Oct 04, 2024
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship U.S. House of Representatives Passes Fix Our Forests ActLast week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 8790), This bipartisan piece of legislation focuses on improving forest management and reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires. The Act promotes enhanced cooperation...
Oct 04, 2024
Advocacy | Energy Governor Convenes State Battery Storage Collaborative to Address Safety and Permitting IssuesOn September 27th, Governor Newsom announced that he has convened a state-level collaborative “to examine battery storage technologies and safety measures”. Battery storage is widely viewed as key to improving reliability and resiliency of the...
Oct 04, 2024
Advocacy | CEQA/NEPA Governor Signs Controversial Warehouse Bill with Far-Reaching Implications for Rural CommunitiesOn September 29, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 98 (Carrillo and Reyes), which imposes siting and construction requirements on a wide variety of warehouse and storage buildings. Assembly Bill 98 is intended to address the community,...
Sep 27, 2024
Advocacy | Solid Waste Management Governor Newsom Signs RCRC-Sponsored AB 2902 (Wood, D-Healdsburg) and Other Measures Regarding Organic WasteOn September 22, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2902 (Wood, D-Healdsburg), which makes several changes to CalRecycle’s SB 1383 organic waste regulations, including: Extending the existing rural exemption for the state’s 19 counties with fewer than...
Sep 27, 2024
Advocacy | Public Safety and Emergency Management Legislation to Strengthen Natural Disaster Preparedness Continues Forward Momentum After Committee PassageOn September 25, 2024, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed the Investing in Community Resilience Act of 2024 (S. 4900). The bill passed out of committee overwhelmingly by a vote of 14-1. The Investing in...
Sep 27, 2024
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship Members of Congress Urge Forest Service to Take Additional Measures to Protect Old-Growth ForestsOn September 19, 2024, Congress Member Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-North Coast) led a group of 33 lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack, supporting the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) National...
Sep 27, 2024
Advocacy | Public Safety and Emergency Management Congressman LaMalfa Announces Grant Awards for Disaster Recovery and Preparedness in District 1On September 18, 2024, U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) announced that a total of $4,106,321 has been awarded to Congressional District 1 for critical disaster recovery and preparedness projects. These grants will support various initiatives...
Sep 27, 2024
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship Congressman Garamendi Reintroduces Bill to Permanently Conserve Privately Owned Working ForestlandsOn September 17, 2024, U.S. Representative John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), along with several other lawmakers, reintroduced the Forest Legacy Management Flexibility Act (H.R. 9602), which would allow states to choose to designate accredited, nonprofit land trusts to...
Sep 27, 2024
Advocacy | Forest and Public Lands Stewardship U.S. Senators and Representatives Urge President Biden to Approve Major Disaster Declaration Following Park and Borel FiresOn September 25, 2024, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-California), Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) urged President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to the...