Mar 21, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   federal issues U.S. Senators Ask USDA to Reverse Canceled Local Food Purchases for Schools, Farmers 

This week, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) led a group of 31 Senators in a letter that voiced “serious concerns” about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cancelation of food purchase programs across the United States. They noted

Mar 21, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   federal issues   |   housing Joint Task Force to Target Underutilized Federal Land for Housing

This week, Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner announced the establishment of a Joint Task Force which will focus on using underutilized federal land suitable for housing

Mar 21, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   telecommunications Bill of the Week: Assembly Bill 470 (McKinnor)—Telephone Corporations: Carriers of Last Resort

RCRC opposes Assembly Bill 470, authored by Assembly Member Tina McKinnor. This measure would allow any Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) telephone service provider to abandon its obligations

Mar 21, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   federal issues   |   WOTUS EPA Announces Plans to Revise WOTUS Rule

On March 12, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that EPA will work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to review the definition of “Waters of the United States.”  The agencies

Mar 14, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   CalRecycle CalRecycle to Restart SB 54 Single Use Packaging Regulatory Process

On Friday, March 7, Governor Newsom withdrew CalRecycle’s long-anticipated SB 54 regulations, which were expected to be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law for final approval before the deadline

Mar 14, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   recreation Legislation Introduced to Expand Smith River National Recreation Area to Include Oregon

On March 12, California’s U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla joined Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden in introducing the Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act, which would expand the Smith River National Recreation Area by 58,000 acres. This legislation should help boost the local fishing and recreation industries

Mar 14, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   federal issues   |   water rights Senate Committee Advances Bill to Enact Water Settlement Between Tule River Tribe and the U.S. 

On March 7, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advanced legislation introduced by California’s U.S. Senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, which would formally recognize the reserved water rights of the Tule River Tribe and quantify

Mar 14, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   Water U.S. Representatives Jim Costa and Adam Gray Urge Presidential and Gubernatorial Cooperation on Central Valley and State Water Projects

On March 10, U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (D-Tulare) and Adam Gray (D-Madera) sent a letter urging President Trump and Governor Newsom to work together to address

Mar 14, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   federal issues Congress Introduces Bicameral Legislation to Improve Access to Agricultural Disaster Relief

On March 12, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), along with Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Monterey), Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Zoe Lofgren (D-Monterey), and Austin Scott (R-GA-08), announced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve access to federal agriculture disaster programs.

Mar 14, 2025

Barbed Wire   |   federal issues EMBER Act Reintroduced as Part of Larger Congressional Package

On March 11, Congressman Ken Calvert (R-Riverside County) reintroduced the Ending Major Borderland Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act, which would reduce the threat of wildfires along the southern border and protect