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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says addressing the COVID-19 pandemic remains top of mind as he returns to USDA, but he also will be addressing climate policy, workforce issues and other matters in the early days of his tenure.

Tom Vilsack is sworn in for his second stint as agriculture secretary, and the Agriculture Department provides new guidance on its review and planned implementation of additional coronavirus relief. 

Federal water allocations are 5% for agricultural water contractors south of the Delta, less for Class 2 contractors.

A new report by the state auditor accuses the Air Resources Board of overstating its emissions reductions to lawmakers.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation has gotten pushback for asking for more funding to regulate pesticide emissions through the AB 617 program at the Air Resources Board.

The draft biological opinions evaluate the impact of these pesticides on 26 federally listed endangered and threatened species of Pacific salmon and steelhead in Washington, Oregon, and California.

California farmers are pushing back on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal to conserve 30% of the state’s land by 2030.

The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture and has tapped Gloria Montaño Greene as deputy undersecretary for farm production and conservation.

Even as congressional Democrats push through a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package, attention is turning to legislation that could be use to fund agricultural climate initiatives: an infrastructure package that could be in the range of $3 trillion.

An organic agriculture leader is hoping for more diverse perspectives in USDA discussions about climate change.