RCRC wishes to thank the participants of the 2026 Annual Meeting, our generous sponsors, and the expert panelists, industry insiders, and our keynote speaker who, together, made this a memorable event. This year, over 350 participants, including representatives from...
On September 24, during the brunch session of the RCRC Annual Meeting, RCRC honored Yana Valachovic, Forest Advisor and County Director of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties for UC ANR, with the 2026 RCRC President’s Award for her exceptional service to rural California....
On September 30, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom finished taking action on legislative proposals advanced by the Legislature in the 2025-26 Regular Session. Unless legislation contained an urgency clause, or specified a different day, all bills that received the...
In August, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) put forward a proposal to establish wireless service quality standards, recognizing that wireless service has become essential infrastructure for emergency communications, public safety, economic activity,...
Governor Newsom signed RCRC-sponsored Assembly Bill 2667 (Hadwick), which seeks to help schools manage and properly dispose of vapes confiscated from students. The bill also bans the sale of vapes that are disguised to conceal their intended purpose and vapes that...
On September 30, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 758 (Umberg), the second of two measures restricting the sale of nitrous oxide (NOX), which is increasingly used as an illicit recreational inhalant. Governor Newsom previously signed SB 936 (Blakespear), which...
Senate Bill 1370 (Stern) was recently signed into law and largely codifies a recently-expired executive order seeking to coordinate and expedite state permitting for wildfire mitigation projects. The new law establishes a consolidated permitting process for...
On September 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA) announced that it determined “California’s radical ban on single-use propane cylinders [was] unlawful.” Senate Bill 1280 (Laird) of 2024 would have...
Late amendments added to Assembly Bill 2059 (Wilson) require the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, to develop guidance on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) mitigation measures for transportation projects in...
On September 29, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act (WEPA) of 2026, sponsored by California Senator Alex Padilla. The bill advanced unanimously from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee earlier in September and now...
On September 30, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, unveiled the Improving Species Recovery Act (View section-by-section |...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Tara Fouch-Moore, of Mariposa, has been appointed to the Native American Heritage Commission. Fouch-Moore has been Director of Landscape Stewardship at the Southern Sierra...
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications. Newsom vetoes bill that would have remade state demonstration forests – Los Angeles Times RCRC Senior...
The Barbed Wire will be on hiatus next week, September 25, while RCRC is in Santa Barbara for the 2026 Annual Meeting. Follow us on social media throughout the conference. #RCRCAM Learn...
The Climate and Wildfire Institute recently debuted a new tool to help California homeowners locate resources to help pay for home hardening. ResilientHomeFund.org is intended to be a one-stop digital hub for finding federal, state, and local grants to fund wildfire...
On September 16, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a markup on the Agricultural Act of 2026. The bill was reported favorably out of committee, as amended, by a party-line vote of 12-11. The markup produced two distinct points of...
On September 16, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (H.R. 9497), by a vote of 415-9. The bill now moves to the Senate, which is considering its own reauthorization measure for US Army Corps of Engineers...
From medical and behavioral health to telehealth and specialty services Wellpath delivers comprehensive care designed to improve outcomes. See how our expertise innovation and empathy come together to advance correctional healthcare nationwide. Watch this brief video...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Patrick Brown, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the Housing Development and Finance Committee. Brown has been Assistant Deputy Director of...
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications. Rural communities seeking to preserve landline telephone service intervene in lawsuit – The Union RCRC...
RCRC has named Rebecca Wachsberg as its new Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. In this role, Wachsberg will lead RCRC’s government affairs team and advocacy efforts on behalf of California’s rural counties, succeeding Mary-Ann Warmerdam, who is...
The House Agriculture Committee is drawing the attention of Democrats who are considering bids to become the party’s top member of the Committee, after the current Ranking Member, Angie Craig (D-MN), leaves Congress at the end of her term. California Representative,...
DRC Emergency Services, LLC (DRC) is among the leading disaster management companies in the United States and internationally, specializing in providing emergency preparation, disaster response, and recovery from major catastrophes. DRC has over 25 years of experience...
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications. Medi-Cal assisted living waiver leaves rural seniors behind – CalMatters A pilot program providing more...
As the 2026-27 Legislative Session came to a close, the Legislature acted upon the remaining budget trailer bills, concluding negotiations that took place throughout the summer. RCRC has compiled key highlights of the final budget action, by topic area, of interest to...
On September 1, 2026, the California State Senate and Assembly adjourned and will take no more action for the 2025-26 Regular Session. Unless legislation signed into law contained an urgency clause, or specifies a different day, all bills will take effect on January...
In the closing days of the 2026 legislative session, the Legislature advanced two measures to the Governor attempted to deal with the widespread illicit use of nitrous oxide as a recreational inhalant. Senate Bill 936 (Blakespear) bans all sales of flavored NOX and...
Assembly Bill 2667 (Hadwick) awaits consideration by the Governor after passing the Legislature. The bill would ban vapes that are disguised to look like common school supplies and vapes containing video display devices. The bill also makes several changes to...
Senate Bill 1370 (Stern) seeks to streamline the state permitting process for wildfire risk reduction projects undertaken by the state, local governments, and utilities. The bill seeks to codify a recently expired Executive Order (N-38-25), which...
Congress passed a continuing resolution on September 1, 2026, funding the federal government through December 11. Along with that, they are delaying the implementation of restrictions on hemp-derived THC products that had been scheduled to take effect November 12. The...
Sarah Dukett
Senior Policy Advocate
Leigh Kammerich
Senior Policy Advocate
John Kennedy
Senior Policy Advocate
Staci Heaton
Senior Policy Advocate
Tracy Rhine
Senior Policy Advocate
Eric Will
Policy Advocate
Mary-Ann Warmerdam
Senior Vice President Governmental Affairs