The Barbed Wire - March 18, 2016

March 18, 2016
RCRC Sponsoring North State Summit on Human Trafficking – Counties Encouraged to Attend
Assembly Budget Subcommittee Approves $30 Million for Tree Mortality Efforts
U.S. Forest Service Issues 2015 Secure Rural Schools Payments to States
RCRC Provides Comments on the CWC WSIP Draft Regulations
Calvert Calls on Administration to Convene Committee on Delta Smelt
House Appropriations Committee Presses Forward
Ag Interests Urge Senators to Act on Drought Legislation
The State of FAA Authorization
KEEPING UP
BULLETIN BOARD
REGULATORY UPDATE

RCRC Sponsoring North State Summit on Human Trafficking – Counties Encouraged to Attend

The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is sponsoring a Regional Information Summit on Human Trafficking in Redding on April 7, 2016.  The North State Summit is hosted by the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (H.E.A.T.) Institute, an innovative research-based think tank developed to bring together leaders from multiple state and local systems to create a unified and comprehensive system of support to respond to and prevent human exploitation and trafficking.  

The information received from the North State Summit will help the H.E.A.T. Institute Blue Ribbon Commission develop a report containing concrete recommendations to guide policymakers, elected leaders, and local communities in developing a collaborative, comprehensive, holistic and consistent response to the commercial sexual exploitation of children in California.  Representatives from local government, law enforcement, criminal justice, health and human services, and the nonprofit sector will be on hand to participate in this discussion. 

Details on the North State Summit can be accessed here.  Please RSVP to Justin Caporusso at (916) 447-4806 or jcaporusso@rcrcnet.org.

Assembly Budget Subcommittee Approves $30 Million for Tree Mortality Efforts

On Wednesday, Assembly Budget Subcommittee #3 on Resources and Transportation considered several budget issues, including the appropriation of monies from the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund (SRAFPF) for tree mortality mitigation projects within the State Responsibility Area (SRA).  

The 2015-16 State Budget provided $5 million in local grants from the SRA Fund to enhance the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) ongoing fire prevention activities.  In February, CAL FIRE awarded $1.7 million for local projects to aid in the removal of dead and dying trees within Fresno, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Tulare, and Tuolumne counties, all of which have been designated by the State as “high hazard zones” for tree mortality.  The remaining $3.2 million will be distributed over the coming months, pending procedural process, and will be used to support fire prevention efforts throughout the state.  According to CAL FIRE, 178 SRA grant fund applications, totaling $13 million, have been received so far this year.

Subcommittee staff initially recommended the approval of $20 million, for two years, from the SRAFPF.  Assembly Member Frank Bigelow (R-O’Neals) stressed the impact tree mortality has had on local communities and stated that more money is needed to combat this issue, making a motion to approve $40 million total funding from the SRAFPF.  Ultimately, the Subcommittee compromised and approved a total of $30 million, for two years, from the SRAFPF to address the tree mortality crisis.  The SRAFPF Grant Program provides funding for projects aimed at fuel hazard reduction, fire prevention education and training, and fire prevention planning activities.  

U.S. Forest Service Issues 2015 Secure Rural Schools Payments to States

This week, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced that Federal Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination (SRS) payments will be issued to recipient states in the coming days.  California counties are anticipated to receive approximately $29 million in Federal SRS payments, which is roughly half of what the program received when first enacted.  

Final payment detail for FY 2015 can be accessed here (beginning on page 11).

In 2000, Congress enacted the Federal SRS program to provide funding for rural counties and school districts to replace lost revenue from dwindling forest receipts due to a national decline in timber harvesting.  The last reauthorization of the Federal SRS program was made in late March 2015 through H.R. 2, commonly referred to as the “Doc Fix,” which contained enough funding to support a two-year extension.  While funding has been secured for Fiscal Year 2015, Federal SRS funding will need to be reauthorized again this year. 

RCRC leadership and staff recently met with key Congressional members and staff to discuss long-term funding solutions and will continue these discussions throughout the year.

RCRC Provides Comments on the CWC WSIP Draft Regulations

RCRC recently submitted written comments to the California Water Commission (CWC) on the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) Draft Regulations.  The WSIP meets the requirements of Proposition 1 (Water Bond) which requires the CWC to develop and adopt regulations to award bond funding for water storage projects that provide public benefits.  The CWC is currently developing the regulations through a public process, and must adopt regulations by December 15, 2016.  

The Water Bond provides $2.7 billion in funding for the public benefits of water storage projects.  Eligible projects include CALFED surface storage, groundwater storage and groundwater clean-up, conjunctive use and reservoir reoperation, and local and regional surface storage.  The public benefits that can be funded include ecosystem improvement, water quality improvement, flood control, emergency response, and recreation.  Fifty percent of a project’s State funding must go toward ecosystem benefits, and State funding for a project cannot exceed 50 percent of the total project cost.  The statute requires the CWC to select projects through a competitive public process.  In early 2017, the CWC is scheduled to begin the first step of a two-step application process, being the pre-application process.  Once the pre-application period concludes, the full application development period will begin, which will be about six months.  In 2018 the technical review, independent peer review, and the CWC project decision-making will transpire.

RCRC’s letter to the CWC on the WSIP Draft Regulations can be accessed here.

Calvert Calls on Administration to Convene Committee on Delta Smelt

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe conceded at a House hearing this week that it was “reasonable” for the Administration to consider lifting protections for the Delta Smelt.  Ashe expressed frustration that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has apparently failed to help the species recover.  Rep. Ken Calvert observed that the environmental restrictions aren’t helping the fish despite restrictions on water deliveries intended to prevent extinction of the species.  

Calvert asserted that it’s time the Administration convene the designated committee comprised of the Agriculture Department, Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Council of Economic Advisers that can override restrictions imposed by the ESA.  As provided by the ESA, only the Bureau of Reclamation and the Governor of California can convene this committee in the case of a California endangered species.

House Appropriations Committee Presses Forward

The House Appropriations Committee will not wait until the House finishes a budget to begin work on the FY17 appropriations bills.  Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), Chair of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, has indicated that his committee will mark up their bill next week or the week of April 11th, when the House returns from recess.  

House Appropriations Committee Chair Hal Rodgers (R-KY) has stated other subcommittees would hold markups as early as next week.  The House is currently struggling to pass a budget.  The House Budget Committee will likely pass a budget out of committee today, but that is possibly as far as the bill will get.  A group of conservative House Members has indicated they do not support the top level number agreed to in last year’s 2-year budget deal.  Chair Rodgers has directed his subcommittee chairs to mark their bills at the FY17 level agreed upon in the 2-year budget deal.  

Ag Interests Urge Senators to Act on Drought Legislation

A long list of agricultural interests across the west, including more than 40 groups in California, sent a letter this week to the Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee urging action this year on drought legislation.  Despite a wetter than normal winter, the letter states the worst drought in centuries requires Congress mandate more flexibility from federal agencies that manage water projects, more storage and better infrastructure, and reliance on better technology to manage water and environmental demands.  

Legislation passed the House last year to reduce environmental restrictions on water deliveries, but the Senate has not acted on drought legislation.  Last month, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer reintroduced their drought legislation, S. 2533, to direct federal agencies to exercise more flexibility in managing water supplies while maintaining existing environmental restrictions.  The bill also authorizes $1.2 billion in water storage and infrastructure improvements, and revises federal programs to assist with additional water infrastructure investment.

The letter can be accessed here.

The State of FAA Authorization

On March 31, 2016, the current authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the programs it operates, including those of particular importance to California’s rural counties, are set to expire.  

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure recently voted in support of its Chair Representative Bill Shuster’s (R-Pennsylvania) H.R. 4441, referred to as the Aviation, Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act.  The AIRR Act proposes to reauthorize FAA programs for six years, and contains a controversial policy proposal that would reform and shift the nation’s air traffic control system to the management of a federal non-profit corporation.  Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have expressed discontent with regards to reforming the air traffic control system in such a manner.  The House responded by introducing a proposal that provides a four-month short-term extension of the FAA through July 15, 2016 and authorizes the collection of aviation taxes through March 31, 2017.  This short-term extension is an attempt to provide House leaders additional time to negotiate a compromise over this controversial component of their FAA authorization measure. 

Earlier this week, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted in support of its Chair Senator John Thune’s (R-South Dakota) S. 2658, known as the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization (FAAR) Act of 2016.  The FAAR Act would provide a two-year authorization of the FAA through Fiscal Year 2017.  Notably, both the House and Senate proposals continue to support three critical general aviation and rural air service programs, including the Airport Improvement Program, the Small Community Service Development Program, and the Essential Air Service program.  Prior to departing for spring recess, the Senate took action to pass an alternative short-term extension through mid-July that would also extend the authorization for aviation taxes through July 15, 2016 as opposed to the House proposal that contained an extension of aviation taxes through March 31, 2017.  The House is anticipated to take up the Senate-passed short-term extension later this month.  RCRC will continue to advocate for passage of these programs as supported in both the House and Senate FAA authorization proposals.

KEEPING UP

Carol Baker has been appointed to the California Water Commission.

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Andrew Ball has been reappointed to the California Water Commission.

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BULLETIN BOARD

Save-the-Date: RCRC-Sponsored H.E.A.T. Institute North State Informational Summit on Human Trafficking

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USDA Announces $260 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program

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USDA Commits $20 Million to Innovative Conservation Projects

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Del Norte County Seeks HR Manager

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New Report Released on Groundwater Governance

The Wheeler Water Institute – in conjunction with other collaborators – released a report designed to help local decision makers think about whether their proposed Groundwater Sustainability Agency, as required under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, will meet their needs now and in the future.  

The full report, titled Designing Effective Groundwater Sustainability Agencies: Criteria for Evaluation of Local Governance Options’, can be accessed here.  The Executive Summary can be accessed here.

PPIC Video: Two Leaders, Two Policy Perspectives

Two national leaders who represent California in Washington spoke to PPIC audiences recently about crucial issues facing the state, from water policy to the challenges of preventing another attack like the one in San Bernardino. In separate appearances, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Kevin McCarthy, the House majority leader, talked about what it takes to be a leader today.

Click here

REGULATORY UPDATE

Drought Mortality Amendments, 2015: Extends until December 2018 various exemptions to the forest practice rules allowing for the removal of dead, dying, and diseased trees due to the drought.  Agency: California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Status: Draft released for public review, comments due by 5 p.m. on March 28, 2016.  Hearing set for April 6, 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

 Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program Regional Strategy: Provides strategies and potential actions for the improvement of watershed health in the Sierra Nevada region. Agency: Sierra Nevada Conservancy / USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region Status: Draft available for public comment, comments due March 18, 2016.  Draft strategy and related documents can be accessed here.  RCRC Comments: Accessed here RCRC Advocate: Staci Heaton sheaton@rcrcnet.org