The Barbed Wire - December 11, 2015

December 11, 2015
RCRC Releases “Year in Review”
Sierra Nevada Conservancy Announces Grant Awards
Work Continues on Federal Appropriations
House Democrats Urge President to Keep Drought Language Out of Omnibus
Natural Resources Hears Testimony on Federal Tribal Acknowledgment
BULLETIN BOARD
KEEPING UP
REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC Releases “Year in Review”

The Year in Review is prepared for the RCRC Board of Directors to highlight the significant 2015 actions taken on issues impacting California’s rural counties, and to outline the advocacy efforts RCRC Governmental Affairs staff engaged in on behalf of its members.  The Year in Review aims to provide an overall summary of the most pressing issues of 2015 as they relate to RCRC member counties.  RCRC’s 2015 Year in Review can be accessed here.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy Announces Grant Awards

This week, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Governing Board approved $853,190 in grants for projects that will reduce wildfire risk and restore forest and watershed health in the Sierra Nevada region.  Funding for these projects comes from Proposition 1, The Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Bond Act of 2014.  This is the first set of awards made under the SNC’s Proposition 1 grant program.  

The projects approved for funding include:

  • Nevada County: Hirschman’s Pond Forest Health Project ($156,069)
    • This grant to the Sierra Streams Institute will protect watershed health and reduce the threat of wildfire by completing forest thinning activities and invasive species removal on 85 acres of land owned and managed by the City of Nevada City for public use. This implementation grant follows a pre‑project/planning grant funded by the SNC’s Proposition 84 grant program.
  • Lassen County: Diamond Mountain Watershed Restoration Project ($75,000)
    • This grant to the Lassen County Fire Safe Council will complete the pre-project planning activities necessary to support the U.S. Forest Service portion of watershed restoration and hazardous fuel treatments on up to 8,194 acres on the Lassen National Forest in the Diamond Mountain area. The project is part of a larger project area called the Diamond Mountain Project that encompasses a mix of public and private lands.
  • Butte County: Magalia Forest Health Management Project ($75,000)
    • This grant to the Butte County Fire Safe Council will complete the pre‑project planning activities needed to identify forest and watershed health projects, as well as wildfire safety projects, on 800 acres near the town of Magalia in Butte County. The project is located within a collection area for the drinking water supply for the Town of Paradise, and is within a CAL FIRE designated “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.”
  • Inyo County: Oak Creek Watershed Restoration Project ($47,121)
    • This grant to Trout Unlimited will complete environmental review for post-fire restoration work on up to 800 acres on the Inyo National Forest in Inyo County. The project will fulfill step three of a four-step process that began in 2011 as a response to impacts to the watershed due to a high-intensity fire in 2007 and a summer 2008 rain event that moved 1.5 million cubic yards of debris through the watershed.

In addition to meeting the requirements of Proposition 1, these projects support the goals and objectives of the Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program, a large‑scale restoration program designed to address ecosystem health in the Sierra Nevada.

Work Continues on Federal Appropriations

This week, Congress passed a five-day extension on federal funding to ensure appropriations continues through December 16, 2015.  The short-term extension was needed as funding was set to expire on December 11, 2015.  

Federal agencies would have begun to shutdown at midnight if lawmakers didn’t pass an extension.  The extension provides Congress more time to work on a $1.1 trillion, full-year appropriations bill, but disagreements over funding levels and policy riders are delaying a final agreement.  Congressional leadership hopes to have an appropriations bill finalized next week, but another short-term extension is needed if an agreement is not reached by December 16, 2015.

House Democrats Urge President to Keep Drought Language Out of Omnibus

This week, a group of Western House Democrats wrote to President Obama asking him to use his influence to keep language dealing with the Western drought out of the FY16 omnibus appropriations bill.  The letter was signed by 21 Members from California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington.  

The California Members who signed include McNerney, Huffman, Garamendi, Thompson, Matsui, DeSaulnier, Honda, Eshoo, Speier, Lofgren, Swalwell, Takano, Lieu, Davis, Capps, and Lee.  The letter expresses concerns with language in the House-passed bill (HR 2898) regarding the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act.

Natural Resources Hears Testimony on Federal Tribal Acknowledgment

On Tuesday, the House Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing to examine ways to improve the federal acknowledgment process for Native American tribes.  House Republican leaders have been adamant about their belief that Congress should have the ultimate power over approving federally-recognized tribes.  

As such, Tuesday’s hearing was the second hearing for the subcommittee this year on the topic and focused on stakeholder input.  The stakeholders represented at the hearing included currently recognized tribes, legal scholars, and local government.  Witnesses at the hearing were nearly unanimous in their support for strict, but clearly defined, criteria that must be met in order to be acknowledged by the federal government. The witnesses were less certain about who should ultimately have the authority to acknowledge tribes.  Rep. Rob Bishop, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, has introduced legislation that would give Congress final say but it has been met with heavy resistance from the Obama administration and certain Native American groups. The subcommittee has committed to additional hearings on the matter. 

BULLETIN BOARD

Department of Water Resources Webinar: Basin Boundary Modification Request Requirements and Procedures

Click here

State Water Resources Control Board Workshop: Salton Sea Task Force Update

Click here

State Water Resources Control Board Workshop: Draft Emergency Regulation for Measuring and Reporting on the Diversion of Water

Click here

KEEPING UP

Leslie Gallagher Appointed Central Valley Flood Protection Executive Officer

Click here

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 Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California: Provides strategies for habitat improvement, species protection, and management of gray wolves in California.  Agency: California Department of Fish and Wildlife Status: Draft available for public comment, January workshops scheduled in Yreka, Long Beach and Sacramento.  Comment period ends February 15, 2016.  Information on the draft plan and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: RCRC is seeking member county input.  RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org

Addition of Gray Wolf to List of California Endangered Species:  Adds the gray wolf to the list of endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act.  Agency: California Fish and Game Commission Status: Comment period ended December 7, 2015, Commission decided to list species at December 10, 2015 meeting in San Diego.  Regulatory language and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: Click here.  RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org

Proposed Exceptional Events Rule Revisions and Draft Wildfire Guidance: Revises the Exceptional Events Rule to clarify demonstration of events such as prescribed burns and wildfires, provides guidance to air agencies on procedures.  Agency: United States Environmental Protection Agency Status: Draft available for public comment, comments due January 19, 2016.  Proposed regulatory language and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: RCRC is seeking member county input.  RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org