INTRODUCTION

AB 3383 and through extension, AB1998, request that the Regents of the University of California establish a pilot demonstration program to provide extension services, training, and financial incentives for farmers who voluntarily participate in pilot projects to reduce their use of agricultural chemicals. Attachment 1 provides the complete text for AB 3383 as chaptered (Chapter 1059, Statutes of 1994). The goal of AB 3383 is:

"… to expand the use of integrated farming systems that have been proven to decrease the use of farm chemicals," through integration of the following elements (Section 591):

1. Relying on biological and cultural control to protect crops from pest outbreaks.
   
2. Creating on-farm habitats that harbor populations of beneficial insects and mites.
   
3. Using cover crops to provide some or all of the nitrogen needed by the crop plants.
   
4. Directing overall attention to soil building practices.
   
5. Reducing reliance upon chemicals.

The Legislature requested that the University of California establish a program of pilot demonstration projects with the following features (Section 592 (b)):

1. The program should consist of up to five pilot demonstration projects, each project involving a different commodity or cropping system and each located in a different county.
   
2. The program should be designed to extend integrated farming systems through the proven technique of farmer-to-farmer communication, with technical support provided by farm advisors, scientists, and pest control advisers.
   
3. The structure of each pilot demonstration project should be patterned, to the degree feasible, after the successful Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) program coordinated by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Merced County.
   
4. Pilot demonstration projects should be selected through a competitive process that supports the goals specified in Section 591. The proposals for the projects selected should demonstrate the applicant's experience in the farming systems described in subdivision (b) of Section 591, should contain documented financial and technical support, and should provide for a breadth of private sector cost sharing.
   
5. Funding for the program should consist of a combination of federal, state and private sector funds…

AB 3383 appropriated $250,000 from the Food Safety Account to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for the BIFS program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) Region IX provided additional funds ($420,000). These funds were sufficient to support the first two pilot projects for three years. In 1997-98, US-EPA ($529,663) and the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources ($100,000) provided additional funds. Also in 1998, AB 1998 provided another $1,000,000. Finally, further support from US-EPA in 2000 provided an additional $265,000 through their programs, the Pollution Prevention Initiative for States and regional Food Quality Protection Act Funds. The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources also has provided funds ($5,000 in 1999 and $10,600 in 2000) to support the formation of a BIFS Workgroup. The BIFS Workgroup financially supports annual meetings to exchange information and improve project impacts. The Workgroup also provides training for BIFS project personnel. The Workgroup is open to all BIFS-like projects, even those projects not funded through UC SAREP.

The full text of AB 1998 (an extension of AB 3383) can be found in Attachment 2.