Appearing on the Bill of the Week for the second time, RCRC is again showcasing its support for Assembly Bill 343. Authored by Assembly Member Jim Patterson (R-Fresno), AB 343 would require the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to develop and implement a fuels transportation program that provides competitive grants or other financial incentives for projects in eligible communities to offset the costs of transporting fuels to an eligible biomass facility, an innovative forest products facility, or a mass timber facility. AB 343 would also authorize CNRA to allocate funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
Meanwhile, Assembly Member Patterson has submitted a corresponding budget request to Assembly Budget Subcommittee 3 on Resources and Transportation to appropriate $20 million to the California Natural Resources Agency to implement the program created by AB 343.
While AB 343 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on the Suspense File, RCRC will continue advocating for the inclusion of this program in broader wildfire prevention discussions. Furthermore, the stand-alone budget request awaits action in Assembly Budget Subcommittee 3. RCRC’s AB 343 letter can be accessed here, and the budget request letter can be accessed here. For more information, Staci Heaton, RCRC Regulatory Affairs Advocate, can be reached at (916) 447-4806 or sheaton@rcrcnet.org.