California, gripped entirely in drought, proposed a $2.9 billion plan to pay farmers to reduce some of their plantings in an effort to better manage water resources. The voluntary agreement negotiated between government officials and some of the state’s major water agencies, which was announced on Tuesday, is also aimed at protecting salmon and other wildlife and ecosystems. California is facing more drought after devastating dryness last year raised river temperatures so much that endangered fish were at risk of cooking to death. Farmers in the state’s Central Valley, where a quarter of America’s food is grown, have struggled to keep crops alive, including garlic, wine grapes and almonds. “Every crop in that region from rice and tomatoes and grapes to irrigated pasture for livestock and tree nuts like almonds, pistachios and walnuts are going to […]