Posts by Louise Lampara
Leave groundwater management to local water experts
Assemblymember Steve Bennett’s proposed Assembly Bill 2201, which would create a new permanent permitting process for groundwater wells, negatively affects local water districts, municipalities and California’s agricultural community. Despite recent amendments to the bill language, AB 2201 would force a strict new mandate on how groundwater sustainability agencies must operate. The bill removes the ability of locally…
Read MoreFillmore Gazette: Ventura Needs Reliable Water Supply
VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE Submission: Ventura Needs Reliable Water Supply Location: Fillmore Gazette Thursday, March 7th, 2024 By Louise Lampara Executive Director Ventura County Coalition of Labor Agriculture and Business Email: llampara@colabvc.org California is the proud home to some of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions, producing over 1/3rd of all the fruits and nuts consumed…
Read MoreWildlife Corridors Ordinance and Lawsuit *Updated*
To support our fight and donate to the LEGAL FUND: Click HereAll donations to the VC CoLAB Legal Fund will be used for litigation and legal support for the Wildlife Corridor fight. Why it matters? Private property rights, CEQA and Wildfire risk. On March 12, 2019, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to establish…
Read MoreVentura County 2040 General Plan Update
Why it matters? County Economy Housing and cost of living CEQA A County’s General Plan is one of the most important documents that a County produces. It is the document that guides how and to what extent the County will control what you can do on your property and how they will allow you to…
Read MoreSomis Ranch Farmworker Housing Project
Why it matters? Housing, Cost of Living, County Economy, Agricultural Industry Viability. Farmworker Housing Updates February 2, 2021 | A WIN FOR LOCAL AG! On Tuesday, February 2, in an UNANIMOUS vote, the Board of Supervisors approved the Somis Ranch Farmworker Housing project. Not only will this project add 360 much needed affordable housing units…
Read MoreHemp Cultivation | Win
Why it matters? Right-to-Farm Economic Issues CEQA: impacts to agricultural land from ag-urban interface. Hemp Cultivation Updates December 15, 2020 On Tuesday, December 15, during the last public hearing of 2020, the Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a permanent hemp ordinance. In a 3-1 vote, the Board rejected the Planning Commission’s recommendation to punitively…
Read MoreCattle Ranchers Battle the Flames
On December 4, the text message from Bud Sloan’s friend said that there was a fire in Santa Paula. Ironically, Bud had been preparing for a controlled burn a few days earlier on November 30 that was cancelled for fire safety reasons. Naturally he had to see for himself. Fire is never good for the…
Read MoreFacing down a freight train of fire
Canada Larga canyon was a windstorm. The trees bent and nearly buckled as the westerly wind howled down the canyon. Smoke smell permeated everything and the moon was a bright blood orange. The fire was coming fast. Buon Gusto Farms, a local family-run olive oil producer, is nestled in a small micro-climate valley in Sulphur…
Read More“Can you hear me now?” – Bentley Ranch keeps lines of communication open
Clif Simonson had been a busy man. When the Thomas Fire swept through his area, the manager of the 1,000 acre Bentley Ranch south of Ojai had immediately swung into action. Using his experience of the ’85 fire which had burned large parts of Ventura County, he ordered the cutting of fire lines to slow…
Read MoreThe Oasis that Held Back the Flames
It only took the helicopter 3 minutes. From the shore of his irrigation reservoir, Jurgen Gramckow watched it swoop toward the water, creating a ring of white spray beneath it as it quickly lowered a large bucket holding hundreds of gallons on a long line beneath the surface. With the bucket filled, it pulled up,…
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