Agricultural Commissioner and Director of Weights and Measures Jesse Fowler presented an overview of his department’s programs, funding and future needs to the Calaveras County Board on Nov. 25.

Fowler walked the board through mandated programs (pest prevention, pest detection, pesticide-use enforcement, weights and measures, nursery inspections and others), staffing and funding sources, and described how state subvention and contract dollars offset a portion of general‑fund spending. Fowler said the department received agreements totaling more than $48,000 for pest detection work in fiscal year 2025–26 and that weights and measures accounted for roughly 35% of staff time, testing about 900 commercial devices annually.

On invasive‑species work, Fowler described trap‑based surveillance and outreach; he said the department placed roughly 524 insect‑specific traps and checked them 4,451 times during the recent cycle, and that this work represented nearly 11% of total staff time in the fiscal year cited. He urged residents to contact the department if they encounter suspicious plants or insects (examples included spotted lanternfly and glasswing sharpshooter).

Looking ahead, Fowler told the board the county will need equipment and possibly additional staff to test and inspect electric‑vehicle chargers as installations increase. He noted that commercial EV‑charger testers cost in the range of $55,000–$60,000 and that state equipment loans exist but have long wait lists; new testing responsibilities under state law will expand county workload.

Fowler said the department continues outreach, participates in regional weed‑management partnerships, and monitors grant and subvention funding to maintain operations. Supervisors asked about control options for yellow star thistle and other invasive weeds and about diesel fuel subvention eligibility; Fowler outlined operator‑ID and integrated pest‑management options and noted certain fee and reimbursement processes through CDFA.