The Elderberry Longhorn Beetle is becoming an expensive pest for some landowners, farmers, and flood control agencies. The beetle lives in the elderberry bush, but those bushes can't be touched because of the beetle's endangered species status.
"Whether it's a flood control district, whether it's development, imagine one bush, 200-thousand dollars. That can be your number for mitigating one elderberry bush, like the one you see behind us here," said Bob Slope with North Sacramento Land Company.
In 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided the beetle should no longer be on the endangered species list. However, it has yet to complete the delisting process.
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Ventura County is under quarantine for a devastating citrus pest.
The County Agricultural Commissioner says the Asian Citrus Psyllid has been found in Camarillo. The state Food and Agriculture Department will be surveying the area before it begins treatments with two pesticides.
The Ventura County Star reports the pest is the third one found in the county and the first to be trapped in a residential area. The first two were found in commercial groves.
The pest carries a disease that can destroy citrus crops. The untreatable disease has yet to be found in California.
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Vineyards across the state are beginning to show buds for this year's crop.
Grape growers say "bud break," is happening later than usual this year because of cool march weather. Farmers will be watching weather forecasts throughout the month for any danger of freezing temperatures so they can protect the vines from frost.
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Water worries and farming will be discussed at Fresno City Hall Monday.
Congressmen Devin Nunes and Jeff Denham will be at the hearing this morning at 10 a.m. at City Hall.
The House Natural Resources Committee says the hearing will examine government policies that helped created the drought and look at ways to supply the San Joaquin Valley.
