The Barbed Wire - December 09, 2016

December 9, 2016
Rural County Leaders Raise $41,000 for Glenn County Charities
Patricia Megason Receives CSAC Circle of Service Award
State Reveals Long-Term Carbon Reduction Plan
Continuing Resolution Expected Today
Wildfire Reform Suppressed by Congress
House Passes WRDA Bill; Senate to Act This Weekend
KEEPING UP
BULLETIN BOARD
REGULATORY UPDATE

Rural County Leaders Raise $41,000 for Glenn County Charities

SACRAMENTO, CA – December 6, 2016 – The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) announced today that rural leaders from across the state, including locally elected officials, business leaders, and others, raised more than $41,000 for eight Glenn County charities at RCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting.  Raised during the RCRC Basket Raffle Dinner in September in Placer County, the funds will assist a multitude of countywide resource providers continue to serve the residents of Glenn County.  Read More…

Patricia Megason Receives CSAC Circle of Service Award

RCRC Executive Vice President Patricia Megason received the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Circle of Service Award during the 2016 CSAC Annual Meeting in Riverside County last week.  Given to “individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of California counties,” Ms. Megason received the recognition for her 14 years of service to California’s rural counties in various roles with RCRC.  

Ms. Megason has dedicated much of her 35-year career to public service, having served as Director of State Parks, and beginning her career as a Committee Consultant with the California Assembly.  Ms. Megason will be relocating to Scottsdale, Arizona at the end of the year, where she and her husband Mike Tollefson will spend their time golfing, traveling, and embarking upon other new adventures.

State Reveals Long-Term Carbon Reduction Plan

Late last week, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) released the draft 2030 Target Scoping Plan (Plan), the blueprint the State will use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and impact climate change by the year 2030.  The Plan, released on the heels of the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, is the result of Senate Bill 32 (Pavley), which was signed into law earlier this year.  SB 32 established a goal of reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2030, codifying goals set by Governor Jerry Brown in an Executive Order earlier in 2016.  

The Plan includes potential regulatory and policy strategies for a number of different sectors, including solid waste, forestry, agriculture, transportation and water.  Among those strategies are the implementation of Senate Bill 1383 (Lara), which set a target for organics diversion from landfills to reduce short-lived climate emissions from methane, as well as a deadline for completion of the forest emissions inventory and the potential for more aggressive forest management strategies to achieve greater carbon sequestration and reduced black carbon emissions in California’s forest lands.

Comments on the Plan are due December 16, 2016.  Detailed information on the Plan can be accessed here.  

Continuing Resolution Expected Today

A Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through April 2017 is expected to occur sometime today; however, the Senate has yet to finalize negotiations over miner healthcare provisions leaving passage uncertain.  The CR will include a continuation of Federal PILT payments based upon previous fiscal years allocation.  Efforts to reauthorize Secure Rural Schools payments have stalled, and Congress is unlikely to revisit the SRS discussion until Spring 2017.  Congress will need to pass an additional stopgap spending measure by midnight today in order to avoid a government shutdown.

Wildfire Reform Suppressed by Congress

Wildfire budget reform and forest management policy reform will again have to wait until next year.  As Congress adjourns this weekend, any bill not passed by the legislature and signed by the President will need to be reintroduced next year in the new Congress.  The budget and policy reform proposals had been included in the Energy Bill conference, a good sign to many as the Energy Bill conference was expected to produce a “must-pass” piece of legislation.  However, lawmakers could not come to an agreement on the management policy reform details.  

Congressional negotiations were broken off in order to focus on the Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded until April 28, 2017 and a Water Resources Development bill that contained $10 billion in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water projects.

House Passes WRDA Bill; Senate to Act This Weekend

This week, the House passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Conference report entitled the “Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act” (WIIN Act) (S. 612).  The WIIN Act also contains provisions to provide drought aid to California.  The passage of the WIIN Act in the Senate is uncertain. 

Earlier in the week, Senator Boxer, who is the Ranking Member on the Environment and Public Works Committee which has jurisdiction over the WRDA bill, expressed strong concerns about some of the drought-related provisions.  She has stated she will not allow the bill to pass if the drought provisions are not removed.  Further complicating matters, Senator Feinstein worked with California House Republicans to negotiate the drought language in the bill.  Senator Feinstein is very supportive of the WIIN bill and is working towards getting enough votes to secure its passage.  It is expected that as a result of Senate procedural rules, the Senate will not consider the WIIN Act until Saturday.   

KEEPING UP

Lauren Zeise Appointed Director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at CalEPA

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BULLETIN BOARD

Colusa County Seeks Transit Manager

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DWR Releases Draft Funding Recommendations for the 2016 Proposition 1 IRWM Planning Grant Solicitation

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NOFA: 2016 Home Investment Partnerships Program

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California WaterFix Releases Map Showcasing California’s Dependency on Delta Water

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NOSA: Household Water Well System Grant Program

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NOSA: Revolving Fund Program

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2016/2017 OHV Grant Cycle: Important Dates (UPDATED)

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DWR Notice: Alternative Submittals

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REGULATORY UPDATE

General Plan Safety Element Review and Assessment.  The proposed rule establishes a standardized review process for the Board of Forestry review of a draft element or a draft amendment to the safety element of a county or a city’s general plan that contains State Responsibility Area (SRA) or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.  Agency: Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) Status: The proposed rule was published October 28, 2016, with comments due by December 13, 2016.  The Board anticipates holding a public hearing on January 24, 2017.  The proposed rule can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Discussion Draft 2030 Target Scoping Plan.  The Discussion Draft 2030 Target Scoping Plan (Discussion Draft) provides the framework to achieve the State’s Senate Bill 32 goal of reducing greenhouse gasses by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.  The Discussion Draft is not complete and is intended to illicit initial feedback and to help refine the approach and strategies for achieving the 2030 target.  Agency: Air Resources Board.  Status: The Discussion Draft was released on December 2, 2016, with comments due by December 16, 2017.  Release of the Proposed 2030 Target Scoping Plan is anticipated in early January 2017 for a 45-day public review and ARB hearing in Spring 2017.  The Discussion Draft can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org and Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

California Paint Stewardship Program 2016 Annual Report.  PaintCare has submitted their California Paint Stewardship Program 2016 Annual Report (Report) to CalRecycle.  Agency: CalRecycle Status: Report posted November 3, 2016, with public comments regarding the performance of the paint stewardship program due December 19, 2016.  CalRecycle will make a subsequent determination regarding compliance within 90 days.  RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties.  The Report can be accessed here.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands.  The proposed rule implements the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) update for a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assisted or financed project involving new construction or a substantial improvement that is situated in an area subject to floods.  Agency: US Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Status: The proposed rule was published October 28, 2016, with comments due by December 27, 2016.  The proposed rule can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Amendments to the Portable Engine ATCM and the PERP.  Revisions to the Portable Engine Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) and the Statewide Portable Equipment Registration Program Regulation (PERP) are being proposed.  The current ATCM requires subject fleets of engines to meet a series of fleet average emission standards for diesel particulate matter (DPM).  The ATCM fleet standards became effective in 2013 and become more stringent in 2017 and 2020.  Compliance with the future fleet requirements are projected to be very difficult.  The proposed amendments include alternatives to the current fleet averages to protect public health while considering economic impacts to regulated fleets.  Agency: Air Resources Board (ARB) Status: Draft regulations are dated September 9, 2016.  A public workshop was held on November 10, 2016.  The proposed regulations are anticipated to be released in early 2017, and considered at the March 2017 ARB public meeting.  The draft regulations and additional information can be accessed hereRCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org

Revised Draft Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy (SLCP Strategy).  The revised Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) Reduction Strategy and relevant Appendices have been released for public review and comments.  The SLCP Reduction Strategy addresses black carbon, methane, and hydroflourocarbons (HFC) emissions and lays out a range of options to reduce SLCP emissions in California, including regulations, incentives, and other market-supporting activities.  Agency: Air Resources Board.  Status: The revised SLCP Reduction Strategy and relevant Appendices was released on November 28, 2016, with comments due by January 17, 2017.  Three SLCP Strategy workshops will be held on the week of December 12, 2016.  The Revised Draft SLCP Reduction Strategy and Revised Draft Environmental Analysis (Appendix E) will be considered at the March 23 and 24 ARB monthly meeting.  The revised SLCP Reduction Strategy, notice of the public workshops, and related documents can be accessed hereRCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Mary Pitto mpitto@rcrcnet.org and Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org