RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting will be held September 23-25 at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel in El Dorado County. This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics of interest to rural counties including:
Water in California - What the Future Holds;
The Hidden World of Human Trafficking in California's Rural Counties;
What on Earth? The Environmental Impacts of Marijuana Cultivation;
Bracing for the Upcoming Political Season;
The Future of Federal Land Payments; and,
From Vaccines to Vaping – How Public Health Impacts Our Daily Lives.
To register for RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting or to access the current program, click here. The official registration form can be accessed here.
On Monday, the Legislature returns from their month-long Summer Recess to finish out the final month of the 2015 Regular Session. The Regular Session is scheduled to adjourn on September 11, 2015, which gives the Legislature just four weeks to address a number of outstanding issues.
Of particular interest to rural counties will be the finalization of legislative proposals to license and regulate medical marijuana. Also of primary concern are proposals to address solid waste and state transportation finance. The issue of transportation is currently the subject of one of two Special Sessions, however it remains unclear whether transportation finance will be addressed prior to the end of session.
This week the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Farm to Fork launched the California Farmer Marketplace, a free statewide website featuring California produce, grains and meats for sale. Through a simple registration process, farmers and ranchers are able to connect directly to consumers and post products that are available for purchase and those that will be available in the coming months. The California Farmer Marketplace is a project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, and aims to increase access to locally grown food for California’s school children. Details on the Marketplace can be accessed here.
Sierra Nevada Conservancy Draft Strategic Action Plan Released for Public Comment
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) has published its Draft 2016-19 Strategic Action Plan (SAP), which is available for a 30-day public review period with comments due no later than September 11, 2015. The SAP can be accessed here.
Central Valley Water Board Starts Public Comment Period for Draft General Order Requiring Environmental Rules for Marijuana Cultivation
OPR Releases Preliminary Discussion Draft on CEQA Guidelines
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released a preliminary discussion draft of updates to the CEQA Guidelines. The potential updates address a wide array of topics suggested to OPR in response to its Solicitation for Input during the summer of 2013. This draft, however, does not reflect changes currently under consideration pursuant to Senate Bill 743 (transportation impacts). Notice of a revised draft of those changes will be issued separately.
A copy of the preliminary discussion draft, along with other background information, can be accessed here.
