Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez on Allensworth Dairy

At a rally on April 18, 2007, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) spoke in a favor of Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter's (D-Rialto) Assembly Bill 576, a bill to prevent the development of a 12,000 cow mega-dairy near Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.

Sponsored by the California Legislative Black Caucus, Carter's bill includes an amendment that "grandfathers" existing dairies but would create a 2.5 mile buffer zone around the park. The zone would protect the park from potential foul odor, flies and groundwater degradation from large scale, commercial animal feeding operations.

Allensworth was founded by African-Americans almost 100 years ago. Col. Allen Allensworth was an escaped slave from Kentucky who became the nation's highest-ranking black Army officer at the time, and founded the community dedicated to Booker T. Washington's principles of self-help and self-determination.

In 1976 then-Governor Ronald Reagan designated the community a state historic park. During the last few years, the State of California has spent approximately $13 million to preserve the community site.

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