The Barbed Wire - April 28, 2017

April 28, 2017
Tehama County Hosts Tour and RCRC Board of Directors Meeting
CAFWA Offers Recommendations on CAL FIRE Emergency Drought Response Funds
Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams Appointed to Commission on State Mandates
Federal Budget Inches Ahead
Trump Executive Order Takes Aim at National Monuments
Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity
KEEPING UP
BULLETIN BOARD

Tehama County Hosts Tour and RCRC Board of Directors Meeting

Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Chair and Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams hosted the April 2017 RCRC Board of Directors meeting in Tehama County this week.  The two-day event commenced on Wednesday with tours of Sierra Pacific Industries’ Richfield Millwork, Lucero Olive Oil, and The Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux, followed by dinner at the Lassen Steak House.  The event concluded with an RCRC Board of Directors meeting in Corning on Thursday.  Read More…

CAFWA Offers Recommendations on CAL FIRE Emergency Drought Response Funds

Earlier this week, the California Forest Watershed Alliance (CAFWA), of which RCRC is a Charter Member, issued a letter offering recommendations regarding the Emergency Drought Response funds included in the Governor’s proposed State Budget. 

The Department of Finance has suggested that the Emergency Drought Response Funds currently proposed for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) be shifted elsewhere due to the increased need for drought response in the forests.  However, CAFWA believes there remains a compelling need to invest in forest restoration and fuels reduction to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire, reduce the likelihood that the current insect and disease epidemic will spread, and promote healthier, more resilient forests, and urge that these funds continue to be allocated to CAL FIRE for these purposes.

The letter can be accessed here.  The CAFWA website can be accessed here.

Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams Appointed to Commission on State Mandates

On Thursday, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the appointment of Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams to the Commission on State Mandates (Commission).  The Commission’s primary responsibility is to hear and adjudicate local entities’ claims that allege the State has imposed a reimbursable state-mandated program on a county, city, school district, or community college district.  Read More…

Federal Budget Inches Ahead

With the current funding authority set to expire today, Congress continues to work to complete the budget process for fiscal year 2017.  House and Senate leaders have been working to complete negotiations on the omnibus appropriations bill that would fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2017, or through September 30, 2017. 

There are a number of issues that remain to be reconciled, but leaders feel optimistic that they can reach agreement and get a final bill approved.  President Trump has made two major concessions to avoid a confrontation over the bill, and thus a possible government shutdown, by agreeing to funding subsidies for health care policies provided under the Affordable Care Act and not demanding funding for the border wall in this bill.  

In order to give themselves the additional time needed to produce a final bill, House and Senate leaders are working to pass a one-week extension of the funding authority that would keep the government operating through May 5, 2017.  The goal is to complete action on the FY 2017 appropriations process by that date.

Trump Executive Order Takes Aim at National Monuments

On Wednesday, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) aimed at modifying National Monument designations made since 1996.  The EO restricts review of such designations to those that encompass at least 100,000 acres of federal land, or deemed to have been designated without state and local support. 

Per the EO, the Secretary of the Interior will review the monument designations for consistency with Administration policy regarding federal land use and with the original intentions of the Antiquities Act of 1906, the law that authorizes the President to make such designations.  The Secretary will report back to the President within 45 days with suggested actions for each of the monument designation; actions to be considered by the report range from Presidential action, such as revoking or modifying the boundaries of a monument, to Congressional action, such as change in use.  Also of importance, the EO instructs the Secretary to work with the Governors of the relevant states, as well as other state, local, and tribal leaders on the modifications of the monuments.  Within 120 days, the Secretary must produce a final report.  The EO has been expected for weeks, however, many thought the EO would specifically target certain designations for revocation, such as Bear’s Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, both in Utah.  However, the EO did not directly target specific monuments.  Of the 24 monument designations eligible for review, 5 are in the state of California.

Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity

President Trump signed an Executive Order to promote agriculture and rural prosperity shortly after USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue was sworn into office.  The Executive Order establishes the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity.  The Task Force is tasked to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that would promote rural America agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security, and quality of life. 

The Executive Order also sunsets the White House Rural Council, established during the Obama administration in 2012.

KEEPING UP

Alan Mikkelsen, who served as DOI Secretary Ryan Zinke's campaign manager, will become the Bureau of Reclamation's (BoR) Deputy Commissioner.  "Alan Mikkelsen is a westerner who has decades of experience in all things water issues to include irrigation projects, Tribal water compacts, conservation, and even a long-term fishing guide," Zinke said in a statement.  The announcement came last week as Secretary Zinke was touring the Western States.  Mr. Mikkelsen is not well-known by most California water interests, however, given the key role of this position to operations related to the BoR’s operations in the State, his appointment was welcomed.

Michelle Banonis, 40, of Sacramento, has been appointed Assistant Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Water Resources.  Banonis has been area manager for the Bay Delta Office at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation since 2016, where she has served in several positions since 2009, including, special assistant to the regional director, California WaterFix program manager, restoration goal supervisor for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and natural resources specialist.  Banonis served in several positions at the Pierce County Department of Public Works and Utilities from 2000 to 2009, including environmental permitting supervisor, environmental biologist and engineering technician.  She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law.

BULLETIN BOARD

State to Begin 2017 Climate Adaptation Plan Update Workshops

The California Natural Resources Agency has announced a series of workshops to begin taking public comment on the 2017 update of the Safeguarding California Plan (Plan) – the statewide strategic plan for climate adaptation across California’s various sectors.  The Plan, which was last updated in 2014, is intended to ensure that the people, communities, and ecosystems of California are able to withstand the potential impacts of a changing climate, such as water supply shortages, tree mortality, sea level rise, and various other possible scenarios.

The 2017 Plan Update workshops will begin at the University of California, Merced in mid-May, and will end with a Sierra Nevada workshop in mid-June.  A draft of the Plan is not yet available, but interested parties can find more information, including dates, times, and locations of the workshops, and sign up for the Safeguarding California mailing list, here.

Interior Secretary Zinke Announces $32.6 Million in Historic Preservation Grants to States and Tribes

Click here

Outdoor Industry Association Releases Annual Economic Report

This week, the Outdoor Industry Association released its annual economic report.  The report was presented at an event at the National Press Club featuring the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID).  The report detailed that the outdoor recreation economy generates $887 billion in consumer spending annually, $65.3 billion for the federal government, and $59.2 billion in local and state tax revenues.  The report also calls on Congress to invest federal funding in improvements to outdoor recreation infrastructure.