Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Thomas Gibson, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Water Resources. Gibson has been Chief Deputy Director at the California...
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. Ideas & Opinions — Sue Hoek: Don’t leave rural California without reliable telephone service –...
Over the final days of June, the Legislature acted upon several budget trailer bills before the start of the 2026-27 fiscal year, July 1. While several issues have been addressed by these latest actions, several others remain unresolved and budget negotiations are...
The Rural County Representatives of California is officially accepting submissions for our Tenth Annual Rural County Photo Contest from July 1 through July 31, 2026! We invite you to share original images that capture the beauty, diverse landscapes, architecture, and...
Registration is now open for RCRC’s 2026 Annual Meeting! The conference will be held September 23–25, 2026 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort in Santa Barbara County. This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics from strategies...
On Wednesday, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced that the Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process (SMAP) Dashboard is now displaying an updated list of the California cities and counties that are subject to streamlined...
Connect the Valley (CtV) announced the launch of a new online resource on Tuesday that will serve as a centralized hub designed to help residents access nearby digital inclusion tools across Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties. The Resource Library is available...
The HELP II Loan Program, administered by the California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA) within the State Treasurer’s Office, offers low-cost loans to assist eligible health facilities wanting to expand and improve services to their clients and the...
The Barbed Wire newsletter will be on hiatus next week for the July 4th holiday. We will return July 10th with the latest legislative and regulatory news impacting California’s rural...
RCRC will open registration for the 2026 Annual Meeting in early July. The event is being held in Santa Barbara County from September 23 to September 25, 2026. The lineup for this year’s program is filled with engaging panels and expert speakers discussing a wide...
RCRC, together with the California Renewable Transportation Alliance, as well as other local government and solid waste stakeholders, is supporting Assembly Bill 1436 authored by Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías (D-Martinez). This measure seeks to clarify that the...
Earlier this month, the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force released its draft Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Action Plan (2026-2031). Announcing its release, the Task Force states that the plan is grounded in the latest wildfire science and builds on...
On Tuesday June 23, the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) announced Round 1 of the Adaption Planning Grant Program (APGP) has closed. The program invested $8 million across 14 projects meant to address issues like extreme heat, sea level rise,...
On Wednesday, the National Association of Counties sent an Action Alert regarding the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644). UPDATE & ACTION ALERT: Bipartisan Housing Bill Awaiting President’s Signature Counties Must Act Now Earlier today...
On June 24, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the Senate draft of the Farm Bill, marking the beginning of formal Senate consideration of the legislation ahead of an expected committee markup next month. At a high level,...
On June 23, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that more than 1,900 state and local governments will receive a combined $733 million through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program for 2026. The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program provides vital...
A monthly update regarding the important work of RCRC’s affiliate entities, providing innovative services for the benefit of rural communities. Fiber Is in the Ground: GSCA Marks Milestone in Glenn County After years of planning, coordination, and hard work,...
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. Imperial County approved a massive data center. Then it changed its mind. – CalMatters A...
RCRC has challenged AT&T’s efforts to prematurely abandon its Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligations. RCRC seeks to support the transition to modern communications technologies and ensure that rural communities are not left behind. Recent Federal Communications...
On Monday, June 15, the Legislature passed the Budget Act of 2026 (Senate Bill 101). It now goes to the Governor’s Desk, where he has until Monday, June 29, to act on it. While the Legislature has now fulfilled its statutory obligation to pass a budget by the June...
Last week, a new coalition was announced to advance the manufacture of mass timber products using woody biomass across the state of California. The California Mass Coalition was recently formed after several months of discussions between forest land managers,...
On Thursday, June 18, Governor Newsom announced that the state will be contributing an additional $268.9 million from the California Water Commission to the Sites Reservoir project. In the announcement, the Governor called Sites Reservoir a key component of his...
On Thursday, June 18, Governor Newsom highlighted the grand opening of Yreka Carnegie, a recently renovated vacant historic library that will serve as a rural hub for business innovation, entrepreneurship and community connection serving Siskiyou County and the North...
On Wednesday, June 17, Governor Newsom announced that California State Parks is offering a special free version of its Historian Passport, normally priced at $50, through July 6th. Once claimed online, the pass is valid for the remainder of 2026. The pass entitles the...
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released onboarding tools designed to assist Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) as they bring on new board members and staff. These resources include an Onboarding Checklist and a Handbook Template to familiarize...
On June 17, Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and John Curtis (R-UT) introduced the FIRE SMART Act. This bipartisan legislation would expand funding eligibility for water infrastructure projects with wildfire suppression benefits in high-risk rural areas. The measure would...
On June 17, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $25.5 million in grant funding for technical assistance providers that help small, rural, and Tribal communities address wastewater infrastructure challenges and comply with the Clean...
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. Colorado and California bills take aim at battery recycling gaps – Resource Recycling SB 501, authored...
On Monday, June 15, in the late evening hours, the Legislature passed the Budget Act of 2026 (Senate Bill 101). The measure now heads to the Governor’s Desk, where he must act by June 29th. Although 2026-27 fiscal year begins July 1st, it is expected that...
Across California, AT&T customers are receiving notices stating that their traditional landline service will be discontinued and encouraging them to switch to alternative technologies. While these letters may sound definitive, they can be misleading and do not...
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