The Barbed Wire will be on hiatus October 30th. We will return on November 6th with the latest legislative and regulatory news impacting California’s rural...
Barbed Wire on Hiatus October 30
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SPOTLIGHT: Rural Chat with Dr. Temple Grandin
Following her keynote address at RCRC’s 2026 Annual Meeting, internationally recognized animal scientist, professor, bestselling author, and autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin joined RCRC for a special rural chat interview. In this brief conversation, Dr. Grandin...
California Releases First Statewide Interagency Strategy to Restore Forests After Wildfire
On Wednesday October 21, the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force released the state’s first statewide interagency reforestation strategy, intended to establish a shared roadmap to accelerate forest recovery after severe wildfire to mitigate the risk...
Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – October 23, 2026
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Edward “Jeff” Goldman, of Nevada City, has been appointed to the State Advisory Group on Youth Justice. Goldman has been Chief Probation Officer at Nevada County Probation...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – October 23, 2026
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. FEMA tells states to handle disasters on their own – Politico FEMA plans to shift more disaster...
RCRC 2026 Legislative Digest Provides Guide to Latest Legislation Impacting California’s Rural Counties
On September 30, 2026, Governor Newsom completed final action on bills sent to him by the Legislature for 2025-2026 session. Of the 1,160 bills sent to his desk in 2026, the Governor signed 1,040 and vetoed only 120. RCRC’s Legislative Digest is a thorough guide to...
Proposed EMSA Regulations Would Reshape Local EMS Administration
The California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) has proposed a comprehensive update to regulations governing the administration of local emergency medical services (EMS) systems. The package addresses a wide range of issues, including local EMS planning and...
Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Program Through Fiscal Year 2029
On September 30, 2026, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch (R-ID), along with Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2026 (S. 5608), to extend the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, through fiscal year (FY)...
CMS Releases First Rural Health Transformation Program Obligated Funds Report
On October 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its first report on state obligations under the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. The report covers December 29, 2025, through July 31, 2026. It shows funds each state has committed...
Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – October 16, 2026
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Hector Bedolla, of Healdsburg, has been reappointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2016. Bedolla has been an...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – October 16, 2026
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. Dozens of California dams need repair as El Niño winter draws closer – CalMatters California’s State...
California Expands Swiftwater Rescue Capacity Ahead of Winter Storm Season
On Thursday, October 8, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of new swiftwater rescue vehicles, boats and specialized equipment to 13 local fire departments across California, part of an effort to strengthen the state’s preparedness for flooding and other...
USDA-NRCS Announces 2027 Application Period for Regional Conservation Partnership Program in California
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California has announced an application period for projects seeking funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) during the 2027 program cycle. RCPP is a...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – October 9, 2026
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. Prop 45 explained: what the CEQA measure would change – CalMatters RCRC’s Senior Policy Advocate...
RCRC’s 2026 Annual Meeting in Santa Barbara County Highlights Key Issues for Rural Communities
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...
RCRC Presents President’s Award to Yana Valachovic, Forest Advisor and County Director of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties for UC ANR
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....
Governor Newsom Concludes Action on Legislative Proposals Advanced in 2025-26 Regular Session
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...
RCRC Supports CPUC Proposal to Establish Minimum Wireless Service Quality Standards
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 Signs RCRC Measure to Help Schools Manage Confiscated Vapes, Ban Disguised and Video Game Vapes
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...
Governor Signs Measures Restricting Sales of Nitrous Oxide
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...
New Law Seeks to Expedite Wildfire Mitigation Permitting
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...
Trump Administration Derails RCRC-Supported Law Meant to Significantly Reduce Local Hazardous Waste Management Costs
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...
New Law Requires State to Develop VMT Mitigation Guidance for Transportation Projects in Nonmetropolitan Counties
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...
U.S. Senate Passes Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act to Address Air Quality Treatment of Prescribed Fire
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...
U.S. Senate Unveils Bipartisan Bill to Revise ESA Species Recovery Framework
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 |...
Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – October 2, 2026
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...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – October 2, 2026
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...
Barbed Wire on Hiatus September 25
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...
New Informational Resource Available to Find Home Hardening Grants and Rebates
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...
Senate Agriculture Committee Advances the Farm Bill
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...
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