as their habitat. Where we have our dairy infrastructure and our poultry infrastructure, it overlaps spatially with where those waterfowl hang out during the fall and winter,” he explained.

https://www.azfamily.com/2025/06/04/how-spread-avian-flu-arizona-could-impact-prices-bird-population

California’s proposed ban on plants near homes could be dangerously bad advice
(LA Times) Max Moritz and Luca Carmignani, June 2

One of the most striking patterns in the aftermath of many urban fires is how much unburned green vegetation remains amid the wreckage of burned neighborhoods.

In some cases, a row of shrubs may be all that separates a surviving house from one that burned just a few feet away.

As scientists who study how vegetation ignites and burns, we aren’t surprised by these images: We recognize that well-maintained plants and trees can help protect homes from wind-blown embers and slow the spread of fire in some cases. So we are concerned about new wildfire protection regulations being developed by California that would prohibit almost all plants and other combustible material within 5 feet of homes, an area known as “Zone 0.”

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-06-02/california-fire-risk-zone-0-landscaping-plants

Related: 

East Bay Times: Ban on plants next to homes too simplistic 

Mercury News: Opinion: California’s proposed ban on plants near homes could be dangerous advice
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/06/05/opinion-californias-proposed-ban-on-plants-near-homes-could-be-dangerous-advice/

California plan to ban most plants within 5 feet of homes for wildfire safety overlooks some important truths about flammability 

https://yubanet.com/california/california-plan-to-ban-most-plants-within-5-feet-of-homes-for-wildfire-safety-overlooks-some-important-truths-about-flammability/

Highways Baking at 158F Signal Red-Hot Summer From US to China (1)
(Bloomberg News) Brian K Sullivan, June 2

n northern China, road surfaces have soared to 158F (70C). In California’s Central Valley, temperatures are reaching into the triple digits Fahrenheit. Across much of Spain, the mercury has risen so high that it’s prompting warnings for tourists. 

Weeks before the official start of the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia. There’s even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records, said Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/highways-baking-at-158f-signal-red-hot-summer-from-us-to-china

Wildfire Expo gives North Bay homeowners tools, info on preparing for emergencies
(ABC7) Cornell Barnard, June 1

The expo also has ideas like for creating home landscapes, which are fire safe. Next year, California will require homeowners living in high-risk fire areas to make drastic changes, focusing on "zone zero," which is the defensible space that is zero to five feet from structures.

"It's a function of changing old practices of having shrubs against your house because of risk it brings," said Mimi Enright from UC Cooperative Extension.

https://abc7news.com/post/wildfire-expo-sonoma-county-gives-north-bay-homeowners-tools-info-preparing-emergencies/16626043

May 2025

Meager snowpack adds to Colorado River’s woes, straining flows to Southern California
(LA Times) Ian James, May 30

“This is another year that is not going to help the Colorado basin’s long-term water crisis. It’s going to make things worse,” said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist. “This year will once again be putting more stress on the Colorado system.”

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-05-30/spring-snowpack-water

Researchers seek better ways to kill palm weevil
(Farm Progress) Todd Fitchette, May 29

The South American palm weevil is currently California’s largest weevil species, according to Mark Hoddle, an entomologist with the University of California, and an integrated pest management expert whose work continues in a variety of crops and ornamental plants in southern California and elsewhere.

Though the weevil has not yet been discovered in the commercial growing region 60 miles northeast of its established range between San Diego and Escondido, Hoddle says the South American palm weevil could become detrimental to commercial date palm farmers. This is one reason for his work: to help farmers if the weevil migrates to commercially growing regions in southeastern California.

https://www.farmprogress.com/insects/researchers-seek-better-ways-to-kill-palm-weevil

Extreme heat will bake California this weekend. Will wildfires ignite?
(USA Today) Jorge L. Ortiz, May 29 

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a recent online presentation that weather models are pointing out a notable difference between the upcoming months and recent summers, when the state’s hot spots have been mostly centered on inland areas.

“Once we get past May gray and June gloom season,’’ he said, “the rest of the summer and the fall could be quite a bit warmer along the California coast than the last few years have been, while inland areas once again are fairly likely to experience a near-record warm summer in many cases.’’

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/29/california-coast-wildfire-risks-increase/83885784007

How California’s Record-Breaking Heat Wave Is Shaping Public Health, Safety, and Urban Resilience Right Now
(MSN) Ethan Carter, May 29

“Extreme heat is the deadliest form of extreme weather in the United States, causing more deaths than any other weather-related hazard.” That’s no sensational opening line it’s an alarm being sounded by climatologist Daniel Swain, who has been tracking the series of scorching temperatures sweeping across California and Nevada. This week, millions of Central Valley residents to the Sierra foothills and way down into Nevada’s southern valleys are being instructed to stay out of the sun as a record heat wave brings temperatures above 100°F in several areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued extreme heat watches and warnings, and the message is loud and clear this isn’t your typical summer sizzle. Let’s get this straight.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/how-california-s-record-breaking-heat-wave-is-shaping-public-health-safety-and-urban-resilience-right-now/ar-AA1FHCSC

2025’s Most Vulnerable States for Indoor Pests
(Home Gnome) Kimberly Magerl, May 28

Andrew M. Sutherland, Ph.D, BCE 
San Francisco Bay Area Urban IPM Advisor
University of California (UC ANR, UC IPM)

What are the top three factors that make a home more vulnerable to pests?

First, we can’t underestimate LOCATION! What I mean, simply put, is that the very region in which your home is built will be the most important factor in determining which pests may become problematic. For instance, some southern and coastal regions have major termite problems that will never be found in northern or interior parts of the country.

https://homegnome.com/blog/studies/most-vulnerable-states-indoor-pests/#expert=andrew-m-sutherland-phd-bce

How to watch: Scientists are hosting a 100-hour livestream to protest Trump cuts
(Fast Company) Kristin Toussaint, May 28

The livestream will also include a panel discussion with terminated NOAA employees—in March, the Trump administration laid off more than 1,000 people—and another one with the former directors of the National Weather Service, as well as “prime-time” talks from experts on topics such as floods, drought, and hurricanes. Prominent climate scientist Daniel Swain—who often hosts his own virtual “office hours” on climate news, heat waves, and wildfires—will be participating in an “Ask Me Anything” session, open to audience questions, on Saturday, May 31, at 9:30 p.m. ET. 

https://www.fastcompany.com/91341967/how-to-watch-scientists-are-hosting-a-100-hour-livestream-to-protest-trump-cuts

Betrayed Again by Washington 50 Years After the Vietnam War?
(Capital & Main) George B. Sánchez-Tello, May 28 

…“We were made a promise: ‘You help fight the Communists. If we win, you get your country,” said Michael Yang, who grew up farming in Laos. “If we lose, you come to America.’” 

…Now 56, Yang works at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, where he helps other Hmong farmers understand health and safety rules, modern farm practices such as irrigation and pesticide use, and how to apply for farming assistance grants. He says more than 1,000 Hmong small farms now call the fertile Central Valley region home. 

https://capitalandmain.com/betrayed-again-by-washington-50-years-after-the-vietnam-war

California avocado growers say Mexican imports have helped their sales
(AP) Amy Taxin, May 28

“It’s been really wildly successful. It generates way more money than most of these other industry boards do,” said Richard Sexton, distinguished professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of California, Davis. “When you look at the growth rate in avocado consumption relative to all fruits, the difference in growth rate is dramatic.”

https://apnews.com/article/california-avocado-mexico-imports-hass-trees-wildfire-1489ff4288e78d02734dcbbe4defa51b

Human-driven climate change largely responsible for last 50 years of worsening fire weather in Western Nort America, new study shows 
(Science Feedback) Darrik Burns, May 28

Science Feedback also gained insights from Dr. Daniel Swain*, Climate Scientist at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, who studies the dynamics and impacts of extreme events – such as wildfires – on a warming planet. Swain explained to Science Feedback: “This new study in Communications Earth and Environment adds to the growing body of research which, collectively, overwhelmingly points to a large influence of climate change on increasingly adverse fire weather conditions. In this case, the study focuses on Western North America (including western Canada and U.S.), which is both a highly fire-prone region and one that has been the subject of many previous peer-reviewed studies on the topic.”

https://science.feedback.org/human-driven-climate-change-largely-responsible-last-50-years-worsening-fire-weather-western-north-america-new-study-shows

‘Hottest Event of the Year’: Bay Area Braces for Elevated Heat — and High Tides, Too
(KQED) Ezra David Romero, May 27

…Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UCLA, said the warm-up might be a preview of what could be a very hot summer statewide.

“The last couple of days in May and the first couple of days in June look particularly hot, including in Northern California and the Bay Area, than they have so far this season,” Swain said during his semi-regular YouTube office hours on Friday. “The rest of California and the West and Southwest will be quite toasty as well.”

Swain said a hot summer, if it materializes, would exacerbate drought conditions across much of the state.

“The West is mostly in drought,” he said. ”Most of these droughts are going to get worse before they get better.”

https://www.kqed.org/science/1997037/hottest-event-of-the-year-bay-area-braces-for-elevated-heat-and-high-tides-too

What happens if a tree falls on your car in Sacramento? Here’s who pays for damage
(Sacramento Bee) Kendrick Marshall, May 27

Why do trees drop their branches in the summer? Trees can experience a natural phenomenon known as “summer branch drop” during hot, dry weather. Summer branch drop, which typically occurs during summer drought periods, results in trees unexpectedly dropping their branches, according to researchers from the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article307012286.html

June whiplash to come: Brief surge of record NorCal heat before sudden cooler/unsettled shift
(Piedmontexedra) Daniel Swain, May 27

https://piedmontexedra.com/2025/05/june-whiplash-to-come-brief-surge-of-record-norcal-heat-before-sudden-cooler-unsettled-shift

Business Sense | Humboldt faces economic challenges
(Times-Standard) Nancy Olson, May 25

In April, the Humboldt Economic Survey checked in with businesses and organizations across the county. What started as a joint survey with Eureka Main Street and my organization, the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce, was opened up to all areas in the county in part due to policy shifts at the federal level, but also because we wanted to get a broader snapshot of how businesses and organizations, the drivers of our economy, are faring.

The survey was sent out by Chambers of Commerce across Humboldt, Eureka Main Street, and other business-serving organizations. It was available in both English and Spanish. We received 214 responses from over 15 Humboldt towns — Orick to Garberville, Willow Creek to Manila. As I write this article, the results are being analyzed and a report written by economic experts with the University of California Cooperative Extension, who are based here on the North Coast.

https://www.times-standard.com/2025/05/25/business-sense-humboldt-faces-economic-challenges/

Why ‘Chaos Gardening’ Is the Wild Trend Taking Over Backyards Once Again
(Sunset) Kristin Guy, May 22

To better understand where this trend is headed—and how gardeners can tap into its magic while honoring ecology and design—we turned to two experts reshaping what chaos gardening looks like in the West. Selena Souders, principal designer at Big Red Sun in Venice, brings a bold, design-forward approach that fuses native plants with sculptural structure. Emily Sluiman, California naturalist and Southwest Territory Manager for Star Roses and Plants, leans into restoration, self-seeding natives, and the quiet power of perennials. Together, they’re laying down the new rules of chaos—where wild meets wise, and beauty grows with intention.

https://www.sunset.com/home-garden/garden-basics/chaos-gardening-trend

California's cherry crop faces uphill battle thanks to roller-coaster weather patterns
(Fox Weather) Andrew Wulfeck, May 21

While California is experiencing a decrease in the production of varieties such as Coral and Bing, producers in the Pacific Northwest are optimistic.

Orchards in Washington and Oregon have seen more stable precipitation patterns as well as more prolonged cold snaps, both of which contribute to ideal growing conditions.

Specialists at the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources said "chilling hours" — time periods when temperatures fall below 46 degrees Fahrenheit but remain above freezing – are important to the crop.

https://www.foxweather.com/business/california-cherry-crop-problems-2025-agriculture

Welcome to the World of Luxury Chicken Coops
(Artful Living) Bonnie Pop, May 21

While luxury coops have visual appeal, experts stress that functionality should not be overlooked. Maurice Pitesky, MD, a poultry health and food safety epidemiologist at University of California, Davis, emphasizes the importance of reducing health risks, especially given renewed concerns over avian bird flu. “Make sure to wear personal protective gear, don’t bring chickens inside, don’t stick your face next to them and kiss them, and don’t let them walk around your kitchen as you see on social media,” he says.

Pitesky also warns against unnecessary heating elements. “Chickens are incredibly cold hardy,” he says. “They will be fine in very low temps without any heat.” While they may not mind the cold, they do mind the wind, so Pitesky recommends a well-ventilated yet draft-free space to keep the flock comfortable year-round.

https://artfulliving.com/luxury-chicken-coops-trend

Southern California high school students learn life lessons through farming
(CBS News) Danya Bacchus, May 19

Students in the SoCal 4-H Envirothon Program is guided through the process of planting and harvesting.

https://youtu.be/b8P314x0Yek?si=YwXkv9Ivtt1dDRBn

‘Tragic and devastating’: Scientists react to funding cuts for climate research
(Daily Bruin) Catherine Wang and Zoya Alam, May 18

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UCLA, said climate science research is especially important for California – where the water cycle can vary significantly by year and region. He added that there is still uncertainty surrounding climate patterns – such as El Niño events, which cause a seasonal rise in temperature in the Pacific Ocean – that contribute to economic and ecological harm.

Universities like UCLA play an important role in advancing weather forecasting and climate change research, Swain said. They also provide the federal government with research that is high-quality and relatively inexpensive, Swain added.

“Universities live and thrive in large part off of federal grants,” Swain said. “But it isn’t charity. These are contracts for work done in the federal government, and the American people benefit greatly from those federal dollars invested in weather and climate research over decades.”

https://dailybruin.com/2025/05/18/tragic-and-devastating-scientists-react-to-funding-cuts-for-climate-research

After the Eaton fire, those with gardens weigh soil safety with healthy growth
(Pasadena Star-News) Anissa Rivera, May 18

UCLA, Tree People and Mount St. Mary's University in Los Angeles have teamed up with Master Garden Los Angeles to offer free soil testing and resources and solutions for affected residents. A pop-up they held at the Altadena Grocery Outlet on May 10.

About 120 people registered to have their soil samples tested, with many submitting two to three different samples from their property, according to Kristy Brauch with UC Master Gardeners.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena; Victoria Knapp, chair of the Altadena Town Council; and Vannia De La Cuba, deputy mayor of Pasadena also attended.

https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2025/05/18/after-the-eaton-fire-those-with-gardens-weigh-soil-safety-with-healthy-growth/

Republished at: https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article306717536.html

Enjoy the May gray weekend in SoCal because an extended heat wave is coming

(LA times) Hannah Fry, May 16

Unlike last weekend’s brief warmup, this heat wave is forecast to be a bit more persistent. It could also foreshadow a notably hot and potentially fiery summer for much of the West, including California, said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist.

Models show a very high likelihood that July through September temperatures may end up making this summer among the hottest in the last 20 years, Swain wrote in a Thursday post on his website.

“The month of May will likely, in the end, indeed end up being much warmer than average and probably also drier than average across most or all of California,” Swain wrote.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-16/cooler-temperatures-will-make-wave-for-heat-wave

https://www.edhat.com/news/weather-west-as-progressive-ridge-trough-pattern-shifts-rising-heat-in-california-and-southwest-likely-in-late-may

How bad will California wildfires be this summer? Experts weigh in on forecast 
(Fresno Bee) Hannah Poukish, May 16

Strong Santa Ana winds usually increase in late fall and winter, elongating fire season past the summer, according to Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science at UC Berkeley. These extreme winds and intensely dry conditions can turn Southern California into a matchbox with “the most extreme fire danger of almost anywhere on the planet,” he said.

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/fires/article306245366.html

Enjoy the May gray weekend in SoCal because an extended heat wave is coming
(LA Times) Hannah Fry, May 16

Unlike last weekend’s brief warmup, this heat wave is forecast to be a bit more persistent. It could also foreshadow a notably hot and potentially fiery summer for much of the West, including California, said Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist. 

Models show a very high likelihood that July through September temperatures may end up making this summer among the hottest in the last 20 years, Swain wrote in a Thursday post on his website. 

“The month of May will likely, in the end, indeed end up being much warmer than average and probably also drier than average across most or all of California,” Swain wrote. 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-16/cooler-temperatures-will-make-wave-for-heat-wave

'This is a big problem': Two California weather offices no longer provide 24/7 warnings
(San Francisco Chronicle) Anthony Edwards, Jack Lee, May 15

… The interruption to continuous weather coverage is “the biggest deal we’ve seen so far,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

… “These are offices that have both dealt with major wildfire episodes most of the past 10 years, and we are now entering fire season,” Swain said. “That's a big, big problem.”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/nws-weather-service-noaa-california-staffing-cuts-20329638.php

Bovine: It’s what’s for dinner – for wolves
(Farm Press) Tim Hearden, May 15

“Part of our study included collecting and analyzing wolf scat to determine the prey species that comprise their diet,” said UC Cooperative Extension livestock and rangeland economics specialist Tina Saitone, who conducted the research with her husband, UCCE rangeland specialist Ken Tate.

“During the summers of 2022 and 2023 we, in collaboration with the Veterinary Genetics Lab at UC Davis, used DNA analysis on 101 wolf scat samples,” Saitone told Farm Press in an email. “Seventy-two percent of the samples collected contained bovine DNA, indicating that cattle are a significant contributor of calories to wolf diet.”

https://www.farmprogress.com/livestock/bovine-it-s-what-s-for-dinner-for-wolves

Dangerous early heat wave scorches Texas 
(NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt) Ryan Chandler, May 14

“Both of these extreme heat events and heavy downpours are precisely the two parts of extreme weather phenomenon that are most clearly linked to climate change.”

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf8mbozFRiQ(The segment starts at 07:38, Daniel Swain on about 9:15)

Cherry crops failing in Fresno, Tulare from heat. ‘This has never happened’
(Fresno Bee) Robert Rodriguez, May 13

…Raymond Mireles, a University of California fruit and almond advisor for Fresno and Tulare counties, has fielded several calls from cherry and almond growers concerned about a lack of fruit and nuts.

… “The reason plants produce flowers is because they are reproducing themselves, but when a tree is under stress, it comes down to the tree surviving or it producing offspring,” Mireles said. “The tree will abort those flower buds.” Fortunately that wasn’t the case for all nut and fruit growers. There were areas where cherry trees did not suffer under extreme stress and were able to produce fruit buds, Mireles said.

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article306022271.html

Federal database that tracked costly weather disasters no longer being updated
(USA Today) Dinah Voyles Pulver, May 13

…The data being compiled was "incredibly important," said Daniel Swain, climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Regardless of the cause, it's crucial to know the total cost of these disasters.

"It was kind of a unique program that's going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to replace," Swain said. "It was widely used by insurers, reinsurers and federal organizations. All of these people who have to plan for, prepare for or respond to disasters want to know what's happening with disasters."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/13/disaster-tracking-database-ended-budget-cuts/83513834007

How Trump’s National Weather Service Cuts Could Cost Lives
(Science) Andrea Thompson, May 13

Ultimately, storm experts say, disruption caused by existing and proposed cuts will hit multiple fronts. An understaffed and underfunded NWS could mean that a tornado warning doesn’t come in time, that a hurricane forecast is off just enough so that the wrong coastal areas are evacuated or that flights are less likely to be routed around turbulence. “The net result is going to be massive economic harm,” said climate scientist Daniel Swain during one of his regular talks hosted on YouTube. “As we break these things, eventually it will become painfully and unignorably obvious what we’ve broken and how important it was. And it’s going to be unbelievably expensive in the scramble to try and get it back—and we might not be able to get it back.”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-trumps-national-weather-service-cuts-could-cost-lives

Less farmland is going for organic crops as costs and other issues take root
(MSN, among many other outlets) Caitlyn Daproza, Rochester Institute of Technology and Patrick Whittle, Associated Press, May 10

Frank Mitloehner, a professor in animal science in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at University of California Davis, said lack of flexibility and efficiency are driving farmers away from organic in an era of rising prices for farmers. He said organic standards need to be overhauled or the marketplace risks organic going away completely.

“I am in awe that so many organic farmers were able to produce that way for that long,” he said. “It seems that they are losing consumer base in these financially troubling times.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/less-farmland-is-going-for-organic-crops-as-costs-and-other-issues-take-root/ar-AA1EkBfo

Some Berkeley Hills homeowners push back against mandate to clear plants around their homes
(Berkeleyside) Nico Savidge, May 9

Officials hope to get a substantial majority of homeowners to comply with the mandates, which they say could limit the damage a fire would cause in those neighborhoods and help slow down a blaze that might otherwise turn into an “urban conflagration” that spreads from house to house, threatening the rest of Berkeley.

Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist with the University of California Cooperative Extension, praised the city’s requirement, saying steps to enforce ember-resistant buffers around homes are “the missing ingredient in our fire mitigation approach.”

“What Berkeley is trying to do is to be in front of these issues and really lead by example,” Valachovic said. 

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2025/05/09/berkeley-hills-zone-0-five-foot-vegetation-mandate-backlash

Some Berkeley Hills homeowners push back against mandate to clear plants around their homes 
(Berkeleyside) Nico Savidge, May 9

Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist with the University of California Cooperative Extension, praised the city’s requirement, saying steps to enforce ember-resistant buffers around homes are “the missing ingredient in our fire mitigation approach.”

“What Berkeley is trying to do is to be in front of these issues and really lead by example,” Valachovic said. 

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2025/05/09/berkeley-hills-zone-0-five-foot-vegetation-mandate-backlash

Environmental sampling continues in Moss Landing; data map due in coming weeks
(Local News Matters) Ruth Dusseault, May 9

There was another study conducted by farm advisors from University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources who serve Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. A published summary of their limited study indicated that a slight deposition of copper and manganese may have occurred in one agricultural field, but the concentration was within normal ranges for all soil types evaluated. The county has also requested that data for the graphic information map. 

https://localnewsmatters.org/2025/05/09/environmental-sampling-continues-in-moss-landing-data-map-due-in-coming-weeks/

Summer Gardening: Tomatoes, Zucchini and Climate Change
(KQED Forum) Alexis Madrigal, May 9

Succulent tomatoes that burst in your mouth. Enough zucchini to feed an army. Corn, sunflowers, and more. The summer garden has much to offer, but Bay Area summer gardening is a bit different. Some of us stay socked in fog and marine layer for weeks at a time, while others are dealing with hotter temperatures. We talk about the summer garden, take your questions, and hear what’s thriving in your plot.

Guests:

Flora Grubb, owner, Flora Grubb Gardens Plant Nursery

Leslie Bennett, owner and creative director, Pine House Edible Gardens; co-author, "Garden Wonderland: Create Life-Changing Outdoor Spaces for Beauty, Harvest, Meaning and Joy"

Allyson Greenlon, master gardener and urban ag coordinator, UC Cooperative Extension - Agriculture and Natural Resources in Alameda County

https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101909836/summer-gardening-tomatoes-zucchini-and-climate-change

Egg Prices Hit Record Highs. Are You Ready to Try a Vegan Egg?
(Grist) Frida Garza, May 8

…Wholesale egg prices are trending downward as of March, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, so this momentum could be short-lived. But it may only be a matter of time before the next price hike happens. “Because the virus is so ubiquitous in so many different environments … it’s hard to imagine the virus ever completely going away at this point,” said Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor in cooperative extension at University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. 

https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/egg-prices-vegan-plant-based-alternatives-just-egg/.
https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/egg-prices-hit-record-highs-are-you-ready-to-try-a-vegan-egg

Calaveras local selected as California 4-H Ambassador
(Calaveras Enterprise) May 8

The California 4-H Youth Development Program recently announced the selection of a Mountain Ranch resident to join a cohort of youth leaders across the state dedicated to advancing 4-H’s mission of leadership, service, and education.

This past week, state 4-H officials shared that Cecilia O’Geen, a member of the Mountain Ranch 4-H community club, has joined the cohort as a California 4-H State Ambassador....

“I truly can’t imagine a person who is more deserving or who will make as big of an impact as I expect Cecilia,” 4-H’s poultry leader Amber Wood shared. “Being her leader has been rewarding…to watch her chase her goals, reach, and then turn right around to teach and inspire the younger generation following behind her.”

https://www.calaverasenterprise.com/articles/community/calaveras-local-selected-as-california-4-h-ambassador/

USDA cuts create unknown future for sustainable farming projects at Texas A&M AgriLife, Prairie View
(Houston Chronicle) Samantha Ketterer, May 7

“Cutting these programs goes beyond our scientific community and our higher education community,” said Hope Zabronsky, academic coordinator and program lead of the Climate Smart Agriculture Program at the California Institute for Water Resources. “It’s also our food production, and that’s pretty scary to me.”

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/usda-cuts-65m-grant-sustainable-farming-a-m-20311006.php

This California supermarket staple is expected to get cheaper under Trump tariffs
(SF Chronicle) Maliya Ellis, May 7

“There’s no question: more almonds have to get sold on the U.S. market,” said Daniel Sumner, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of California Davis. “If there’s more of them around, the only way to get them sold is at a lower price.”

Consumers shouldn’t expect half-priced almonds or bargain bin almond milk, Sumner said, noting that many factors go into supermarket pricing. But almond prices are likely to decrease slightly — a sharp contrast to a number of other food items that could see rising price tags due to tariffs. 

… California could lose out on up to $868 million in lost export revenue from almonds if other countries impose retaliatory tariffs, according to a study from the University of California Davis that assumed tariffs of 60% from China and 10% from the rest of the world.

…“Nobody really knows what tariffs are going to look like in the fall,” said Aaron Smith, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at UC Berkeley. “People are kind of shrugging their shoulders a little bit and assuming that 145% tariffs are kind of ridiculous and that they’re not going to persist.”

The tariffs’ impact also depends on how much foreign customers are willing to pay for almonds. Because California dominates the world’s almond supply, other countries can’t easily buy non-American almonds; they’d have to opt out of buying almonds altogether. 

“The big question is whether people think about almonds as something where they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m just going to eat walnuts instead or some other nut instead,’” Smith said, “or whether it’s a specific thing of, ‘I really love my almonds.’” 

But even if foreign demand drops only slightly and almond farmers see just a 5% drop in the wholesale price, the industry would take “a significant hit” that could get passed along to farm workers or contractors in the form of lower wages, Smith said.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/trump-tariffs-almond-prices-20311455.php

Covering the ongoing bird flu story as it unfolds
(Association of Health Care Journalists) Tara Haelle, May 6

 “This is the largest animal disease outbreak we’ve ever had,” Maurice Pitesky, veterinary researcher at the University of California Davis (who will be on the bird flu panel at AHCJ’s annual conference in May), told Knowable Magazine in April. 
https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/05/covering-the-ongoing-bird-flu-story-as-it-unfolds/

Viticulture Leader Larry Bettiga to Receive ASEV’s Highest Honor at 2025 National Conference
(Wine Industry Advisor) May 6

Longtime viticulture advisor and researcher Larry Bettiga will deliver the prestigious ASEV Merit Award presentation at the 2025 American Society for Enology and Viticulture’s (ASEV) National Conference, taking place June 16-19 in Monterey, California.

https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2025/05/06/viticulture-leader-larry-bettiga-to-receive-asevs-highest-honor

The Future of California’s Climate-Smart Farming Programs
(Civil Eats) Naoki Nitta, May 5

April 2025

The Return of the Dire Wolf
(TIME) Jeffrey Kluger, April 7

“There’s a phenomenon called pleiotropy in which one gene has an effect on more than one trait,” says Alison van Eenennaam, professor of animal biotechnology and genetics at the University of California, Davis. “That’s true for many, many, many genes. There could be some genes they’re targeting for specific traits that have effects that are not compatible with survival.”

https://time.com/7274542/colossal-dire-wolf

Why LA could take a chainsaw to its symbols of paradise
(Times of London) Keiran Southern, April 4

Given their special status in LA, many are surprised to learn that palms are not native — much like many of the city’s residents. They were brought to southern California by Spanish missionaries in the 18th century, according to Donald Hodel, another environmental horticulturist, who specialises in palm trees.

The leaves served a religious and ceremonial purpose but, as LA began to boom, its leaders recognised their seductive powers. “They had a lot of land and they wanted to get people from the eastern US to come to California, so they advertised orange groves lined with palm trees,” he said. The plan was a success: “They got these cold and snow-weary easterners to come to California.”

However, in the face of a dire threat of fires, critics may insist that aesthetics take a back seat to safety. Hodel, who is not opposed to planting different trees in LA, believes that despite their shortcomings, palms are irreplaceable and part of the soul of the city. “There’s no other type of tree that can capture that exotic, bold, tropical motif like palms. They represent a paradise,” he said.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/258e09fb-e896-4bad-8da7-186c3596a6ae

L.A. Coyotes Dodge Wealthy Zones, Study Finds
(WEHO West Hollywood) Brian Hibbard, April 3

…Co-author Niamh Quinn emphasized that this research flips the script on typical wildlife studies, which often focus only on nature-related factors. “People and animals deal with the same tough conditions,” she said, suggesting that polluted, struggling neighborhoods might hit coyotes just as hard as residents. For locals, this could mean taking extra steps to protect pets like cats, a favorite coyote snack. 

https://wehoonline.com/l-coyotes-dodge-wealthy-zones-study-finds

Here’s what could get more expensive in California under Trump’s sweeping tariffs
(SF Chronicle) Shira Stein, Rachel Swan, Mario Cortez, Esther Mobley, April 3

…“Not every price will go up, in fact some might fall. But on average, prices will go up and it’ll be noticeable and that is a direct consequence” of these tariffs, Daniel Sumner, an agricultural and resource economics professor at UC Davis, told the Chronicle.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/trump-tariffs-impact-california-20252710.php

‘No winners in a trade war’ | CA ag experts worry about tariffs’ impact
(ABC 10) Becca Habegger, April 2

… “There are no winners in a trade war like this” said Colin Carter, professor emeritus with UC Davis’ Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

In an interview Wednesday with ABC10, he said Americans could start seeing higher prices at the grocery store in the coming weeks.

“These tariffs are not paid by Mexican farmers; they're paid by the consumer. And so on the consumer side, this is going to be very inflationary,” Carter said. “The United States imports around 60% of its fresh fruit and 35% of its fresh vegetables. So if you talk about avocados, they're probably going to go up, you know, 45 cents each. Lemons, limes, bell peppers, tomatoes - there's a long list of products that are subject to high tariffs.”

But even agricultural products produced here in California will be affected, says UC Davis Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension James Sayre.

“Even if you're buying produce from a Californian farm-- because there's less supply-- supply and demand sort of dictates that the prices for all goods are going to go up,” Sayre told ABC10. “And so any good in which we're importing, you know, some amount right now that's subject to an import tariff, we could see price increases on.”

He said blueberries, bananas, cucumbers, garlic, avocados and clementines are among the many products that could be affected by tariffs.

“Most of those costs will get passed on to consumers,” he said.

https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-agriculture-experts-tarrifs-impact/103-ba5c7347-b1ce-447b-a9ce-0fc5a0f35fb2

Everything you need to know about bird flu
(Knowable) Amber Dance, April 2

… In all of known history, “This is the largest animal disease outbreak we’ve ever had,” says Maurice Pitesky, a veterinary researcher at the University of California, Davis.

… To prevent spread, biosecurity has become the key watchword. For poultry farmers, that means a variety of things such as limiting human interaction with flocks, washing hands and boots, and wearing face masks. But the virus just keeps spilling over from wild birds into farmers’ flocks. Part of the problem, Pitesky says, is that poultry farms are often located near water sources, like lagoons and rain ponds, where migrating birds roost overnight, putting wild and domestic animals in close proximity. It’s a gut virus in wild birds, and it spreads easily through their feces.

… And now the poultry industry’s catastrophe has become the dairy industry’s problem, too. The virus’s 2024 appearance in Texas dairies was a surprise for flu experts: “The literature suggested that dairy cows don’t get influenza A’s,” says Pitesky — but, “as the joke goes, cows don’t read the literature.” Dairies were caught off guard, without the guidelines and support systems that exist for poultry. And by some reports, they’ve been slow to adopt biosecurity measures.

… Social factors could also influence the detection of, and response to, a potential pandemic. Many farm workers are undocumented immigrants, making many reluctant to be screened or seek medical attention. “The population we should be surveilling the most is the population we’re probably not surveilling at a robust enough level,” says Pitesky.

https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/health-disease/2025/scientific-facts-about-h5n1-bird-flu

Pierce’s disease research saves wine producers $56m annually
Farm Press, April 2

Pierce’s disease is a bacterial infection that affects grapevines, causing wilting, leaf scorch and fruit shriveling, Extension advisers explain. Symptoms are more severe when a vine has been infected in a previous growing season than if an infection is recent, prompting the need for ongoing control efforts, the UC’s Integrated Pest Management program explains.

https://www.farmprogress.com/grapes/pierce-s-disease-research-saves-wine-producers-56m-annually

California farmers fear tariff trade war losses in billions, uneven bailouts
(Fresno Bee) Robert Rodriguez, April 1, 2025

… Colin A. Carter, a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis, has studied the impact of tariffs on California agriculture and it has not been favorable. In a paper titled “Further Trade Wars Will Harm California Agriculture,” Carter along with Sandro Steinbach, an associate professor, and Yasin Yildirim, a doctoral researcher, both with the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University, found that in the most extreme scenario California farmers could lose up to $6 billion in exports. Carter also casts doubt on the likelihood another government bailout program, like the MFP, will reach Valley farmers. Carter found that overall, California’s losses from the 2018 trade war far exceeded the government compensation payments. The USDA doled out nearly $30 billion to farmers, in two allotments in 2018 and 2019. Finding that amount of money during the Trump Administration’s current cost-cutting mission raises questions about a future bail out program. Trump appointed billionaire Elon Musk to head the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, to reduce government spending. “I can’t see Elon Musk giving thumbs up to a huge bailout to farmers,” Carter said. “It also brings into question all these other farm programs. When are they going to realize, gee whiz, maybe we shouldn’t be spending money on all these other things, like crop insurance, subsidies and so on.”

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/article302788999.html

March 2025

Egg prices hit record highs. Are you ready to try a vegan egg?
(Grist) Frida Garza, March 31

Wholesale egg prices are trending downward as of March, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, so this momentum could be short-lived. But it may only be a matter of time before the next price hike happens. “Because the virus is so ubiquitous in so many different environments … it’s hard to imagine the virus ever completely going away at this point,” said Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor in cooperative extension at University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. 

https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/egg-prices-vegan-plant-based-alternatives-just-egg

LA Fire Victims Are Betting on a Radical Idea to Help Them Rebuild 

(Bloomberg) Laura Bliss, March 31

…The freakish wind conditions that made the January fires so catastrophic present a crucial caveat. Hurricane-strength winds flung embers far from the fire front, igniting homes in the area—many as old as or older than Ain’s designs—that then became fuel for the next structure to burn. This shows that closely packed homes built with flammable materials can easily become a fire hazard. “They have to be built to very stringent fire-resistant building codes, if we’re going to space them relatively close together, because we already know that this home-to-home dynamic is a real problem in these high-wind situations,” says Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist for the University of California’s Cooperative Extension program who studies the geography of fire risk.

One way to address the risk of too much space, Moritz says, could be for structures to share walls, thereby eliminating whole sides of exposure. After the major urban fires of the 19th century, building codes were made to require any walls shared between commercial buildings and high-rises to withstand fire up to a certain number of hours. That progress could offer useful lessons as far as building more-hardened compact housing. “One could, with the right materials and methods, come up with ways of making a really fire-resistant set of homes,” Moritz says. He adds that Ain’s designs, if brought up to code, could serve as a starting point for communities trying to rebuild more safely.

Gift link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-03-31/la-fire-victims-in-altadena-are-working-to-rebuild-collectively?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0MzQzOTk0NiwiZXhwIjoxNzQ0MDQ0NzQ2LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTVFpJSzRUMEcxS1cwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGQTEyREYyMDg1QUQ0Njk1QkYyNjIwMDYyQzE5MjNENCJ9.skyRCsCdWUVQKiG-1mtMT2tnSkc-Un1Ex0gzglPHTfs&leadSource=uverify%20wall

Understanding the Avian Flu Part 1: Virology With Dr. Maurice Pitesky  
The Ringer The Dave Chang Show, March 31

Dave and Chris talk fearmongering amongst the Eggpocalypse. They bring on animal epidemiologist and expert Dr. Maurice Pitesky to find out more about the avian flu, how it might spread to humans, and its worst-case scenarios. They close with an egg-themed MOIF that gets a little spicy.

https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/the-dave-chang-show/2025/03/31/understanding-the-avian-flu-part-1-virology-with-dr-maurice-pitesky

Mutations, Misinformation and the Mother of All Pandemics
(Truthdig) Michael Balter, March 31

… “This is the biggest animal pandemic in human history,” says Maurice Pitesky, an expert in poultry health and food safety epidemiology at the University of California at Davis. If it fails to turn into a human pandemic, “it will be in spite of us, not because of us.”

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/mutations-misinformation-and-the-mother-of-all-pandemics

Could egg supply and demand be helping avian flu spread?
(Sentient) Seth Millstein, Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Arizona News Connection, March 31

"This is historic. We never had anything this big, geographically or species-wise," Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor and expert in poultry disease modeling at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, tells Sentient. "This is way beyond [farmers'] skill set."

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2025-03-31/rural-farming/could-egg-supply-and-demand-be-helping-avian-flu-spread/a96033-1

It may be time for L.A. to ditch the palm tree
(LA Times) Dino Grandoni, March 30

… “They were promoting this to snowbound Easterners as, ‘Hey, look at this great climate,’” said Donald Hodel, a palm expert and retired horticulturalist with the University of California. “This is the place you want to be.” 

…Palms get a bum rap, added Hodel, the palm expert. Their fruit and fiber provide food and nesting material for birds and other wildlife. As long as dead leaves are removed, he added, they don’t pose a particular fire risk.

“There’s no other plant material that can capture that so sought-after tropical motif as palms do. And that’s why they’re always going to be planted in Southern California.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2025/03/30/la-fires-california-palm-trees

Fact check: RFK Jr.’s faulty advice on bird flu  
(NBC10 Philadelphia) Kate Yandell, March 28

… “If someone is going to say well, we should let the virus just go unchecked and follow RFK Jr.’s suggestion, we’re going to exacerbate the problem,” Dr. Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor at University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medicine Cooperative Extension, told us. “There’s no scenario where that is a good idea.”

…The most likely outcome of stopping culling, Pitesky said, would be more bird deaths as the virus spread unchecked, ultimately reducing the country’s food security.

“The quicker you depopulate, the quicker you can prevent disease transmission from that facility to other facilities or to wild birds that are in that area that are then going to transmit the disease to other facilities,” Pitesky said.

Stopping culling could increase the risk of bird flu changing in dangerous ways. “The more opportunities the virus has to replicate, the more opportunities it has to mutate and reassort with all kinds of different strains,” Pitesky said.

… “I do think we do need to think outside the box, but that is not a viable outside-the-box scenario,” Pitesky said, referring to Kennedy’s proposal for finding resistant chickens.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/fact-check-rfk-jr-s-faulty-advice-on-bird-flu/4146583/

Scientists sound alarm after observing troubling shift in animal behavior in urban areas: 'It's never been like this' 
(The Cooldown) Alyssa Ochs, March 28

"I've heard a lot from people on the ground that it's never been like this," said the study's co-author, Niamh Quinn. "Seeing a coyote in an urban environment was very rare 15 to 20 years ago, whereas seeing one now is very common."
https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/urban-coyote-behavior-research-societal-factors/

Burned Homes Can Be Rebuilt More Resilient to Wildfires, but Many Homeowners Can’t Afford the Price
(Inside Climate News) Diana Kruzman, March 27

…Planning for wildfire resilience should take place on the community as well as the individual level, said Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. That requires thinking about how to lay out homes to make them more defensible in the path of an approaching wildfire, such as by adding buffer zones between heavily vegetated wildlands and housing developments, and building a road network that’s more conducive to evacuation. 

These are difficult interventions, though, in places that have already been developed; neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades are unlikely to redo their entire road layout in the rush to rebuild. Adding to the problem is a lack of codes or standards for where to place a home on a parcel based on the topography and surrounding vegetation, Moritz said. 

“How would you lay homes out in a neighborhood? Where would you build in the first place?” Moritz asked. “Those design standards don’t exist at those scales. And we need those. So when people build from scratch or when they rebuild, they have some guidance that is meaningful and will make for a safer outcome.” 

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27032025/wildfire-resistant-home-construction-expensive

Farmers encouraged to use targeted grazing as tool
(AgAlert) John Watson, March 26

By increasing the use of targeted grazing, California ranchers and farmers can play crucial roles in building statewide resilience against future wildfires. 

That was a key takeaway from the Rustici Rangeland Science Symposium at the University of California, Davis, in February. 

Because targeted grazing can effectively reduce fuel loads and manage invasive weeds, it can be a key strategy for reducing wildfire risk on forests and rangelands, said UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources adviser Dan Macon.

https://www.agalert.com/california-ag-news/archives/march-26-2025/farmers-encouraged-to-use-targeted-grazing-as-tool

Weather out West 
(Weather Geeks) March 26

Winds are howling outside Los Angeles, California on a dry January day. The hillsides north and east of the city erupt in flames. A wall of fire begins to consume neighborhoods faster than firefighters can keep up. As wind-driven embers continue to fly down hill - a thousand miles away, Daniel Swain’s phone begins to light up. Journalists, companies, officials - all want answers to California’s extreme weather and the impact of climate change. On this week’s episode of Weather Geeks we learn how one high schooler, with a blog, ignited his career to become one of the leading communicators on climate change and the Weather out West.

https://linktr.ee/WeatherGeeks
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6loMnPbApkIUcxzBLojkbB

Middle Creek open again, but threat of bird flu still present across Lancaster County
(Lancaster PA Online) Rachel McDevitt, March 24

Maurice Pitesky, a professor at University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in poultry health and food safety epidemiology, said the virus is in so many animals now that the idea that it will just go away is not reality.

Avian flu cases may wind down through the spring, because migratory birds that carry the virus will be wrapping up their seasonal journeys. But, Pitesky said, cases will likely spike when birds migrate again in the fall.

Pitesky said farmers and government agencies need to think about biosecurity beyond the fence line of a farm.

“Everything’s connected,” he said.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/middle-creek-open-again-but-threat-of-bird-flu-still-present-across-lancaster-county/article_74f24707-f750-4a79-b6da-ca69dc74afee.html

DR. DANIEL SWAIN: Drier and Wetter in 21st Century California: Managing increasing hydroclimate whiplash in a warming world
(Maven’s Notebook) Chris Austin, March 24

At the 2025 California Irrigation Institute, Dr. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, gave a presentation on hydroclimate whiplash and what it means for California.

…“Even in places where the average precipitation either doesn’t change very much or perhaps even decreases, we still project quite large increases in the wettest wets, regardless of what happens on average,” said Dr. Swain. “Almost every populated land area on earth will see an increase in the most extreme rain events that occur in a warmer world.”

https://mavensnotebook.com/2025/03/24/dr-daniel-swain-drier-and-wetter-in-21st-century-california-managing-increasing-hydroclimate-whiplash-in-a-warming-world

California has new fire prevention goals. Expect to see more rules and goats 
(NBC Los Angeles) Helen Jeong, March 24

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources will develop a strategic action plan to include a scope and schedule for mapping priority areas where grazing can protect communities, critical infrastructure, and ecosystems, the state said.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/california-has-new-fire-prevention-goals-expect-to-see-more-rules-and-goats/3661774

Watch: Raccoons perform acrobatic high wire act on Los Angeles power lines
(Yahoo, via Fox Weather) Angeli Gabriel, March 24

Three raccoons were recently caught stealthily creeping along power lines over a Los Angeles neighborhood, looking more like Hollywood-flick spies than nighttime food bandits.

A video shot late on March 12 shows silhouettes of the acrobatic animals moving from one electric pole to another – and doing so in style....

...Raccoons are nocturnal animals that adapt well in city environments, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Being active at night allows the animals to exist in urban settings without being noticed for a while.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/watch-raccoons-perform-acrobatic-high-200029117.html?guccounter=1 

San Luis Obispo Co. Cattlemen’s Association event focuses on bird flu, wildfire risk and more
(KSBY) Eduardo Huijon Jr., March 21

Royce Larsen covers Rangelands in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Monterey counties through the University of California Cooperative Extension and says this meeting allowed him to listen to the problems other cattlemen are facing.

“Well, I hope to gain, as I like to hear what's going on from the Cattlemen's point of view and some of their issues, what they're faced with that helps me develop a plan to either get workshops and or research projects,” Larsen said.

https://www.ksby.com/paso-robles/81st-annual-san-luis-obispo-county-cattlemens-association-event-focuses-on-bird-flu-wildfire-risk-and-more 

Foods You Should Never Eat as Leftovers
(aol.com, via Cheapism) Jennifer Magid, March 20

Eating old mushrooms doesn't sound particularly appetizing, but it can also lead to food poisoning. Improperly storing mushrooms can promote the growth of bacteria like botulism, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. The safest way to store mushrooms is in a paper bag in the refrigerator, but never keep them longer than five days.

https://www.aol.com/finance/foods-never-eat-leftovers-143000513.html 

Sonoma County's small farmers grapple with unstable future
(Northern California Public Media) Noah Abrams, March 19

...Finding affordable, good-quality farmland is one of the major challenges for Sonoma County's small farmers.

This challenge has become so precarious that the Sonoma County Ag and Open Space District launched a study looking into the issue.

Along with the University of California Cooperative Extension, they found affordable farmland and housing are two of the main challenges for the Sonoma County's farmers.

https://norcalpublicmedia.org/2025031997721/news-feed/farmland-for-all-that-can-make-it-work-at-least-sonoma-countys-small-farmers-grapple-with-unstable-future 

Pros and Cons of Gene Editing: Insights from Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam
(Oklahoma Farm Report) Ron Hays, March 18

Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis, and runs the Animal Genomics and Biotechnology Laboratory. She recently spoke about gene editing at K-State’s Cattlemen’s Day. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is featuring comments from her conversation with K-State’s radio network after her presentation. Yesterday, she explained what gene editing is and some opportunities it presents for the beef industry.

https://www.oklahomafarmreport.com/okfr/2025/03/18/pros-and-cons-of-gene-editing-insights-from-dr-alison-van-eenennaam/ 

Almond Day Updates Growers on New Pest, Disease in California
(Pacific Nut Producer) Mike Hsu, March 17

https://pacificnutproducer.com/2025/03/17/almond-day-updates-growers-on-new-pest-disease-in-california/ 

Winegrape Grower Costs and Market Issues Addressed at Global and Local Levels at Clarksburg Grape Day
(Wine Business) Ted Rieger, March 17

Global and local wine market issues and policies were discussed by California experts to provide winegrape growers with information to make better strategic decisions in tough economic times at the recent Clarksburg Grape Day presented by the Clarksburg Winegrape Growers Association.

Economist and Professor Daniel Sumner with the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics observed that recent years have been tough for the wine industry worldwide. Reasons for this are partly global and partly local. “The interaction of global and local are important here in California,” Sumner said. He discussed potential impacts of current international trade policies related to U.S. tariffs and retaliation from other countries on wine and on farm inputs and production costs.

https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/299495

North Bay Science Discovery Day a Big Success?
(Sebastopol Times) Dale Dougherty, March 15

The North Bay Science Discovery Day is organized by a dedicated volunteer committee of science enthusiasts, in partnership with the University of California Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. The event celebrated its 13th anniversary on March 8, 2025. The event started in 2011 by UC San Francisco and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging with a National Science Foundation Grant. When this grant expired, the organizing volunteers expanded the donor base to become entirely self-supporting.

https://www.sebastopoltimes.com/p/north-bay-science-discovery-day-a 

Yana Valachovic is trying to soften the blow
(Politico) Camille Von Kaenel, March 14

FIGHTING FIRE WITH LANDSCAPING: Yana Valachovic is at the forefront of trying to get Californians to adapt to fire.

Valachovic, a University of California fire researcher and adviser to two fire-prone Northern California counties, turns into a detective when she visits the aftermath of a wildfire-turned-urban-conflagration, looking for clues on how the fire spread and the ripple effects of small actions people took to protect their property, from new vents to paved entryways.

She’s now pushing for tighter landscaping rules within the first five feet of a home as part of a working group at the state Board of Forestry, which is picking the previously paused rules back up after a directive from Gov. Gavin Newsom last month.

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-climate/2025/03/14/yana-valachovic-is-trying-to-soften-the-blow-00231775

How to Protect Pets and Backyard Chickens from Bird Flu
(Scientific American) Jude Coleman, March 14

Like commercially farmed poultry, backyard chickens are also vulnerable to bird flu. Several factors contribute to the risk level, says Maurice Pitesky, an epidemiologist and veterinarian at the University of California, Davis. Ducks and other waterfowl are a major reservoir for the bird flu virus, making backyard chicken flocks located near ponds or wetlands more susceptible, particularly if the chickens are free-range. In general, allowing poultry to roam outside will increase the risk because that creates a higher chance of exposure to wild birds. “Anytime you have potential for spatial overlap between waterfowl ... and domestic species, you have a risk,” Pitesky says. “We do have situations where backyard chickens die.”

… Chickens infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza will often stop laying eggs and will typically quickly die. Ideally, if a bird dies, it should be tested by a state veterinary lab, Pitesky says. If the lab confirms the chicken died of bird flu, the rest of the flock will need to be culled.

…And getting a flu shot will help reduce the chance of seasonal influenzas mingling with H5N1 if you are exposed to bird flu. That can potentially result in the viruses mixing genetic material and creating new human-adapted strains. “To me, this is the worst animal disease outbreak we've ever had,” Pitesky says. “And we don't know how to control it at this point.”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-protect-pets-and-backyard-chickens-from-bird-flu/

Can fire-gutted suburbs rebuild safer? Here's what the experts say
(Los Angeles Times) David Wharton and Lorena Iñiguez Elebee, March 12

“If we don’t do something different,” UC Santa Barbara adjunct professor and wildfire specialist Max Moritz says, “we’re going to re-create what just happened.”

… Through a planning tool known as “transfer of development rights,” homeowners in high-risk areas could work with city officials to exchange for property in safer neighborhoods. Some might gladly leave, but others might resist surrendering prime real estate with a view. Moritz concedes, “There are a lot of people who will find that objectionable.”

…“Homes may still have to be greater than some minimum distance apart,” Moritz says. “It could be 10 feet or 15 feet. No one knows.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-12/can-devastated-communities-rebuild-differently-for-the-next-wildfire

Gene Editing Could Speed Up Cattle Breeding, Scientist Tells Kansas Producers
(KCLY) March 11

A University of California-Davis animal geneticist recently told Kansas cattle producers that a gene-editing technique commonly used in plants is also a safe and effective way to improve cattle genetics more quickly.

Speaking at Kansas State University’s 112th annual Cattlemen’s Day on March 7, Alison Van Eenennaam explained that genetic modification often carries misconceptions. However, her research team is refining a method that allows scientists to precisely edit cattle DNA to enhance desirable traits.

Traditional cattle breeding selects animals with favorable traits, but this process can take over a decade. Gene editing speeds up the process by directly modifying genes, either removing those linked to undesirable traits or introducing beneficial ones. For example, this method can help create naturally hornless cattle or improve disease resistance.

The swine industry has already used gene editing to help pigs resist a costly disease. While research continues in various livestock, regulatory approval and consumer perception remain challenges before these advancements can reach the market.

https://kclyradio.com/blog/gene-editing-could-speed-up-cattle-breeding-scientist-tells-kansas-producers

Genetic Modification, Engineering and Editing…Hopefully Increasing Milk Consumption

Agriculture Today Podcast, Derek Nester, March 11, 2025

00:01:05 – Gene Editing in Agriculture, Part 1: Starting today’s show is Alison Van Eenennaam, a U.C. Davis professor of cooperative extension who was a speaker at K-State Cattlemen’s Day. Alison talks about genetic modification, genetic engineering and gene editing and what has been done so far in the industry and where we could be going.

00:12:05 – Gene Editing in Agriculture, Part 2: Alison continues the show with her conversation about genetic modification, genetic engineering and gene editing in her second segment.

https://sunflowerstateradio.com/2025/03/11/k-state-agriculture-today-1886-genetic-modification-engineering-and-editing-hopefully-increasing-milk-consumption

Trump’s Plan to Lower Egg Prices, Explained
(Fulcrum) Seth Millstein, March 11

“This is beyond any farmer’s ability, or any state’s ability, to address,” Maurice Pitesky, associate professor and expert in poultry disease modeling at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, tells Sentient. “We need every tool that we can use.”

Pitesky is a big advocate of what he calls “outward facing biosecurity” — that is, protecting against avian flu by monitoring and modifying the ecosystems that surround poultry farms, as opposed to only focusing on the farm itself. The reasoning is that avian flu is transmitted to poultry from wild birds, so it’s more effective to tackle the problem at the source.

In theory, Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments are a version of this. But in practice, they fall short of what Pitesky is suggesting, because they aren’t dynamic.

In order for outward facing security to work, Pitesky says, the surrounding ecosystems need to be monitored, and potentially modified, on an ongoing basis, not just once. That’s because environments change over time, and so do the threats that they pose as potential transmitters of bird flu.

But Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments don’t do this. They’re just a one-time analysis, and as such, they don’t and can’t account for the ways in which environmental risks change over time.

“The thing that we all have to realize is that the farm doesn’t change location, but the habitat around the farm changes,” Pitesky says. “What they’re doing is not bad, per se, but they’re just doing a spot check.”

https://thefulcrum.us/governance-legislation/egg-prices-trump-agenda

L.A. fires put new drinking-water safety measures to the test 
(LA Times) Noah Haggerty, Ian James, March 8

“We are in a sort of brave new world as we shift into this reality of increasingly more urban wildfires,” said Edith de Guzman, who researches water equity and climate adaptation policy at UCLA. “We have impacts that we’re not really even sure how to measure or monitor.”
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-03-08/l-a-fires-test-new-drinking-water-safety-measures

Bird Flu Spreads To SoCal Dairy Farms: What To Know 
(Patch) Kat Schuster, March 7

For infected laying hens, avian influenza in poultry is controlled through the rapid euthanasia of any flock that tests positive or is presumed positive, according to Richard Blatchford, associate specialist of Cooperative Extension at the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

…Blatchford, an expert on the welfare of small-to-large-scale poultry production, echoed that sentiment.

"Every time it infects an organism, it mutates," he said. "And so the worry is generally that the more it infects mammalian species, the more likely it is to become a virus that is much more like the flu viruses that we already contract and can spread from person to person."

https://patch.com/california/banning-beaumont/bird-flu-found-4-socal-dairy-farms-what-know

Hundreds rally in S.F. in support of science as Trump threatens jobs, funding
(SF Chronicle) Jack Lee, Roland Li, March 7, 2025

“What we’ve seen so far are cuts on the order of 10% to NOAA and the weather service,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, during a briefing Friday. “There are highly credible rumors that the plan is for a further 30% to 50% cut.”

Such cuts would be “essentially a decapitation strike against the weather service,” Swain said. He emphasized the importance of the agency’s life-saving severe weather alerts, such as red flag warnings, adding that there isn’t incentive for private companies to take over the service.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/trump-protest-funding-20204585.php

California farmers backed Trump. Now, his tariffs could hurt them
(LA Times) Jessica Garrison and Rachel Uranga, March 5

…Daniel Sumner, a distinguished professor of agricultural economics at UC Davis, said farmers could take multiple hits. They could face higher costs for things such as fertilizer and fence posts, some of which come from Canada, and also from retaliatory tariffs on their exports. Canada, he noted, buys 41% of bottled wine exported from California.
On the other hand, he said, some producers may see profits rise. Beef producers that compete with Canadian cattle ranchers, for example, could see an increase in profit. But consumers, he said, probably will see higher prices at the grocery store for many products.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-05/california-farmers-worry-about-impact-of-tariffs

New Avian Flu Plan Hatched by USDA, but Experts Are Wary
(Sentient Media) Dawn Attride, March 4

… “That’s a pretty crude way of assessing risk,” Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor and expert in poultry disease modeling at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, tells Sentient. Plopping 10 kilometer circles everywhere there’s an outbreak does little to account for bird movements in the region.

What works better, according to Pitesky: accurately tracking bird movement and holistically assessing different factors — such as wind or temperature — that might drive birds into this radius. Pitesky has developed a technology that can track where waterfowl are relative to commercial poultry, which, he says, is highly scalable to help identify farms historically under the highest burden. For now, however, it doesn’t appear the USDA is incorporating this into their smart perimeter work, he says.

Even as, broadly speaking, strengthening biosecurity is key to combat spread, it alone might not be the saving grace everyone hopes. “I think there is a lot of wishful thinking that this is going to be a game changer and that the farmers won’t have to euthanize nonsick birds … that could be a bad thing [because] if you are not aggressive with depopulating, you have the potential to create reservoirs of virus that can potentially cause further spread,” Pitesky tells Sentient.

https://sentientmedia.org/avian-flu-plan-hatched-usda

Bird Flu Outbreak Resulted in Even More Dead Poultry than Usual
(WWBI) John Szink, March 4

Maurice Pitesky is a researcher at the U-C Davis School of Veterinary Medicine who says it’s time to refocus on response efforts.

Since late 2021, farmers have killed entire flocks to stop the spread of bird flu, yet the virus continues to spread.

In the U-S, nearly 163 million birds have been affected by the virus since 2022, with 148 million culled to prevent outbreaks

https://www.wwbl.com/2025/03/04/bird-flu-outbreak-resulted-in-even-more-dead-poultry-than-usual

February 2025

What climate change means for bird flu — and the soaring price of eggs
(Grist) Frida Garza & Zoya Teirstein, Feb. 24

…In fact, egg-laying hen populations in the U.S. are likely the lowest they’ve been in the last decade, said Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis, who has studied how avian influenza has spread from wild to domestic bird populations. 

This — along with seasonal factors like the rise in demand for eggs over the holidays — has caused wholesale and retail prices of eggs to spike. “I think there’s a very strong relationship between egg prices and highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said Pitesky, using another name for H5 strains of the disease.

https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/egg-prices-expensive-bird-flu-avian-climate-change

With avian flu flying around, is it safe to enjoy eggs? 
(East Bay Times) Jia H. Jung, Feb. 23

…Maurice Ernest Pitesky, associate professor at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and an expert in disease modeling for avian flu, explains why it’s unlikely that you’ll get a bad egg. This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/02/23/with-avian-flu-flying-around-is-it-safe-to-enjoy-eggs

California egg prices at record high as bird flu decimates farms. Relief months away
(Fresno Bee) Robert Rodriguez, Feb. 20

…Maurice Pitesky, a faculty member at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine-Cooperative Extension, said the call for vaccines is growing louder as the poultry body count rises. “If used effectively, a vaccination could reduce the potential economic impact of the disease,” Pitesky said. “But it has to be flexible and robust to deal with what strains are floating around out there.”

… “What we have seen for almost the last three years is that avian influenza keeps coming back,” said Dan Sumner, director of the University of California Giannini Foundation for Agricultural Economics. “And what we have done is control it with depopulation, and that has worked in the past. But this time, that isn’t happening.” Sumner suspects that this latest round of bird flu could be enough to knock some smaller poultry farmers out of business. “Some hen houses in California,” he said, “are not reopening.”

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article300355089.html

Amid spread of avian flu and rising egg prices, some turning to backyard chickens
(KCRA) Peyton Headlee, Feb. 20

…Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor at the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has been studying the avian flu for years. He said with prices reaching almost a dollar an egg, investing in a backyard flock might actually save money in the long run.

“Historically, when people ask that question like, 'well, if I raised my own chickens, can I save money?' So, you know, the back of the envelope calculations historically have said no, but times are changing,” Pitesky said. “As we approach eggs that are literally a dollar an egg, that math has probably at some level reversed.”

With supply and demand at its current rate, he said he doesn’t expect egg prices to decrease over the next few months.

“As we get closer to Easter, the demand is going to increase. We know that just from historical data, but the supply is decreased so that that's going to further kind of exacerbate, I think, some of the price stresses that that people are noticing at the store,” Pitesky said.

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-bird-flu-egg-prices-backyard-chickens/63848029

California egg prices at record high as bird flu decimates farms. Relief months away
(Fresno Bee) Robert Rodriguez, Feb. 20

…Maurice Pitesky, a faculty member at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine-Cooperative Extension, said the call for vaccines is growing louder as the poultry body count rises. “If used effectively, a vaccination could reduce the potential economic impact of the disease,” Pitesky said. “But it has to be flexible and robust to deal with what strains are floating around out there.”

… “What we have seen for almost the last three years is that avian influenza keeps coming back,” said Dan Sumner, director of the University of California Giannini Foundation for Agricultural Economics. “And what we have done is control it with depopulation, and that has worked in the past. But this time, that isn’t happening.” Sumner suspects that this latest round of bird flu could be enough to knock some smaller poultry farmers out of business. “Some hen houses in California,” he said, “are not reopening.”

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article300355089.html

How We Rebuild: What Comes After the LA Fires
(KQED) Erin Baldasseri, Laura Klivans, Adhiti Bandlamudi, Ezra David Romero, Danielle Venton and Rachael Myrow, Feb. 19

…Hydro-Climate Whiplash
Extreme floods, extreme heat, extreme fires: This is what residents can expect for California’s future. Ezra David Romero, climate reporter at KQED, spoke with Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UCLA, who dug into this weather phenomenon. He, along with a team of other researchers, published a new report that gave it a name: hydro-climate whiplash.

https://www.kqed.org/news/12027578/how-we-rebuild-what-comes-after-the-la-fires

Op-ed: Egg Prices Are Soaring. Are Backyard Chickens the Answer?
(Civil Eats) Jason Mark, Feb. 18

… Every year, tens of millions of migratory birds travel from the northern latitudes southward, and they inevitably cross paths with domesticated flocks. During a recent briefing for reporters, Maurice Pitesky, a cooperative extension agent at the University of California, Davis used California as an example.

“During the winter . . . we go from 600,000 resident waterfowl to over 8 million waterfowl. You will see ducks and geese. And we’ve decided to have our poultry and dairy operations overlap with where the wildfowl over-winter. They spatially overlap, and that is where infection can take place.”

https://civileats.com/2025/02/18/op-ed-egg-prices-are-soaring-bring-out-the-backyard-hens

Skelton: California farmers bought Trump’s election pitch. Now they may pay the price
(LA Times) George Skelton, Feb. 18

…As for a potentially aggressive trade war spurred by Trump targeting China, Mexico and Canada, “tariffs are a bad deal. And for California agriculture, they’re really bad news,” says Daniel Sumner, a UC Davis professor of agriculture economics.

For example, he says, “the U.S. buys lots of fruits and vegetables from Mexico. We’d lose out and pay more.” Mexico would probably retaliate by placing a tariff on California’s dried milk products, Sumner adds. “Mexico is our biggest buyer of milk.” There’d be less profit for California dairies.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/02/18/skelton-california-farmers-bought-trumps-election-pitch-now-they-may-pay-the-price/amp/

Mechanizing Your Vineyard from the Start with Dr. Matthew Fidelibus & Alan Thibault
(Vineyard Underground) Fritz Westover, Feb. 18

Mechanizing a vineyard can lead to significant efficiency gains and cost savings, but it’s important to start planning for mechanization early in the vineyard design process. Many new growers overlook this step, which can impact their adaptability for mechanization in the future. 

In this episode, we have a conversation with Dr. Matthew Fidelibus from UC Davis and Alan Thibault from Ashton Creek Vineyard and Vigneron Toy Store on the best mechanization practices from the start.

https://www.vineyardundergroundpodcast.com/vu065

San Francisco's rat population is growing fast
(SF Gate) Timothy Karoff, Feb. 14

…Dr. Niamh Quinn, who works as a human-wildlife interaction advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, told SFGATE she read the study when it was first published two weeks ago and found the results “very interesting.”  

“I keep telling everybody — and I think you’re the sixth or seventh reporter I've talked to about this now — we live in an infinity of rats,” Quinn said. “There are rats absolutely everywhere.” 

People commonly associate rats with filth. But, as Quinn pointed out, sanitation isn’t the only contributing factor to rat populations.

 “A lot of people say that sanitation is key to making sure that we reduce the number of rats,” Quinn said. “However, rats are ridiculously resourceful. And, at least from our data, it shows that they are eating everything.” That includes dog food, oranges from backyards, snails and even landscaping plants like succulents and cacti. 

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/san-francisco-rat-population-growing-20166171.php

Migrants are on the front lines of the bird flu crisis but deportation fears are causing chaos
(Salon) Carlyn Zwarenstein, Feb. 9

…At a briefing for reporters, Dr. Maurice Pitesky of the University of California, Davis, pointed out that undocumented workers are also unlikely to receive regular influenza vaccines, increasing their likelihood of harboring co-infections of human influenza and H5N1 or other types of highly pathogenic avian influenza. This is exactly the sort of scenario that makes viral evolution more likely, hastening the day when H5N1 achieves the very few mutations required for it to transmit easily from human-to-human. Jimenez says Alianza Agrícola has organized health clinics for farmworkers, most recently last month, where they can get their blood pressure checked and receive COVID and flu vaccines. Without this form of organizing and workers’ courage to be open about it, education on the value of vaccines and access to them would both be unlikely to occur at their employers’ behest.

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/09/migrants-are-on-the-front-lines-of-the-bird-flu-but-deportation-fears-are-causing-chaos

We Mustn’t Rest – The Top Five Viruses of 2025
(Siliconeer) Janam Gupta, Feb. 7

… Also known as bird flu and transmitted through the H5N1 virus, is experiencing a concerning rise across six continents, as reported by Dr. Maurice Pitesky. This highly contagious virus has been found in both wild and domesticated birds and animals, and unfortunately, it has also made its way into humans.

Pitesky highlighted that avian flu is endemic in North America and has significantly expanded over the past three years, affecting various species, geographical regions, the economy, and food security. He emphasized the need for improved surveillance systems, particularly for workers at high risk, such as dairy and poultry workers, who may be hesitant to report their illnesses due to concerns about potential repercussions.

Furthermore, Pitesky underscored the potential for human-to-human transmission of the virus if it continues to evolve and mutate, given the inadequate surveillance measures in place.

https://siliconeer.com/current/we-mustnt-rest-the-top-five-viruses-of-2025

Bird Flu Toll Continues to Rise in Chicago. Are Massive Die-Offs the New Normal?  
(Chicago News WTTW) Patti Wetli, Feb. 4

In the central valley of California, the waterfowl population will balloon from 600,000 resident birds to more than 8 million, according to Dr. Maurice Piteskyof the University of California-Davis Veterinary School of Medicine.

Because a lot of the wetlands where ducks and geese would hang out have been destroyed, these birds use “sub-optimal” habitat like dairy lagoons, flooded rice fields, just ponding from rain, in many instances near farms, Pitesky said.

https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/04/bird-flu-toll-continues-rise-chicago-are-massive-die-offs-new-normal

Crisp Destinations: 2025’s Top 20 States for Apple Lovers
(LawnLove) Kimberly Magerl, Feb. 3

… Arthur James Downer, Environmental Horticulture/Plant Pathology Advisor Emeritus, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources

What makes certain regions ideal for growing apples?

Apples require cold to set fruit, so the best growing areas are where there are cold winters.

How does climate change impact apple farming?

As winters warm, pollination will become uneven and the bloom period will spread out. Harvest will be less precise. Ultimately, production will rise in elevation or latitude.

https://lawnlove.com/blog/top-states-for-apple-lovers/#expert=dr-arthur-james-downer

Yearning To Learn More About Exciting, New Almond Varieties
(Growing Produce) Luke Milliron, Feb. 3

New almond varieties are always coming out from public and private breeding programs around the world. It is tempting to plant the latest and greatest. Unfortunately, many growers in my area of Northern California have been burned by new varieties in recent years — ‘Bennett-Hickman’ bud failure issues and partial incompatibility of ‘Independence’ and ‘Shasta’ on the ‘Krymsk 86’ rootstock.

https://www.growingproduce.com/nuts/getting-to-know-more-about-exciting-new-almond-varieties

H5 avian influenza ‘breaks all the rules’
(Lake Okeechobee News) Katrina Elsken, Feb. 3

… Wild waterfowl such as migratory ducks and geese are the primary carriers of this virus, said Dr. Maurice Pitesky, of the University of California, Davis. “Unfortunately, dairy and poultry infrastructure overlaps with areas waterfowl live in the winter,” he continued. Development in former wetland areas has also caused waterfowl to nest closer to farms.

“We’ve lost a lot of our natural wetlands, where ducks and geese spend 14 hours a day,” he said. Pushed out of their natural habitat, the waterfowl now use dairy ponds, flooded rice fields and other areas flooded by rain.

Waterfowl might be nesting at one farm one day and another farm the next day, he said.

“When birds go on their feeding flights, they can spread virus to other areas,” he continued. The bird poop, which could contain the virus, can be spread on the feet of rodents and tracked into barns.

https://www.lakeonews.com/labelle/labelle/stories/h-5-avian-influenza-breaks-all-the-rules,72111

January 2025

A Weather Event With Fire Embedded
(WhoWhatWhy ) Jeff Schechtman, Jan. 31

…In this week’s WhoWhatWhy podcast, Daniel Swain, a leading climate scientist at UCLA and the University of California’s Agricultural and Natural Resources division, frames the January disaster not simply as a fire event, but as “an extreme weather event with fire embedded in it.” This distinction, he explains, is crucial for understanding how climate change is reshaping California’s fire risks.

https://whowhatwhy.org/podcast/a-weather-event-with-fire-embedded

Why climate change may be making your city’s rat problem worse
(Washington Post) Dino Grandoni, July 31

…“We live in an infinite sea of rats,” said Niamh Quinn, a human-wildlife interactions adviser at the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources who was not involved in the study.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/01/31/rats-cities-climate-change

Hotter cities? Here come the rats
(Science News) Bethany Brookshire, July 31

When humans and rats share space, there’s a real risk of disease, says Niamh Quinn, a human-wildlife interactions advisor at the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Irvine who was not affiliated with the study. “At some point there’s going to be — hopefully not, but potentially — the perfect storm, where we have all these people, all these rodents [and] not enough tools in our toolbox to manage them.” Leptospirosis, for example, can be deadly to humans and unvaccinated pets.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/rats-climate-change-hotter-cities

Daniel Swain on the disasters still to come
(California Sun) Jeff Schechtman, Jan. 30

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources reveals why Los Angeles’ recent devastating fires weren’t just another disaster, but a harbinger of California’s volatile future. Swain explains how climate change created the conditions for unprecedented destruction, and how “hydroclimate whiplash” — or dramatic swings between wet and dry periods — is reshaping our understanding of extreme weather events and challenging traditional approaches to disaster response.

https://www.californiasun.co/podcast/daniel-swain-on-the-disasters-still-to-come

How towns can adapt to fire as bigger burns loom
(PNAS) Amy McDermott, Jan. 29

…The review came about, coauthor Max Moritz says, thanks to years of conversations with firefighters and fire professionals. Moritz, who is the statewide wildfire specialist for the University of California Cooperative Extension and is based at the University of California, Santa Barbara, kept hearing anecdotes about ways to make communities safer that had less to do with individual home structural building codes and more to do with the siting and layout of neighborhoods. At a workshop, Moritz presented an overview of different risk reduction measures to urban planners and fire agency professionals from around central coastal California. The group discussed “how feasible and how realistic” each risk reduction measure would be, Moritz says. “It was a first step in the direction of trying to come up with standards that could eventually be codified.”

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500926122

These Are the Winds That Turn Wildfires Deadly in L.A.
(NY Times) Raymond Zhong and Zach Levitt, Jan. 28

… Development in Santa Ana-prone areas could also be better regulated, said Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. California requires individual buildings in vulnerable places to meet fire-resistance standards. But there are no such standards for how communities should be designed to keep crowded neighborhoods away from flammable brush or how they should be laid out to help residents evacuate safely. “That’s the next frontier,” Dr. Moritz said.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/29/climate/santa-ana-winds-fire-risk.html

Harvest Festival brings agriculture to life in Holtville 
(Imperial Valley Press) Jessamyn Dodd, Jan. 28

The Harvest Festival, hosted by FARM SMART, an educational outreach program of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) through the Desert Research and Extension Center, celebrated the region’s agricultural roots. A collaboration between the Imperial County Young Farmers, Imperial County Farm Bureau, and UC ANR, the event offered a variety of activities for families while showcasing the importance of farming in the Imperial Valley.

https://www.ivpressonline.com/featured/harvest-festival-brings-agriculture-to-life-in-holtville/article_bcab7348-dcd6-11ef-a433-873d7e2e6c32.html

Trump's promise of mass deportations looms over California's wine industry
(Northern California Public Media) Tina Caputo, Jan 27

“Hired farm workers seem to be more scarce every year,” says Daniel Sumner, a professor of agricultural economics at UC Davis.

“There's relatively little replacement of young people coming into farm work, which used to be refreshed with new immigrants every year or so, and that's been more of a struggle.”

Sumner says that’s because Mexico’s economy has improved in recent years, making it less attractive for workers to cross the border. Meanwhile, Americans just aren’t interested in filling the void.

“Farm work is hard work,” he says. “Some people don't like to be outside to do work in the heat, and we have plenty of heat in California. Farm work, over the years, has had a tough reputation.”

https://norcalpublicmedia.org/2025012897326/news-feed/trump-s-promise-of-mass-deportations-looms-over-california-s-wine-industry

https://www.kqed.org/news/12024766/ca-wine-industry-could-face-huge-impact-from-trumps-immigration-policies

What you want to know about bird flu but are (or should be) too afraid to ask 
(Jewish News of N. California) Maya Mirsky, Jan. 27

Maurice Pitesky is a professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He researches highly pathogenic avian influenza and studies how the virus is transmitted from wild birds to domestic poultry.  He lives with his family in Davis, where they attend Congregation Bet Haverim. He’s also on the board of the synagogue.

He spoke with J. about how the disease is affecting California and what the real risks are. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

https://jweekly.com/2025/01/27/what-you-want-to-know-about-bird-flu-but-are-or-should-be-too-afraid-to-ask

The good, bad and ugly truths about LA tumbleweeds and their role in fires 
(LAist) Fiona Ng, Jan. 26

"Then those tumbleweeds just spread across the western United States and they've found a great home here in California," said Mark Hoddle, an invasive species expert at UC Riverside.

… "When we have a lot of fires, like we've seen in Southern California recently, these invasive weeds, like tumbleweeds, can really amplify fire risk," Hoddle said, because they provide more fuel for fires to burn hotter.

" They've changed the fire ecology of the state enormously. And that's just one weed. We've got heaps of these weeds," he added.
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/la-tumbleweeds-and-their-role-in-fires

Trump says California’s mismanagement of forests and water is to blame for wildfires. Here’s the reality.
(CNN) Ella Nilsen, Jan. 24

…California wildfire expert Lenya Quinn-Davidson and other experts said California has made “major strides” on policies allowing more prescribed fires in the past several years.

Even so, “what we’re getting done in reality is a drop in the bucket with what the problem is,” said Quinn-Davidson a fire advisor and the Director of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.

https://localnews8.com/cnn-other/2025/01/24/trump-says-californias-mismanagement-of-forests-and-water-is-to-blame-for-wildfires-heres-the-reality

Officials were warned of failing water system before Palisades fire. Fixes never happened
(LA Times) Connor Sheets, Jan. 24

…Another UCLA professor and water expert, Edith de Guzman, agreed with that assessment: “Some homes could have been saved. It is absolutely possible that it would have been able to help a little bit.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-24/malibu-water-capacity-upgrades-palisades-fire

Is the ash and residue from the recent fires a danger to the fruits and vegetables in your garden?
(KCRW Good Food) Evan Kleiman, Jan. 24

… Here at GoodFood, we've received countless questions about backyard gardens and schoolyard plots. Like you, we're curious and concerned. Are herbs and vegetables okay to eat? How should we clean them? Is the soil safe? 

Sadly, this isn’t the first time Californians have grappled with these questions. Julia Van Soelen Kim is the North Bay Food Systems Advisor for the UC Cooperative Extension North Bay, which includes Marin, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma. She led the studies assessing backyard gardens after the Sonoma Complex Fires in 2017.

https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/fire-soil-safety-lunar-new-year-china-dishes/eaton-palisades-fire-soil-ash-residue-fallout-danger-garden-fruit-vegetables

The ‘Dark Prophet’ of L.A. Wasn’t Dark Enough
(The Atlantic) Carolina A. Miranda, Jan. 22

…Although Davis did, over the course of his career, write about climate change—and he added a postscript on the topic when “The Case for Letting Malibu Burn” was excerpted online by Longreads in 2018—his original essay does not contend with how the climate would set the stage for ever bigger blazes, fires with different causes, effects, and solutions than the cyclical events of the past. “This is a story about drought and lack of precipitation this winter,” Lenya Quinn-Davidson, the director of a statewide fire program for UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, told me. “The extreme dryness combined with an exceptional wind event—to have those things concurrent is a recipe for disaster. Even if you had fuel breaks around those communities, even if you had prescribed burns”—a solution that Davis highlighted—”it might not have had any effect.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2025/01/l-a-dark-prophet-mike-davis-wasnt-dark-enough/681399

What makes a neighborhood resilient to fires?
(Vox) Umair Irfan, Jan. 22

… “There’s a lot that we can do as residents and homeowners to really change that trajectory and make small, often inexpensive actions that can make a big difference in changing the outcome when our buildings are exposed to the pathways of wildfire,” said Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network studying resilience in the built environment.

https://www.vox.com/climate/396196/la-fires-los-angeles-palisades-eaton-materials

Examining the potential of AI to drive nutritional innovation and increase productivity
(Nutrition Insight) Jolanda van Hal, Jan. 21

“We were given US$20 million to leverage AI to improve the food system. This collaboration is between UC Berkeley, UC Davis, the University of Illinois, Cornell University, UC ANR (UC Agriculture and Natural Resources) and the USDA. And, of course, we have dozens of partners, such as other universities, land grant institutions and other centers worldwide.”

https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/Examining-the-potential-of-AI-to-drive-nutritional-innovation-and-increase-productivity.html

A wave of cat deaths from bird flu prompts new rules on pet food production
(LA Times) Susanne Rust, Jan. 18

…Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor who researches poultry health and food safety epidemiology at UC Davis, agreed. “Not sure but maybe the birds got infected right before slaughter?,” he said in an email, adding that “he was not aware that there are companies that sell raw poultry with the intent of consumption by pets.”

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2025-01-18/cat-deaths-bird-flu-prompts-pet-food-new-rules

California is years behind in implementing a law to make homes more fire resistant
(AP) Tran Nguyen, Jan. 17

… Homes have a much better chance of surviving a wildfire when homeowners follow defensible space requirements and various home-hardening recommendations like using vent covers to keep out flying embers, said Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist with the University of California's Cooperative Extension in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. She is helping CalFire survey the LA fires' destruction this week.

"I'm hesitant to put a number factor on exactly how much greater survival rate we'll get," she said. "But, you know, we have to do everything to push the equation."

https://abc7news.com/post/southern-california-wildfires-state-is-years-behind-implementing-law-make-homes-more-fire-resistant/15810127

Lessons from the burn zone: Why some homes survived the L.A. wildfires
(LA Times) Alex Wigglesworth and Joseph Serna, Jan. 17

… Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist at the University of California, said some of the spared houses were tucked away from prevailing wind currents so that embers didn’t hit them. Some of those still-standing properties even have cardboard boxes left over from the holidays awaiting recycling collection, untouched, said Valachovic, who is in the field studying why some homes withstood the Palisades and Eaton fires.

In other situations where combustibles were close to homes, embers likely ignited those materials and created spot fires, or entered open windows or vents, she said.

What Valachovic has seen so far is consistent with other wildfires that have reached built-out areas: the Lahaina fire on Maui, the Marshall fire near Boulder, Colo., the Camp fire in Paradise and the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, she said. “We don’t fight earthquakes, but we mitigate them — we strap water heaters to walls, harden structures. Wildfires aren’t that different, really.”

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-01-17/lessons-from-the-burn-zone-why-some-homes-survived-the-l-a-wildfires

Why Are the LA Wildfires So Extreme?
(StarTalk) Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jan. 17

How did the Los Angeles fires start? Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with climate scientist Daniel Swain to learn about the destructive fires in The Palisades and Eaton, the climate science at play, and how we can build back for a more fire-resistant future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDZ2fR8QdTg

Bird Flu has Spread to Humans. How Worried Should We Be?
(KPFA Terra Verde) Maureen Nandini Mitra, Jan. 17

…Yesterday, the CDC confirmed that a San Francisco child was the second child in the Bay Area, and the country, to contract the virus.

So how serious is the situation? How worried should we be? What should we be doing to safeguard ourselves and animals? To answer these questions, Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and Terra Verde cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra talks with the two experts, Dr. Maurice Pitesky from the University of California, Davis’ School for Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. William Schaffner of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. 

Is it safe to eat my backyard fruit in LA?
(LA Public Press) Andrea Gutierrez, Jan. 17

“People had the exact same question in the North Bay in 2017,” said Julia Van Soelen Kim, food systems advisor for the UC Cooperative Extension in Marin County. That year’s Tubbs Fire became California’s most destructive at the time. “It was the first really big urban fire with thousands of structures that were destroyed, so that, in its very nature, is different from a typical wildland forest fire,” she said.

… “Minimizing exposure to ash is the number one consideration,” Van Soelen Kim said.

The Santa Anas are carrying ashes (and burnt book pages) to many doorsteps across LA, and those ashes contain toxins like asbestos and lead. The county public health department has warned about the dangers of inhaling the ash.

But Van Soelen Kim said the mere presence of wildfire ash in your garden and on your produce does not necessarily mean it’s inedible. A 2019 study she conducted with colleagues in Northern California found that produce may be safe to consume after careful decontamination.

https://lapublicpress.org/2025/01/backyard-fruit-fire-eaton-palisade-ash

Debunking L.A. Wildfire Myths with Climate Scientist Dr. Daniel Swain
(Factually) Adam Conover, Jan. 17

Southern California has been utterly decimated by wildfires, with the neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Altadena being virtually leveled to the ground. In this special episode, released outside of our usual schedule, Adam sits down with UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain to unpack what really happened—both in terms of the environmental factors and the disaster response, and to dispel the misinformation swirling around these devastating fires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P2O1F_6ikY  

Where are the eggs? How shortages reflect a contagion 
(Bay City News) Ruth Dusseault, Jan. 15

…Maurice Pitesky with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine said this outbreak of bird flu is unprecedented.

"It's the worst one in California, in the country, in the world and in history," he said. "You look at the last 7,000 or 10,000 years of human history, since the beginning of the agricultural revolution, I can't think of any way you can measure it where this would not be number one. Geographically, it's hit six or seven continents."

The virus has been seen in both wild and domestic birds, as well as domestic mammals, he said. It is an RNA virus, which he says can transform.

"It's segmented. It's got this amazing capacity to mutate and shift and reabsorb."

"We're finding it in the environment, in human wastewater, dairy lagoons, etc.," he continued. "It's in dairy, it's in poultry. It's shown the ability to infect pigs. The significance of that from a food security perspective -- three of the main animal proteins that humans consume on the planet -- is pretty significant. There have been some people that have been sickened that we can't find a connection to poultry or dairy, so that's concerning."

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/egg-shortages/3761568/

Experts say one practice could have slowed down devastating LA fires
(SF Chronicle) Kurtis Alexander, Jan. 15

… “A good portion of fire damage is preventable,” said Yana Valachovic, a fire scientist who works to promote community resiliency for the University of California’s Cooperative Extension program. “I can’t tell you that you’ll reduce your risk by a certain percentage, but you’ll reduce your loss. I can tell you that.”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/la-fires-prevention-20034713.php

More Americans Than Ever Are Living in Wildfire Areas. L.A. Is No Exception.
(NY Times) Mira Rojanasakul and Brad Plumer, Jan. 15

… “We need to start looking at these wildfires as inevitable and learn to coexist with them,” said Max Moritz, a wildfire expert at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Since 2008, California has adopted some of the strictest rules in the country for new homes in high-risk fire areas, requiring developers to use fire-resistant materials and to provide access to water for firefighters. Another rule, adopted in 2023 but not yet in force, would require homeowners in fire-prone areas to remove anything flammable — such as bushes or wood fences — from within five feet of their home. Some communities use orchards, farmland or other buffers against encroaching wildfires, said Dr. Moritz.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/15/climate/los-angeles-housing-fire-risk.html

Los Angeles Needs to Fireproof Communities, Not Just Houses
(Wired) Matt Reynolds, Jan. 15

There are all kinds of buffer zones, says Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist at UC Santa Barbara. Vineyards, golf courses, baseball fields, and public parks can all be used to provide an open, less flammable space between homes and more flammable vegetation, to attempt to stop and slow fires before they enter neighborhoods. Once fires spread into denser urban areas they become urban conflagrations with whole blocks in danger of going up in flames, as has been the case in northern and eastern Los Angeles.

https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-build-a-fire-resistant-neighborhood/

An even bigger threat is looming behind California’s fires
(Vox) Umair Irfan, Jan. 15

…Thomas Harter, a professor at UC Davis studying water infrastructure, said that the state has shifted between wet years and dry years in equal measure through much of its history.

…The result is that California can’t simply dam its way out of water scarcity and will have to make some difficult decisions about who gets to use water. “There is no two ways around the fact that we have to dial back the amount of water we are using,” Harter said.

https://www.vox.com/climate/394817/california-fires-water-crisis-groundwater-climate-change

How to Protect Your Home From Wildfires
(New York Times) Josh Ocampo, Jan. 12

“Why the embers are so problematic is that they can travel long distance,” said Yana S. Valachovic, a fire scientist at the University of California. “They can travel up to a mile or more.”

In the event of wildfires near you — and assuming you’re not in an urgent situation that requires immediate evacuation — be sure to close all windows and skylights. “You want to shut your structure down so that it’s not going to create more openings for embers to come in,” Ms. Valachovic said. “That also means actually closing the cat and dog door if you have those, because wind can push those doors open.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/12/realestate/how-to-protect-homes-wildfires.html

The Airborne Flames
(New York Times) Raymond Zhong, Jan. 14

At their peak, the winds have forced firefighters to focus on something else: evacuating residents. “You’re just trying to keep people alive,” Lenya Quinn-Davidson, a fire expert in Northern California, said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/briefing/la-wildfires-firefighting.html

The L.A. fires skipped over this historic avenue. Neighbors credit ‘trees of God’
(SF Chronicle) Julie Johnson, Jan. 14

…Bill Stewart, retired director of Berkeley Forests, part of University of California Cooperative Extension, said all plants burn, but cedar trees are generally less flammable than other types of vegetation such as pine needles, which have especially incendiary resin in their needles. And he said mature, well-maintained trees are far more resistant to fire than younger ones. 

“They are lucky they planted those trees and not others,” Stewart said. 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/eaton-fire-altadena-20033721.php

LA wildfire rages as drought and Santa Ana winds intensify conditions
(Chosen Biz) Hong A-reum, Jan. 14

Daniel Swain, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), noted, "It’s like the atmosphere is acting like a hair dryer," adding that these strong winds have made the Southern California region more dangerous.

Experts have emphasized that this wildfire is not merely a natural disaster but a calamity resulting from climate change. Max Moritz, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, warned NBC, "Climate change is making rainfall patterns irregular and extreme," adding that "the extreme alternation between wet and dry periods increases the risk of these large wildfires."

* This article has been translated from Korean using the OpenAI translation tool.

https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-science/2025/01/14/L3FJIAURPBBGFJDAZ22QPKAYDU

Could better brush clearance have helped slow the spread of the Palisades fire?
(LA Times) Alex Wigglesworth, Jan. 13

…Large-scale attempts to preemptively thin or burn these coastal areas could therefore actually make the landscape more flammable in the long run, said Max Moritz, a cooperative extension wildfire specialist at UC Santa Barbara.

“Those are trade-offs that, as a society, you have to think about if they’re worthwhile,” Moritz said.

Given the weather conditions, Moritz is skeptical that more landscape-level brush clearance would have done much to slow the fire’s initial spread. He also noted that landscape-level brush management is distinct from brush clearance around individual homes, which is typically the responsibility of the property owner and can help give firefighters opportunities to protect structures.

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-01-13/could-brush-clearance-have-helped-slow-the-spread-of-the-palisades-fire

What Impact Are the LA Wildfires Having on You?
(KQED Forum) Mina Kim, Jan. 13

Guests:

Saul Gonzalez, co-host, The California Report, KQED

Daniel Swain, climate scientist, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR); UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (UCLA IoES)

Chris Harvey, Public Information Officer with CalFire INT-4

https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101908479/what-impact-are-the-la-wildfires-having-on-you

Why Los Angeles, America's most fire-ready city, became overwhelmed by flames
(NPR All Things Considered) Kirk Siegler, Jan. 12

…But this past week has tested the best, says UCLA researcher Edith de Guzman.

"You have embers flying miles apart, fire ignition is extremely difficult to predict or control and it's happening simultaneously in so many places," she says.

Climate change and wooden home making the situation worse

De Guzman says climate change is accelerating the extremes. The past two years have been extraordinarily wet here, building up vegetation — but this year? No rainy season at all so far.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/12/g-s1-42393/la-fires-los-angeles-california-wildfires-palisades-eaton-firefighters

‘Half the Country’s Thinking Magically’: California Fire Victims Grapple with the Political Paralysis Over Climate Change
(Politico) David Siders, Jan. 11

There’s an idea I’ve heard from many Democrats, especially in California, that more experience with natural disasters might spur more urgency around climate change. And in fact, polling suggests people affected by extreme weather do draw a link. California’s former governor, Jerry Brown, told me when we met last month in Sacramento that Trump might represent something of an opening for Democrats on the issue: “If the assault on the environment is as extreme as expected, then I believe the fervor for protecting the environment will increase far beyond what it is today.” Attitudes about climate might shift, he said, when “we get a big set of fires or floods, which we’re going to get.”

He was right, it turned out, about the set of fires. And the climate science was right there with it. The same day I visited Altadena, a group of researchers released a study describing how climate change had accelerated “hydroclimate whiplash” between wet and dry conditions, increasing the risk of fire. Its lead author, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California’s agriculture and natural resources division and UCLA, told me that one of the challenges when it comes to public opinion about climate change is that while people “correctly understand that climate change exists,” many “don’t feel it is viscerally or tangibly affecting them.”

Major catastrophes are relatively rare, and when they do happen, not everyone draws a connection to climate. He called it an “information crisis.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/01/11/altadena-california-fires-climate-change-00197658

Can Rain Put Out A Wildfire?
(Times Now) Aradhana Brahma, Jan. 11

Max Moritz, a wildfire expert at University of California noted that destructive wildfires like those in the Los Angeles area will continue to endanger people's lives and livelihoods because climate change is affecting rainfall patterns and increasing the likelihood and severity of droughts.

In conversation with NBC News, Moritz said, "We haven’t had any substantial rain for hundreds of days."

https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/can-rain-put-out-a-wildfire-article-117131576

Why Misinformation About the L.A. Fires Keeps Spreading 
(Heatmap) Jeva Lange, Jan. 10

…I’ve also seen the fires blamed on “forest management,” although the landscape around L.A. isn’t trees; it’s shrubland. “This kind of environment isn’t typically exposed to low intensity, deep, frequent fires creeping through the understory, like many dry forests of the Sierra Nevadas or even Eastern Oregon and Washington,” where the U.S. Forest Service’s history of fire has created the conditions for the high-intensity megafires of today, Max Moritz, a cooperative extension wildfire specialist at U.C. Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, told me earlier this week. The shrublands around L.A., rather, “naturally have long-interval, high-intensity, stand-replacing fires” — that is, fires that level almost all vegetation in an area before new growth begins.

https://heatmap.news/climate/los-angeles-fires-misinformation

Avian flu outbreaks cause shortages, drive up prices of eggs for consumers
(KRBC) Noah Abrams, Jan. 10

…To blame for climbing prices and falling egg supplies? The wave of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza sweeping the US and commercial chicken facilities, said Maurice Pitesky, a poultry expert at the University of California, Davis.

"When you look at the big picture in California, we have lost over 70% of our laying hens in the last several months," Pitesky said. "That has contributed to our shortage of eggs."

Pitesky said even when egg production is at full capacity, California is a net-importer of eggs.

https://norcalpublicmedia.org/2025011197202/news-feed/avian-flu-outbreaks-cause-shortages-drive-up-prices-of-eggs-for-consumers

"Hydroclimate whiplash" is wreaking havoc across the U.S.
(Earth.com) Andrei Ionescu, Jan. 10

…“This whiplash sequence in California has increased fire risk twofold,” explained lead author Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. 

“First, by greatly increasing the growth of flammable grass and brush in the months leading up to fire season, and then by drying it out to exceptionally high levels with the extreme dryness and warmth that followed.”

https://www.earth.com/news/climate-whiplash-from-floods-to-droughts-and-wildfires

Climate Scientists Warn of Growing Whiplash Effect on Weather Patterns
(KQED) Ezra David Romero, Jan. 9

…New research cements the idea that California’s weather whiplash is increasing as the atmosphere warms due to human-caused climate change.

“I see the last decade as a preview of what we should expect to see more of,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UCLA. Except that “the wettest wets and the driest dries we’ve seen recently are not the wettest wets and the driest dries we will see in the coming decades.”

https://www.kqed.org/science/1995420/climate-scientists-warn-of-growing-whiplash-effect-on-weather-patterns

The Tide Could Finally Be Turning Against the LA Fires
(Wired) Alec Luhn, Jan. 9

…Los Angeles will face the prospect of rebuilding destroyed communities. That’s an opportunity to make them less vulnerable to the next fire, says Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension.

Although houses are in many cases required to be built with fire-resistant materials, California law doesn’t say anything about how they should be laid out. Techniques like clustering homes rather than spreading them out among the trees can make them easier to defend from fire, and easier to evacuate, he says.

“That is part of the hope here, that we can do some of this better, smarter, and safer,” Moritz says.

https://www.wired.com/story/the-tide-could-finally-be-turning-against-the-la-fires

‘Entirely foreseeable’: The L.A. fires are the worst-case scenario experts feared
(NBC) Evan Bush, Lewis Kamb and Adiel Kaplan, Jan. 9

…Research does not suggest that Santa Ana wind events are becoming likelier because of climate change. But rising temperatures and longer droughts mean a higher likelihood of conditions ripe for fire when the winds strike, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA. 

“Climate change is increasing the overlap between extremely dry vegetation conditions later in the season and the occurrence of these wind events,” he said in a recent YouTube address. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/california-fires-foreseeable-worst-case-scenario-rcna186887

Climatologist Daniel Swain Warned SoCal of “Extreme Fire Danger” Before the Catastrophic Blaze 
(Outside) Frederick Dreier, Jan. 9

This past Saturday, January 4, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist for the University of California Los Angeles, published a lengthy post on his blog, WeatherWest.com. In the post, Swain warned of an “extreme offshore wind and fire-weather event” in Southern California in the coming days.

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/daniel-swain-los-angeles-fires

The dangerous combination fueling the L.A. fires: Exceptional dryness and strong winds
(NBC News) Denise Chow, Jan. 8

…“We haven’t had any substantial rain for hundreds of days,” said Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

With climate change altering rainfall patterns and making droughts both more likely and more intense, destructive wildfires like the ones in the Los Angeles area will continue to threaten people's lives and livelihoods, Moritz said.

…Parts of San Diego County are experiencing their driest start to the winter season in more than 150 years, according to the Weather West blog by Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA.

The addition of the winds was like an “atmospheric blowdryer,” Swain wrote.

…“Normally everything would be wet by now, which means there would be much less of a chance of an ignition leading to a big fire that gets out of control like what we’re seeing now,” Moritz said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/what-fueled-la-fires-dry-conditions-wind-rcna186801

No ‘water system in the world’ could have handled the LA fires. How the region could have minimized the damage

(CNN) Majlie de Puy Kamp, Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, Blake Ellis, Melanie Hicken, Rob Kuznia, Scott Glover, Yahya Abou-Ghazala, Audrey Ash and Nelli Black, Jan. 10

…Water lines could also be upgraded to handle increased demand in the event of a drastic fire and better guarantee pressure to fire hydrants. “There are absolutely actions we can take,” said Erik Porse, director of the California Institute for Water Resources at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. “We can make investments in larger distribution lines to maintain pressure or help to refill those [storage] tanks faster.”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/10/us/california-la-fires-emergency-prep-invs/index.html

Anger after fire evacuation alert sent in error to millions in LA
(BBC) Christal Hayes & Max Matza, Jan. 10

"The problem is that the scope of the disaster is so vast that there are thousands of firefighters and hundred of fire engines drawing upon water," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the California Institute for Water Resources, told the BBC.

"Ultimately only so much water can flow through pipes at a time."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17egd54e1no

Trump makes misguided accusations about California water management amid wildfires
(NBC News) Aria Bendix, Jan. 10

“At any given year, there’s a fairly rigorous process to allocate water based on availability, looking at what’s in storage and being able to evaluate how much water can be used this year versus what we need to save in case we have a drought next year,” said Erik Porse, director of the California Institute for Water Resources.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-makes-misguided-accusations-california-water-management-wildfire-rcna187219

Water tanks went dry in Pacific Palisades, hampering efforts to fight fire
(NBC News) Aria Bendix, Jan.8

… Erik Porse, director of the California Institute for Water Resources, said that it might have helped had there been more water tanks in the Palisades area — but that ultimately, urban water systems like the ones there are designed for putting out house fires, not widespread blazes.

“We’re looking at a large burned area that’s not just the buildings, but it’s also the entire surrounding landscape. There’s just not enough water that you could store up in tanks to be able to deal with that,” he said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/california-fire-water-tanks-went-dry-palisades-rcna186860

Climate 'whiplash' linked to raging LA fires

(BBC) Matt McGrath, Jan 9
"This whiplash sequence in California has increased fire risk twofold," said lead author Daniel Swain from UCLA.

"First, by greatly increasing the growth of flammable grass and brush in the months leading up to fire season, and then by drying it out to exceptionally high levels with the extreme dryness and warmth that followed."

The researchers say that with ever