Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire RCRC Partners with Bioenergy Association of California to Demand Action from CPUC on BioMAT Program TerminationOn Friday, April 3, the Bioenergy Association of California (BAC), in partnership with the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), commenced legal proceedings to address the premature termination of the Bioenergy Market Adjusting Tariff (BioMAT) program by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | Bill of the Week Bill of the Week: Senate Bill 1404 (Stern) – State Responsibility Area FeesRCRC opposes Senate Bill 1404, authored by Senator Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), which seeks to go back on agreements made in the 2017 Cap-and-Trade reauthorization by reinstating the State Responsibility Area (SRA) fee
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire Illegal Dumping Prevention Bills Advance in California LegislatureThis week, two important bills targeting illegal dumping advanced in the Legislature. RCRC strongly supports both measures
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | homelessness Governor Newsom Announces $145.4 Million in HHAP Funding to Help Eight California Regions Reduce HomelessnessOn Wednesday, April 8, Governor Newsom announced additional grants from the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Program. Recipients include several RCRC member counties
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | survey Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) Seeks Responses on Two Planning SurveysThe Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) is seeking responses to two surveys, designed to provide additional insight into specific planning topics that will be folded into the General Plan Guidelines and other future planning guidance materials LCI creates
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | housing California HCD Announces Updated ADU Handbook and Housing Accountability Unit Letters DashboardOn Tuesday, April 7, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the release of a 2026 update to the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Handbook and highlighted the recently launched Housing Accountability Unit Letters Dashboard
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | cannabis California DCC Completes Transition of Provisional License Holders to Annual License HoldersOn Monday, April 6, the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) announced that the provisional commercial cannabis licensing program has been closed, and provisional licenses have been transitioned to annual licenses
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | federal issues U.S. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill on Wildland Firefighter Pay and Rest StandardsOn Thursday, April 2, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT), co-chairs of the Senate Wildfire Caucus, introduced the Support Our Firefighters Act, which would establish mandatory rest and recuperation periods for federal wildland firefighters and permanently remove the annual compensation cap that limits their pay during peak fire season
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | federal issues USDA Finalizes Historic Regulatory Reform in NEPA Final RuleOn Tuesday, April 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finalized a rule updating its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations
Apr 10, 2026
Barbed Wire | Keeping Up Keeping Up - The Barbed Wire - April 10, 2026Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties. Sydney Bennett, of San Luis Obispo County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Bennett has...