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Bill would make rice conservation a commission priority after UC Davis report
Summary
AB 1551 would add California's rice footprint to the California Rice Commission's priorities, citing a UC Davis study recommending a 470,000‑acre footprint (300,000 acres flooded in winter) to sustain wetland habitat and avoid up to $2 billion in restoration costs.
Assemblymember Maggie Krell told the Senate Agriculture subcommittee AB 1551 asks the California Rice Commission to identify implementation of the state’s rice footprint as a priority, in part to protect wetland habitat that rice fields provide to hundreds of species.
Tim Johnson, president and CEO of the California Rice Commission, told the committee that a UC Davis analysis found the state needs a rice conservation footprint of roughly 470,000 acres planted annually, including about 300,000 acres reflooded in winter, to support replacement wetland habitat for more than 230 species. "When over three decades of science was evaluated, the answer came back that the state needs a rice conservation footprint of 470,000 acres of rice planted every year," Johnson said.
Supporters at the hearing included conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited, Audubon, The Nature Conservancy and other regional water districts. Chair Caballero praised the role rice farmers have played in creating surrogate wetland habitat and encouraged colleagues to visit rice country to see the habitat benefits firsthand.
The committee recorded support and moved AB 1551 out of committee on a recorded vote; the measure will go to the next committee with jurisdiction for fiscal or policy review as required by legislative procedure.
Supporters framed the bill as a modest statutory adjustment to encourage ongoing conservation on working rice lands; no formal opposition appeared during the hearing.
