The Barbed Wire will be on hiatus through the end of the year, resuming on Friday, January 9, 2025. Warmest wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year from all of us at...
The Barbed Wire Will Resume in 2026
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Joint Local Governments Submit Comments on Wildfire Liability, Insurance Accessibility, and Strategies to Reduce Wildfire Risk
On December 12, RCRC, CSAC, and the League of Cities jointly responded to a solicitation from California Earthquake Authority seeking stakeholder input on a variety of topics related to the accessibility and affordability of property insurance; potential changes to...
Webinar on Understanding SB 54’s Impacts to Local Governments – Recycling and Composting of Single Use Packaging
RCRC, along with CSAC, Cal Cities, and Stop Waste, will host a webinar on Wednesday, January 28th at 9:30 a.m., to help local governments better understand SB 54 (Allen, 2022): California’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. ...
U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Protect and Restore Over 1.7 Million Acres of California Public Lands
On December 17, California’s U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff announced the reintroduction of a sweeping public lands package. The Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act would protect and restore over 1.7...
Bipartisan Wildfire Bill Would Expand Federal Support for Post-Fire Cleanup
On December 16, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Post-Wildfire Environmental Assistance Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow the federal government to help pay for hazardous debris cleanup following wildfires, even...
RCRC Affiliate Updates – December 2025
A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC’s affiliate entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities. Golden State Connect Authority Secures $110.9 Million in Bond Financing for Rural Broadband Expansion As of December...
Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – December 19, 2025
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Laura Capps, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Capps has served on the Board of Supervisors at the County of Santa...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – December 19, 2025
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. What They’re Saying: LaMalfa Legislation to Protect Rural Areas from Fires Passes House – Congressman...
Last Day to Register for December 15th Webinar: Navigating the Brown Act 2.0
Join RCRC on December 15th for an exclusive webinar for county employees, providing “need to know” details about recent Brown Act changes within SB 707 (Durazo). Hosted by RCRC in partnership with the California State Association of Counties, Urban...
RCRC Member Counties Awarded CalHOME and Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Funding
On Monday, December 8th, Governor Newsom announced CalHOME and Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing grant funding awards, administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The awards will create 74 CalHOME projects in 22 California...
SRS Reauthorization Heads to President’s Desk
On December 9, the House of Representatives passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S.356) after a multi-year effort to gain Congressional approval. This measure reauthorizes Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments to rural counties in California and...
U.S. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Extend Tax Relief for Wildfire Victims
On December 5, Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act, to permanently ensure wildfire survivors are not taxed on compensation they...
Coming in 2026: Investing in Rural CA Infrastructure Event Series
Coming in 2026, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), and Self-Help Enterprises will be hosting convenings focused on investing in rural infrastructure throughout rural California. These events will bring together...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – December 12, 2025
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. Unleashing Water Resources in California’s Central Valley – The House Committee on Natural Resources The...
Call to Action: Contact Your Congressional Representative to Vote Yes on SRS Reauthorization
On December 3, 2025, a group of 89 Congressmembers sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to House Leadership urging swift consideration of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 (SRS). RCRC-member counties and other rural counties across the nation...
House Energy and Commerce Committee Advances Broadband Permitting Package
On December 3, 2025, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a package of seven broadband-related bills aimed at accelerating deployment of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program established under the Bipartisan...
DOI Issues Order to Streamline Reclamation Construction Projects
On November 25, the Department of the Interior issued Secretary’s Order 3446 directing the Bureau of Reclamation to implement changes to construction contracting and project management processes for federally funded facilities across 17 Western states. The order...
RCRC Board of Directors to Receive Briefing on Statewide Rural Fire and EMS Report
The RCRC Board of Directors will hold a Breakfast Session on Wednesday, December 10th at 8:00 a.m., where Professor Alan Murray, Vice Chair for Academic Personnel at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), will present key findings from the Rural...
Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – December 5, 2025
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Patrick Deedon, of Shasta County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Shasta County Superior Court. Deedon has been a Partner at Maire & Deedon since 2013...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – December 5, 2025
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. Western governors gathered in Arizona focus on rising electricity demand driven by AI data...
Barbed Wire on Hiatus November 28
The Barbed Wire will be on hiatus, November 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will return Friday, December 5th with the latest legislative and regulatory news impacting California’s rural...
RCRC, Cal Cities, and CSAC Submit Joint Comments to the FCC on Wireline Deployment
On November 17, RCRC, along with the League of California Cities, and the California State Association of Counties, submitted joint comments on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireline Deployment Notice of Information...
Call to Action: Contact House Leadership to Urge Swift Passage of SRS
On November 18, 2025, RCRC wrote a letter to U.S. House leadership, urging the swift consideration of the Secure Rural Schools Act (S. 356). This bipartisan measure was approved by the Senate on June 18, 2025, and has since been stalled in the House. Also this week,...
ARB Advances Update to Landfill Methane Regulation – More Revisions on the Way
On November 20, the Air Resources Board (ARB) considered and “approved” updates to the state’s Landfill Methane Regulation, which seeks to reduce landfill emissions and enable to earlier detection and mitigation of subsurface temperature events. At the hearing, RCRC...
EPA and Army Corps Unveil WOTUS Proposal
On November 17, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle announced a proposed rule that would establish a clear definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the...
U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Announces Proposed Rules to Restore EPA Regulations to Earlier Framework
On November 19, the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced four proposed rules to restore Endangered Species Act regulations to their 2019 and 2020 framework. The proposals, two of which were issued in coordination with the Department of...
Congressman Valadao Introduces Permitting Reform Bill
On November 19, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) introduced the Determination of NEPA Adequacy Streamlining Act. This bill would streamline the approval process to advance essential water, transportation, energy, infrastructure, and flood-control projects by allowing...
RCRC Affiliate Updates – November 2025
A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC’s affiliate entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities. GSNR/GSFA Modoc National Forest Project Receives NEPA Approval On November 7, 2025, the Forest Supervisor for the...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – November 20, 2025
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. AT&T wants to axe landlines in California. Here’s who may be hurt – CalMatters AT&T’s...
RCRC Comments on CARB’s Proposed Updates to Landfill Methane Regulation
On November 10th, RCRC submitted formal comments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on its proposed updates to the Landfill Methane Regulation. RCRC joined a broad industry and local government coalition letter (available here) and also submitted its own...
POLICY LEADS
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