Board votes to regulate commercial GE crops

By Katy Sweeny
Lake County Record-Bee
February 2, 2010

[excerpt:]
The Lake County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted the recommendation Tuesday to regulate commercial genetically engineered crops through a registration process.

County staff with board member assistance will create an ordinance based on the amended recommendations made by the Genetically Engineered Crops Advisory Committee, which was disbanded Tuesday . . .

GE crop growers would have to obtain registration from the county agricultural commissioner or the California Crop Improvement Association before planting. The agricultural commissioner with a GE crop advisory committee would set guidelines for registration with the same or more stringent requirements as the state or federal governments . . .

The full article is available on the Record-Bee website.

Update: November 2008 In early November, 2008, the Board postponed final approval of the ban to investigate its legality, after hearing that an unnamed Lake County farmer was already growing GMO corn. In addition, the political balance of the board has tipped against the ban, following the election of James Comstock to the Board of Supervisors. With passage of the ban now in doubt, proponents are considering ballot initiative similar to those in Mendocino and Marin counties, where voters banned genetically engineered crops in 2004.

Lake County votes to ban GMO crops

After contentious hearing, supervisors vote 3-2
to outlaw genetically modified produce

By Glenda Anderson
The Press Democrat
October 22, 2008

[excerpt:]
Lake County on Tuesday became the latest in the region to ban the cultivation of genetically modified crops.

Voters in both Mendocino and Marin counties approved bans on growing genetically modified crops in 2004. Unlike in those counties, Lake County supervisors, not voters, made the decision. . .

Proponents said the ban will protect the county's burgeoning organic growers from potential contamination by genetically engineered crops and help create a lucrative niche market for farmers' products.

"This is a real opportunity for Lake County," said Jim Fetzer, owner of Ceago vineyards and a successful pioneer of biodynamic organic winegrape cultivation in both Lake and Mendocino counties.

His growing methods have attracted worldwide attention and have been featured in numerous national publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Sunset magazine and Time. . .

The full article is available on the Press Democrat website.
See also, "Board gives anti-GE ordinance OK in first read"
in the Lake County News.