Dec 13, 2024
Advocacy | Water and Wildlife U.S. House Approves Water Resources Development ActOn December 10, 2024, the House approved, by a vote of 399-18, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) (S. 4367), which would improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship California Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Q&AWhat is PILT? Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) was established in 1949 to offset adverse impacts to county property tax revenues that result when the State acquires private property for wildlife management areas. How...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Water and Wildlife SGMA ImplementationGroundwater management law in California previously authorized certain local agencies to adopt and implement a groundwater management plan. Local agencies seeking state funds from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) for groundwater projects and groundwater...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Water and Wildlife Secure Rural SchoolsAdopted in 1906, federal law requires the U.S. Forest Service to provide counties and schools with 25 percent of the revenues generated on federal forest lands from a variety of activities including timber harvesting, mining,...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Water and Wildlife Endangered Species Act (ESA)The Federal Endangered Species Act (FESA) was passed by Congress in 1973 to protect and recover at risk species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. In 1984, California followed when the Legislature passed the...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Water and Wildlife Wildlife Policy Areas Affecting Local GovernmentThe California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are the two primary agencies responsible for fish and wildlife issues impacting rural counties and their citizens. Some of...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Water and Wildlife Water: Supply and DemandNearly 75 percent of California’s available water originates in the northern one-third of the state (north of Sacramento), while more than 70 percent of the demand occurs in the southern two-thirds of the state and...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Transportation About Rural TransportationCalifornia’s State and local transportation infrastructure is a complex system of interstate and intrastate highways, freeways, and city and county-maintained streets and roads. California’s rural transportation system serves to connect rural and remote communities to...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Solid Waste Management About Solid Waste ManagementSolid waste management is an important function for municipal governments. For many counties, the management of landfills is a key component. These management functions fall under the regulatory purview of the California Department of Resources...
Dec 10, 2024
Advocacy | Public Safety and Emergency Management CorrectionsCounty Boards of Supervisors, in conjunction with County Sheriffs, District Attorneys, Public Defenders, and Chief Probation Officers, are responsible for law enforcement, the operation of a variety of county public safety facilities (county jails and...