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Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – August 8, 2025
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Kenneth McDaniel, of San Luis Obispo County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Luis Obispo Superior Court. McDaniel has served as a Commissioner at the San...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – August 8, 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. ‘It’s hard to put myself in their shoes’: Local leaders, fire officials reflect on rebuilding after...
RCRC Pursues State Reimbursements for Counties through Race-Blind Charging Test Claim Filing
RCRC and GSFA (Golden State Finance Authority) have recently initiated a program to assist member counties in filing “test claims” with the Commission on State Mandates as part of an overall strategy to obtain reimbursements for county costs associated with...
U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Help Homeowners Recover and Rebuild from Natural Disasters
On July 31, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Mortgage Relief for Disaster Survivors Act. This measure would grant homeowners in areas that have received disaster declarations from the President, Governors, or Tribal leaders,...
EPA Proposes to Rescind Obama-Era Endangerment Finding that Paved the Way for EV Mandates
On July 29, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin released the EPA’s proposal to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which has been used to justify over $1 trillion in regulations, including the Biden-Harris Administration’s...
U.S. Senate Ag Committee Advances Nomination of Michael Boren for USFS
On July 29, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on Monday advanced the nomination of Michael Boren nomination to oversee the Forest Service as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment. The vote was 12-11, with all...
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Meet RCRC’s 2025 Chairperson’s Circle Sponsor – SitelogIQ
SitelogIQ is proud to be your Premier Rural County Design-Build Partner – Together, we build Sustainable Community Infrastructure! We are proud to be a U.S Owned & Operated, Nationally-Accredited Energy Services Company committed to delivering top-tier energy...
Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – August 1, 2025
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Karin Eugenio, of Imperial, has been appointed to the 45th District Agricultural Association – Mid-Winter Fair and Fiesta Board. Eugenio has been a Government Affairs...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – August 1, 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. Federal forestry cuts fuel wildfire, resource concerns – Ag Alert RCRC’s Senior Policy Advocate Staci...
RCRC Requests Support for Effort to Expand CEQA Exemption for Day Care Facilities
On July 25, RCRC submitted a coalition letter urging the Legislature to “fix” a newly-created California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for day care centers and strongly requests elected officials and local organizations to sign on to a follow-up coalition...
Call to Action: Urge U.S. House of Representatives to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools
On June 18, 2025, the Senate approved the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization (SRS) Act (S. 356). This bipartisan measure, reintroduced earlier this year by Senators Crapo (R-ID), Wyden (D-OR), Risch (R-ID), and Merkley (D-OR), would reauthorize the Secure Rural...
CDI Approves First California Forward-Looking Wildfire Risk Model
On Thursday, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced that they have completed their review of the first forward-looking wildfire risk model for use by insurers in setting rates for property insurance. The Verisk Wildfire Model underwent a six-month...
RCRC Ad Hoc Advisory Committees Ramp Up in 2025
RCRC Ad Hoc Advisory Committees play an important role in the periodic review and consideration of issues impacting our rural counties. This year, RCRC currently has three active Ad Hoc Advisory Committees, with a proposal for a fourth anticipated in the coming...
California Congressional Republicans Urge U.S. DOT to Redirect High-Speed Rail Funds to Highway Projects
On July 22, Congress Member Vince Fong (D-Bakersfield) was joined by 8 other members of California’s Congressional Republican delegation in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, urging that the $4 billion recently recovered from...
U.S. Senator Schiff Urges USDA to Deliver Disaster Relief for Farmers in California
In a letter of July 22, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) urged U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to ensure the agency delivers disaster assistance from the American Relief Act of 2025 to California farmers. In the letter, the Senator emphasized...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – July 25, 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. Convenience operators face underground storage tank deadline – CSP RCRC’s Senior Policy Advocate...
Registration Now Open – RCRC 2025 Annual Meeting September 17-19
Registration is now open for RCRC’s 2025 Annual Meeting! The conference will be held September 17–19, 2025 at the Everline Resort & Spa in Olympic Valley (Placer County). This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics from programs for...
Bill of the Week: Senate Bill 547 (Pérez) – Commercial Property Insurance Cancellation and Nonrenewal
RCRC supports Senate Bill 547, authored by Senator Sasha Renee Pérez (D-Alhambra). This measure extends the moratorium on insurance non-renewals for residential properties located in a ZIP Code within or adjacent to the fire perimeter for one year after the...
State Releases Annual 30×30 Progress Report
Earlier this week, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) released its Annual Progress Report to update stakeholders on the status of California’s efforts to conserve 30 percent of the state’s land and water by the year 2030, also known as...
Congress Passes $9B Rescissions Package, Sends to President’s Desk
Early Friday morning, Congress narrowly passed the $9 billion dollar rescissions package with a vote of 216-213 in the House, and 51-48 in the Senate. The package now heads to the President’s desk for signature. The package rescinds $9 billion in unobligated funds...
Telehealth Permanence Bill Introduced in Congress
On July 11, U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-04), David Schweikert (AZ-01), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Troy Balderson (OH-12) announced the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral CONNECT for Health Act, which would expand telehealth access for millions of...
Federal Government Revokes $4B for California High Speed Rail Project
On July 16, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that the Federal Railroad Administration has terminated approximately $4 billion in unspent federal funding for California’s High Speed Rail project. At its inception, the project was intended to be...
Keeping Up – The Barbed Wire – July 18, 2025
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Henry Nutt III, of American Canyon, has been reappointed to the Contractors State Licensing Board where he has served since 2024. Nutt has been a Preconstruction Executive...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – July 18, 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. Weather Service cuts are harming agriculture, worsening wildfire danger, California senators say – Los...
Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 531 – Geothermal Project Permitting
Assembly Bill 531, authored by Assembly Member Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa), seeks to usurp local land use authority for smaller geothermal energy projects under 50MW by allowing developers to bypass local governments and seek approval through the California Energy...
Federal Update: Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization, Farm Bill, Closing the Intoxicating Hemp Loophole
When the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) was signed into law on July 4th, several RCRC priorities were left on the cutting floor. RCRC continues to push for the following federal priorities: Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Although Secure Rural Schools (SRS)...
Trump Administration Advances NEPA Reform Across Federal Agencies
As part of a coordinated push to streamline environmental permitting, the Departments of the Interior, Energy, and Agriculture each issued revised National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures. These reforms—driven by President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy...
Weekly News Clips – The Barbed Wire – July 11, 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. California thins its forests, then burns the wood. Is there a better way? – Sacramento Bee In...
RCRC Highlights the Latest Updates in the 2025-2026 State Budget Package
On Monday, June 30, Governor Newsom signed the package of bills that make up the 2025 State Budget, which took effect immediately upon signature. A number of details remain to be worked out through subsequent legislative action throughout the summer. While the 2025-26...