Advocacy News

Stay up to date with the latest news from RCRC’s advocacy team. Your source for legislative and regulatory news impacting California’s rural counties.

Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act Introduced in Congress

Oct 11, 2024 | ,

This week, U.S. Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-Butte) and Mike Thompson (D-Lake) announced the introduction of the Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act, which would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to enroll additional agricultural lands in the Farm Service Agency’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). CREP is a voluntary land retirement program that helps agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water.

The Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act would expand lands eligible for the program to include certain qualified wetlands for which there are habitat concerns or risks. The bill would also provide incentives to farmers to engage in seasonal field flooding to better manage their working croplands while supporting wetland-dependent species.

For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate Sidd Nag.

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Golden State Connect Authority Included in Grant Funding Announcement for Rural Broadband Network in Amador County

Oct 11, 2024 |

On October 5th, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced its eighth round of grant award recommendations for the Federal Funding Account (FFA) program to fund last mile broadband infrastructure projects in unserved and underserved communities. Projects in the Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) member counties of Amador and Solano counties were included in this eighth round…

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California Launches First Phase of Federal Home Energy Rebate Program to Help Families with Energy Efficiency Improvements

Oct 11, 2024 | ,

On October 8, 2024, the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that California is launching its first federally-funded Home Energy Rebate program, the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR or HEEHRA in California), which provides support to low- and moderate-income households for energy efficiency improvements…

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California Congressional Representatives Introduce Legislation to Expand San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge

California Congressional Representatives Introduce Legislation to Expand San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Oct 4, 2024 | ,

Last Friday, legislation was introduced to expand the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge by approximately 5,658 acres. The expansion, proposed in the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act (H.R. 9826), would include adjacent baylands owned by the State of California and nonprofit Sonoma Land Trust, with parcels in the counties of Solano, Marin, and Sonoma. The legislation was introduced by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), and U.S. Representatives John Garamendi (D-Solano), Jared Huffman (D-Del Norte) and Mike Thompson (D-Lake).

The Act would also direct the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enter into cooperative agreements with state agencies, such as California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, to manage the federal National Wildlife Refuge and nearby state conservation lands within the San Pablo Bay watershed. As with all National Wildlife Refuges, the legislation ensures that federally owned land within the expanded San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge boundary remain open to the public for outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing where permitted. The bill would not affect private land ownership or local land use decisions in any way and prohibits the use of eminent domain by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the National Wildlife Refuge. A map of the proposed boundary expansion is available here. Full text of the legislation is available here.

For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Staci Heaton.

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Governor Signs Controversial Warehouse Bill with Far-Reaching Implications for Rural Communities

Oct 4, 2024 | ,

On September 29, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 98 (Carrillo and Reyes), which imposes siting and construction requirements on a wide variety of warehouse and storage buildings.

Assembly Bill 98 is intended to address the community, environmental, and traffic impacts associated with urban warehouse projects; however, the bill applies to all buildings in which cargo, goods, or products are moved or stored for later distribution to businesses or retail customers and where heavy-duty trucks are involved in the movement of those goods.

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RCRC 2024 Annual Meeting Highlights Key Issues for Rural Communities

Sep 27, 2024 |

RCRC wishes to thank the participants of the 2024 Annual Meeting, our generous sponsors, and the expert panelists, and our keynote speaker who, together, made this a memorable event. This year, over 300 participants, including representatives from RCRC’s 40 member counties, attended the Annual Meeting over three days at the Doubletree by Hilton – Sonoma Wine Country. The event featured experts sharing their knowledge on issues pertinent to rural governance. This included engaging panel discussions with specialists…

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Members of Congress Urge Forest Service to Take Additional Measures to Protect Old-Growth Forests

Sep 27, 2024 | ,

On September 19, 2024, Congress Member Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-North Coast) led a group of 33 lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, supporting the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) National Old-Growth Amendment and urging USFS to take additional measures to protect old-growth forests. A copy of the letter can be found here. RCRC submitted comments on the Land Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions Across the National Forest System earlier this year. Those comments are available here.

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Congressman LaMalfa Announces Grant Awards for Disaster Recovery and Preparedness in District 1

Congressman LaMalfa Announces Grant Awards for Disaster Recovery and Preparedness in District 1

Sep 27, 2024 | ,

On September 18, 2024, U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) announced that a total of $4,106,321 has been awarded to Congressional District 1 for critical disaster recovery and preparedness projects. These grants will support various initiatives aimed at enhancing resilience, improving emergency management, and ensuring effective fire prevention and protection.

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Congressman Garamendi Reintroduces Bill to Permanently Conserve Privately Owned Working Forestlands

Sep 27, 2024 | ,

On September 17, 2024, U.S. Representative John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), along with several other lawmakers, reintroduced the Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act (H.R. 9602), which would allow states to choose to designate accredited, nonprofit land trusts to hold conservation easements purchased with federal grant funds under the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program. Current law requires that only the federal or state governments hold conservation easements purchased under the Forest Legacy Program. Allowing States participating in the federal Forest Legacy Program the flexibility to partner with accredited, nonprofit land trusts will help to conserve more land permanently by working with private landowners who want to choose conservation but do not want to sell the federal or state governments an easement on their property. Conserving working forestlands also supports the rural economy, and sustainable forest management practices that reduce wildfire risk will support local jobs.

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U.S. Senators and Representatives Urge President Biden to Approve Major Disaster Declaration Following Park and Borel Fires

Sep 27, 2024 | ,

On September 25, 2024, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-California), Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) urged President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to the severe impacts of the Park and Borel Fires on Butte, Tehama, and Kern counties. 

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Barbed Wire on Hiatus

Sep 13, 2024 |

The Barbed Wire will be on hiatus September 20th during RCRC’s 2024 Annual Meeting, taking place September 18-20 in Sonoma County at the Double Tree by Hilton – Sonoma Wine Country. The Barbed Wire will return September 27th. Follow #RCRC and #RCRCAM for the latest...

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State Assembly to Convene Special Session

Sep 13, 2024 |

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas announced the schedule for the Special Session of the Assembly.  Prior to the convening of an Assembly floor session, the Petroleum and Gasoline Supply Committee will meet for informational hearings on...

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RCRC Officers In Washington DC

Sep 13, 2024 |

This week, the RCRC Officers joined Supervisors and Commissioners from around the country to advocate for continued funding for the Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, during the National Association of Counties PILT Fly-in event. While in Washington...

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RCRC Affiliate Updates – August 2024

RCRC Affiliate Updates – August 2024

Aug 30, 2024 |

A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC’s affiliate entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities. CPUC Federal Fund Account Last Mile Program Award Announcements Begin On Friday, June 7, 2024, the first rolling...

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