April 10, 2026 - Read the latest Advocacy News online here | | | | RCRC Partners with Bioenergy Association of California to Demand Action from CPUC on BioMAT Program Termination | On Friday, April 3, the Bioenergy Association of California (BAC), in partnership with the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), commenced legal proceedings to address the premature termination of the Bioenergy Market Adjusting Tariff (BioMAT) program by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)... Read More | | | | Bill of the Week: Senate Bill 1404 (Stern) – State Responsibility Area Fees | RCRC opposes Senate Bill 1404, authored by Senator Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), which seeks to go back on agreements made in the 2017 Cap-and-Trade reauthorization by reinstating the State Responsibility Area (SRA) fee... Read More | | | | Illegal Dumping Prevention Bills Advance in California Legislature | This week, two important bills targeting illegal dumping advanced in the Legislature. RCRC strongly supports both measures... Read More | | | | Governor Newsom Announces $145.4 Million in HHAP Funding to Help Eight California Regions Reduce Homelessness | On Wednesday, April 8, Governor Newsom announced additional grants from the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Program. Recipients include several RCRC member counties... Read More | | | | Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) Seeks Responses on Two Planning Surveys | The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) is seeking responses to two surveys, designed to provide additional insight into specific planning topics that will be folded into the General Plan Guidelines and other future planning guidance materials LCI creates... Read More | | | | California HCD Announces Updated ADU Handbook and Housing Accountability Unit Letters Dashboard | On Tuesday, April 7, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the release of a 2026 update to the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Handbook and highlighted the recently launched Housing Accountability Unit Letters Dashboard... Read More | | | | California DCC Completes Transition of Provisional License Holders to Annual License Holders | On Monday, April 6, the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) announced that the provisional commercial cannabis licensing program has been closed, and provisional licenses have been transitioned to annual licenses... Read More | | | | U.S. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill on Wildland Firefighter Pay and Rest Standards | On Thursday, April 2, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT), co-chairs of the Senate Wildfire Caucus, introduced the Support Our Firefighters Act, which would establish mandatory rest and recuperation periods for federal wildland firefighters and permanently remove the annual compensation cap that limits their pay during peak fire season... Read More | | | | USDA Finalizes Historic Regulatory Reform in NEPA Final Rule | On Tuesday, April 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finalized a rule updating its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations... Read More | | Announcements regarding job postings, hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties. View the Bulletin Board Here | | Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California's rural counties. Read Keeping Up Here | | The Trump administration announced this week it will shut down six of eight U.S. Forest Service research facilities in California as part of a major national reorganization that could leave the state underequipped to manage escalating wildfire and drought threats. The closures in Fresno, Chico, Fort Bragg, Mount Shasta, and Anderson and Hat Creek in Shasta County are part of a broader plan announced this week to shutter 57 of the agency's 77 research facilities across 31 states and move its headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City. | |  | California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Wednesday defended a bill that would make broad changes to insurance coverage after a home is destroyed in a wildfire or other disaster, which is facing stiff opposition from industry lobbyists. | | California plans to transform Humboldt Bay into a hub for floating offshore wind power to help reach its 100% clean energy goal by 2045. The project requires new deep-water floating technology, about 400 miles of new transmission lines and hundreds of wind turbines as tall as the Eiffel Tower. | | Governor Gavin Newsom is advancing a plan that could funnel hundreds of millions in road dollars to a struggling oil refinery — pitching it as a cleaner jet fuel initiative. The credit, drawn from funds voters designated for highways and local streets, could also raise gas prices for most drivers. | | | |
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