Ca. Farm Bureau on Forestry Mngmt. and Ocean Shipping Reform Act

**California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson is calling for increasing the pace and scale of forest management, including employing livestock grazing and prescribed burns to reduce dangerous fuels and protect communities and the environment.

Testifying before the House Natural Resources Committee,

Johansson said, “Given the extensive number of wildfire related impacts in California, California Farm Bureau has a vested interest in quality and quantity of forest management activities.”

**The Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act is designed to help with slowdowns and other issues at U.S. ports and follows the Ocean Shipping Reform Act passed a year ago.

The first bill gave the Federal Maritime Commission the power to address the actions of foreign carriers leaving U.S. ports empty and not carrying American goods back home.

The goals are to streamline port logistics, reduce disruption, and address the influence of Chinese companies on shippers’ operations.

**The USDA’s quarterly Outlook for U.S. Ag Trade states, "U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year 2023 are forecast at $181 billion, down $3.5 billion from the February forecast.

This revision is driven by decreases in corn, wheat, beef, and poultry exports.

U.S. wheat export volumes are forecast down significantly due to smaller-than-expected winter wheat production on higher acreage abandonment and reduced yields amidst drought conditions.