Feb 14, 2025
Advocacy U.S. Senate Confirms Brooke Rollins to Lead USDAOn Thursday, February 13, the U.S. Senate confirmed Brooke Rollins to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture by a vote of 72-28. As Secretary, Ms. Rollins will oversee farm subsidy programs, the distribution of nutrition...
Feb 07, 2025
Advocacy | Water and Wildlife Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order on Water Ahead of Anticipated StormsOn January 31st, the Office of Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-16-25, which largely renews previous authorities from a prior executive order to allow local water agencies to more expeditiously recharge groundwater reservoirs during high precipitation...
Feb 07, 2025
Advocacy | Health Care and Social Services Grant Program Seeks to Address Healthcare Provider ShortageThe County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for their new Building the Healthcare Workforce (BHW) grant program. With this program, the Governing Board seeks to address the...
Feb 06, 2025
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship Padilla Introduces Bipartisan Bills to Improve Fire Mitigation and Resiliency EffortsOn Monday February 3rd, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts. The package includes the following: The Wildfire Emergency Act to support...
Feb 06, 2025
Advocacy Update on Key Trump Administration AppointmentsLast 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...
Jan 31, 2025
Advocacy U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Leaders Announce Subcommittee LeadershipIn 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...
Jan 31, 2025
Advocacy USDA Announces Key Appointments to Lead on Wildfire PreventionOn 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: Kristin Sleeper as Deputy Undersecretary...
Jan 31, 2025
Advocacy Federal Funding Update: The Freeze, The Thaw, and What Comes NextLess 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)....
Jan 31, 2025
Advocacy | Community and Economic Development Rural Counties Testify at CPUC Hearing for Last Mile Broadband FundingOn 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...
Jan 31, 2025
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship California Legislators Urge U.S. House Leadership to Reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) ProgramOn January 27, a bicameral bipartisan group of twenty-three California Legislators sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, strongly urging them to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination...