Last Friday, January 31, Doug Burgum was sworn in as the 55th Secretary of the Interior after being confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 79-18. On his first day in office, Secretary Burgum met with Department leadership, outlined his key priorities, took immediate...
In a joint statement, U.S. Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced the following Agriculture subcommittee leadership. This leadership will play an important role in crafting the farm bill and will handle
On January 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced two key appointments by President Trump to support his administration’s focus on forest management, wildfire prevention, and natural resource conservation
Less than 48 hours after its initial release, a memo ordering the freeze of more than $1 trillion in federal grants, loans, and financial assistance was rescinded by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The memo, titled
On January 30, more than 25 members of the public made comments at the California Public Utilities Commission hearing requesting that the Commission approve funding for broadband projects in Monterey and Calaveras counties. Along with County Administrative Officers, Mayors, and community members, seven rural county Supervisors testified
On January 27, a bicameral bipartisan group of twenty-three California Legislators sent a letter Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, strongly urging them to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The letter
On Monday, January 27th, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a Draft Resolution (ESRB-13) to enhance the safety and reliability of electric generation and energy storage facilities by updating CPUC General Order 167. The Draft Resolution incorporates two recently passed measures: Senate Bill 38 (Laird, 2023) which mandates Emergency Response and Action Plans for Energy Storage System (ESS) owners; and Senate Bill 1383 (Hueso, 2022) which requires the CPUC to
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is in the process of awarding critical grant funding for broadband deployment through the Federal Funding Account (FFA) Last Mile program. At this time, Monterey and Calaveras counties remain two of the six counties that have not yet been awarded funding and the last two in which Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) has applications. Elected Supervisors and staff members from many GSCA member counties, business and community leaders, and residents sent letters and videos…
On Tuesday, January 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced appointments for several senior staff positions. Those appointments
On January 17, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and six other Senators in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Insurance Office (FIO) to immediately publish data and analysis about how natural disasters impact homeowners’ insurance
The Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471), passed the U.S. House of Representatives on January 23, 2025, with a bipartisan vote of 279-141. This legislation, sponsored by House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA), will provide much needed pathways
In the wake of, and continuing battle with, the Los Angeles fires, several pieces of bipartisan legislation have been introduced, or reintroduced, in efforts to strengthen Wildfire Resilience and Recovery…
RCRC supports Assembly Bill 1, authored by Assembly Member Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael). The measure would require the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to identify and consider additional property-level and community-wide wildfire mitigation measures to be included in its Safer from Wildfire regulations…
A number of Supervisors from California counties made the trek to Washington, DC for the inauguration, including RCRC Chair, Supervisor Geri Byrne (Modoc County) and Second Vice-Chair, Bob Nelson (Santa Barbara County). Extending their stay to focus on RCRC county issues, the two Officers met with
This is the first installment of the RCRC Board Member Spotlight, a new recurring feature of the Barbed Wire! The Board Member Spotlight is intended to familiarize subscribers with RCRC Board members, providing insights from their background in public service to their...
Committee appointments are underway, and several Administration appointments are pending. Read the latest update here.
On January 16, House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) announced the reintroduction of the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening resiliency through active forest management.
On January 14, U.S. Representative Vince Fong (R-CA-20), along with Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), introduced the bipartisan ACERO Act. This legislation authorizes NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project to develop technology for drones to improve wildfire response operations, including in low-visibility conditions where manned aircraft cannot be used.
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is sponsoring Assembly Bill 240 (Alanis). This measure would require the Little Hoover Commission to conduct a study evaluating the educational needs and opportunities that exist for the five rural counties that are not included in a California Community College (CCC) district. In 2024, an earlier version of this legislation
On January 16th, Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) sent a letter urging House Leadership to immediately prioritize a three-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. The SRS program provides vital funding to address school and infrastructure needs in rural communities that are highly impacted by federal lands and historically relied on timber revenue from those lands.
Last Spring, the final authorized SRS payment was made. Reauthorization was introduced in both chambers of Congress in late July 2023 but was not passed in the 118th Congress. The House bill (H.R. 5030) went nowhere after being referred to committee in the fall of 2023, despite having more than six dozen co-sponsors by the end of 2024…
Earlier this week, California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Liane Randolph announced that the agency is abandoning its quest for a federal Clean Air Act waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enact regulations adopted in 2023. This regulatory approach would have mandated
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will award 25 California projects a combined $258 million for transportation infrastructure upgrades…
On January 3, the first day of the 119th Congress, Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Butte) introduced the Targeted Operations to Remove Catastrophic Hazards (TORCH) Act, which aims to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health…
On January 8, California’s U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff led 47 bipartisan members of the California Congressional delegation in urging President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration…
On December 23, RCRC submitted extensive comments to the Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform, including several suggestions to improve the California Environmental Quality Act…
On Tuesday, the USDA Forest Service (USFS) announced the withdrawal of the notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the National Old Growth Amendment, which was first released in draft form in June 2024…
On Friday, January 10th, Governor Newsom released his Administration’s 2025-26 Proposed Budget. This proposal begins the budget development process between the Governor and Legislature; with the onus on lawmakers who must pass a budget by June 15th for the July 1st start of the 2025-26 fiscal year. RCRC’s Rural Rundown captures highlights of the proposal as it relates to RCRC member counties…
RCRC gathered at its annual reception on Wednesday, January 8th, to celebrate the RCRC 2025 Officers and to honor the recipients of the 2024 Rural Leadership Awards. The Rural Leadership Awards are presented to two public officials who have demonstrated an...
Today Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are no longer just futuristic concepts—they are reshaping how local governments operate. From theoretical ideas to practical solutions, tools like ChatGPT are enabling more efficient, impactful public service delivery. In this special feature to the Barbed Wire, Nevada County Information & General Services Agency Director, Steve Monaghan, explores actionable ways to adopt AI, best practices for implementation, and critical considerations for local elected officials.
A Special Feature of the Barbed Wire Newsletter – December 20, 2024 Edition
RCRC-affiliated entity Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) has reached a significant milestone, receiving its first complete Low-Level Design package for the city of Gonzales in Monterey County. This package, developed using LATA Grant funding from the California Public Utilities Commission, will serve as a valuable resource when planning future broadband infrastructure initiatives. This accomplishment marks a crucial step forward in GSCA’s efforts to expand broadband access and connectivity across the state.
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