The Barbed Wire - August 21, 2015

August 21, 2015
RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting –DISCOUNTED ROOMS FILLING UP QUICKLY!!!
PPIC Releases Report on the Drought
Central Valley Sinking Due to Groundwater Overdraft According to a NASA Report
UC Davis Releases Economic Analysis of the 2015 Drought for California Agriculture
DWR Releases Draft List of Critically Overdrafted Basins
Special Session Transportation Legislation Advances
Corps Issues Statement on Application of Federal Flood Risk Management Standards for Section 404 Projects
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting –DISCOUNTED ROOMS FILLING UP QUICKLY!!!

RCRC’s 2015 Annual Meeting will be held September 23-25 at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel in El Dorado County.  This year’s program will feature experts discussing a wide range of topics of interest to rural counties including:

  • Water in California - What the Future Holds;
  • The Hidden World of Human Trafficking in California's Rural Counties;
  • What on Earth? The Environmental Impacts of Marijuana Cultivation;
  • Bracing for the Upcoming Political Season;
  • The Future of Federal Land Payments; and,
  • From Vaccines to Vaping – How Public Health Impacts Our Daily Lives.

Registration and the current program can be accessed here.  Details on lodging can be accessed here.  Use group code RCRC.

PPIC Releases Report on the Drought

This week, the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a Report titled What If California’s Drought Continues?  Some of the findings include the fact that improved forestry and fire management will be critical over the long term and that many rural communities may need assistance due to an increasing number of wells going dry.  The full report can be accessed here.

Central Valley Sinking Due to Groundwater Overdraft According to a NASA Report

The Department of Water Resources released a National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Report titled Progress Report: Subsidence in the Central Valley.  The data was gathered by comparing satellite images of the Earth’s surface overtime, and show that parts of the Central Valley are shrinking by as much as two inches per month.  The full Report can be accessed here

UC Davis Releases Economic Analysis of the 2015 Drought for California Agriculture

This week, the University of California, Davis Center for Watershed Sciences released a Report titled Economic Analysis of the 2015 Drought for California Agriculture.  The Report states that just as the economic impacts of the drought have grown modestly since 2014, continuation of the drought to 2016 or beyond with similar intensity is likely to slowly erode the state’s agricultural production and employment.  

Some of the major conclusions from the Report include:

  • Surface water shortages of nearly 8.7 million acre-feet will be largely offset by increased groundwater pumping of 6 million acre-feet.  Groundwater offsets almost 70 percent of the drought water shortage.
  • Roughly 542,000 acres are expected to be idled due to water shortages, which is 114,000 more acres than the 2014 drought estimate.  Most idled land is in the Tulare Basin.
  • Direct agricultural costs of drought will be about $1.84 billion and 10,100 direct seasonal jobs. When multiplier effects are considered, losses to all economic sectors will be as high as $2.74 billion and nearly 21,000 total jobs.

The full Report can be accessed here.

DWR Releases Draft List of Critically Overdrafted Basins

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) directs the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to identify groundwater basins and subbasins that show obvious and significant negative impacts from chronic groundwater pumping.  Those impacts include seawater intrusion, land subsidence, groundwater depletion, and/or chronic lowering of groundwater levels.  DWR identified such basins in Bulletin-118, 1980 and in Bulletin 118, Update 2003.  

Bulletin 118 is a comprehensive report on California groundwater resources that is periodically updated by DWR.  As required in the SGMA, all Bulletin 118 basins designated as high or medium priority and subject to critical conditions of overdraft shall be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated groundwater sustainability plans by January 31, 2020; all other high and medium priority basins must be managed under a groundwater sustainability plan by January 31, 2022.  The final results will be published in the next update of Bulletin 118 expected in late 2016.

DWR has identified 21 groundwater basins and subbasins to be in conditions of critical overdraft.  Details on the draft, public meetings, and webinar can be accessed here.  The map and list of DWR identified critically overdrafted basins can be accessed here.

Special Session Transportation Legislation Advances

This week, the Senate Transportation & Infrastructure Development Committee held a hearing to review several legislative proposals.  Senate Bill X1 1 (Beall) was heard and serves as the key transportation funding proposal advancing out of the Committee.  SB X1 1 would raise significant new revenues for the existing state and local transportation system through increases in various transportation-related funding sources.  

The RCRC Board of Directors (Board) adopted a “support” position on a similar measure – SB 16 (Beall); however, SB 1X does not contain the five-year sunset provision found in SB 16.  As such, the Board has not considered SB 1X. 

In addition to SB X1 1, the Committee reviewed Senate Constitutional Amendment X1 1 (Huff), which RCRC has adopted a “Support if Amended” position.  SCA X1 1 would provide constitutional protections to various transportation funding sources.  The Committee has yet to advance the measure due to concerns surrounding provisions pertaining to the vehicle license fee – provisions that RCRC has also expressed concerns about.  Both SB X1 1 and SCA X1 1 require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature.  At this time, securing the two-thirds vote remains a challenge, particularly for increasing revenues. 

RCRC also supported two other important transportation bills that were not considered during this week’s hearing, including SB X1 11 (Berryhill) to provide exemptions from environmental regulations for specific transportation projects, and SB X 1 14 (Cannella) to extend Public Private Partnerships. 

Corps Issues Statement on Application of Federal Flood Risk Management Standards for Section 404 Projects

In January, President Obama signed Executive Order (EO) 13690, which established new Federal Flood Risk Management Standards (FFRMS).  The EO required all federal agencies to employ new methodology for defining the floodplain, and to adopt new requirements to avoid development in or affecting the floodplain.  This week, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issued a statement regarding the applicability of EO 13690 and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standards (FFRMS). 

The Corps has determined that the EO and FFRMS does not apply to section 404 permitting.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is in the process of finalizing its guidance on the EO and FFRMS and will be making its recommendations to the Water Policy Council in September, with plans to publish the final guidance by October.  FEMA plans to scale back significantly from the proposed guidance and limit the impact of the EO and FFRMS to only the expenditure of federal funds on new and substantially improved projects.  

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to share letters addressed to state and federal representatives and regulatory bodies with RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties.  

AB 288 (Holden): Public Schools: College and Career Access Pathways.  Assembly Bill 288 would establish the Career Access Pathways Act and expand access to concurrent enrollment programs for students by allowing college courses to be offered on high school campuses.  Status: AB 288 failed passage in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

AB 325 (Wood): Community Development Block Grant Program: Funds.  Assembly Bill 325 would require the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to respond to completed Community Development Block Grant applications within 60 days, and if the applicant is denied by the state agency, requires HCD to list the reasons for denial and what steps need to be taken for approval.  Status: AB 325 failed passage in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

AB 366 (Bonta): Medi-Cal Reimbursement: Provider Rates.  The 2011-12 State Budget cut rates to a variety of Medi-Cal providers including Distinct Part/Skilled Nursing Facilities (DP/SNFs), pharmacies, and other fee-for-service Medi-Cal activities by 10 percent off of the 2008 reimbursement rates.  Assembly Bill 366 would repeal the implementation of prior year Medi-Cal provider rate reductions, including the 10 percent reduction.  Status: AB 366 failed passage in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

AB 590 (Dahle): Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  Assembly Bill 590 would establish the Biomass State Cost Share Account within the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).  Status: AB 590 failed passage in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

SB 209 (Pavley): Surface Mining Inspections.  Senate Bill 209 makes several changes to the   Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975.  Status: SB 209 failed passage in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support if Amended

SB 513 (Beall): Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program.  Senate Bill 513 would help reduce air pollution by making revisions to the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program and the local AB 923 incentives programs.  Status: SB 513 failed passage in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  RCRC Position: Support

REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC members are encouraged to submit comments on regulatory matters to state and federal regulatory bodies, and to provide a copy to RCRC’s Government Affairs staff.  Click “Read More” to access information related to the current status of regulations impacting California’s rural counties.  

Draft General Order Requiring Environmental Rules for Marijuana Cultivation.  Establishes waste discharge requirements for cultivation of medicinal marijuana in twenty-three RCRC member counties.  Agency: Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board Status: Draft published for public comment, comment period ends September 7, 2015.  Workshops scheduled in three locations: Sacramento, Redding, and Fresno.  Board consideration expected at the October 1-2 meeting.  Draft guidelines and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: Click here RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org

Cap-and-Trade Auction Proceeds Second Investment Plan.  Establishes 3-year spending priorities for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund monies.  Agency: California Air Resources Board Status: Draft concept paper released for public comment, comments due September 1, 2015.  Workshops have been announced for various cities in August.  Board consideration expected at the September 23-24 meeting.  Draft concept paper and workshop schedule can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: Staff is seeking input from member counties.  RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org