Growing unease about a wave of vineyard projects that call for clear-cutting forested hillsides has Sonoma County officials calling for an emergency halt until new regulations are crafted. Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar has proposed a four-month moratorium on vineyard projects that would remove trees from ridge tops or slopes greater than 15 percent.

A Republican proposal in Congress to require all employers to electronically verify the legal immigration status of workers is sending chills through the North Coast farm industry, which relies heavily on both legal and illegal immigrants.