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"The bill (HR 5781) introduced by Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford and supported by GOP leadership provides the flexibility and resources to give farmers in the Valley and elsewhere a fighting chance to grow their crops and put people back to work in 2015."

Officials also expressed concerns about potential use restrictions on the hundreds of thousands of acres that will be forever preserved. "Once again this administration is taking unilateral action without congressional or public input," said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. "I strongly support multiple use of our national forests and other public lands, but this decision severely limits usage."

Last week, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife made two announcements. The first is that it was removing the counties of Tulare, Kern and Fresno as habitat areas for the beetle and second, that it was suspending its efforts to delist the bug from the threatened list. The action to remove the counties from the habitat range was the direct result of efforts by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) who became concerned with the impact the bug and the bush by the same name were having on both the city and developments in Porterville.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy used the controversial ditch as an example of federal regulations hamstringing business and economic growth as he spoke in favor of a house resolution called the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014.