The Barbed Wire - October 23, 2026

October 23, 2026 - Read the latest Advocacy News online here

Barbed Wire on Hiatus October 30

The Barbed Wire will be on hiatus October 30th. We will return on November 6th with the latest legislative and regulatory news impacting California's rural counties

SPOTLIGHT: Rural Chat with Dr. Temple Grandin

Following her keynote address at RCRC’s 2026 Annual Meeting, internationally recognized animal scientist, professor, bestselling author, and autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin joined RCRC for a special rural chat interview. In this brief conversation, Dr. Grandin shares reflections from her career and personal experiences, along with insights relevant to California’s rural communities.

Watch the interview here.

California Releases First Statewide Interagency Strategy to Restore Forests After Wildfire

On Wednesday October 21, the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force released the state’s first statewide interagency reforestation strategy, intended to establish a shared roadmap... Read More

Bulletin Board

Announcements regarding job postings, hearings, grants, and public comment notices of importance to California's rural counties. View the Bulletin Board Here

Keeping Up

Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California's rural counties. Read Keeping Up Here

Weekly News Clips

FEMA tells states to handle disasters on their own - Politico

FEMA plans to shift more disaster recovery responsibility to states, urging them to build financial reserves and emergency capacity to reduce reliance on federal aid.

State watchdog flags poor upkeep of Central Valley levees – CalMatters

Nearly a third of local agencies running Central Valley levees have kept up “unacceptable” maintenance, some for years, and the state hasn’t stepped in.

California data centers increasingly under fire at the local level – CalMatters

Despite seven new statewide laws regulating data centers, at least 26 resolutions, moratoriums, or bans on data centers have been passed or proposed in California since June.

Why many CEQA reformers don't support California Proposition 45 – San Francisco Chronicle

Proposition 45 would speed up permitting infrastructure, but critics warn it could enable sprawl and environmental harm. Supporters cite lower housing costs and fewer delays.