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California Law (Last Updated: March 4, 2014) |
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Food and Agricultural Code - FAC |
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Division 1. STATE ADMINISTRATION |
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Part 1. THE DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE |
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Chapter 3. Other Powers and Duties |
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ARTICLE 8.5. The Cannella Environmental Farming Act of 1995 |
Section 568.
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(a) The secretary shall convene a five-member Scientific Advisory Panel on Environmental Farming to advise and assist federal, state, and local government agencies on issues relating to air, water, and wildlife habitat to do the following:
(1) Review data on the impact that agriculture has on the environment and recommend to appropriate state agencies data that the panel approves as scientifically valid. A state agency that receives data recommended by the panel may adopt and incorporate the data into the appropriate program. If a state agency does not utilize the data recommended by the panel, it shall provide the panel with a written statement of reasons for not utilizing the data. The reasons, at a minimum, shall specify the scientific basis for not utilizing the data. The reasons shall be provided within 180 days of receiving the data from the panel.
(2) Compile the net environmental impacts that agriculture creates for the environment, identified pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) Research, review, and comment on data upon which proposed environmental policies and regulatory programs are based to ensure that the environmental impacts of agricultural activities are accurately portrayed and to identify incentives that may be provided to encourage agricultural practices with environmental benefits.
(4) Assist government agencies to incorporate benefits identified pursuant to paragraph (1) into environmental regulatory programs.
(b) Members of the panel shall be highly qualified and professionally active or engaged in the conduct of scientific research. Of the members first appointed to the panel, two shall serve for a term of two years and three shall serve for a term of three years, as determined by lot. Thereafter, members shall be appointed for a term of three years. The members shall be appointed as follows:
(1) Three members shall be appointed by the secretary. At least one of these members shall have a minimum of five years of training and experience in the field of agriculture and shall represent production agriculture.
(2) One member, who has a minimum of five years of training and experience in the field of human health or environmental science, shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(3) One member, who has a minimum of five years of training and experience in the field of resource management, shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Resources Agency.
(c) The panel may establish ad hoc committees, which may include professionals or scientists, to assist it in performing its functions.
(d) The panel shall be created and maintained with funds made available from existing resources within the department to the extent they are available.