Sunday, October 10 was the deadline for final bill action by
Governor Newsom. Following is an update on major bills of
interest or concern for the Agriculture, Environment, and Natural
Resources policy area that were among the 800+ bills awaiting
action by Governor Gavin Newsom. For additional questions,
please contact Catherine
Freeman or Ada
Waelder.
October 12 Update- This event has been postponed to early
2022.
September 30, 2021
State, federal, and local emergency managers, and policymakers
are invited to join Cal OES on November 3, 2021,
for a Zoom conference to discuss the current status of hazard
mitigation policy and action in California, and the critical next
steps needed to ensure a safer future for all of
California.
The State has announced its second and third round of funding
commitments for $28 million in drought funding through the Small
Community Drought Relief program. This comes after the Department
of Water Resources allocated its
first round of funding last month.
Both chambers of the Legislature adjourned before 9 p.m. last
Friday night, bringing an end to the 2021 session. Following
is an update on major bills of interest or concern for
the Agriculture, Environment, and Natural
Resources policy area that are now among the 800+ bills
awaiting action by Governor Gavin Newsom. CSAC staff will
continue to monitor and advocate for County
priorities during the signing period, which ends October 10,
2021.
Following a canceled wildfire budget hearing, the Legislative
Analyst’s Office (LAO) released a document that provides
updated information on recent wildfire resilience-related budget
actions. The document provides an update on the administration’s
progress thus far towards committing the funding provided in
the April
2021 Wildfire and Forest Resilience Early Action
Package to specific projects and activities. Key
findings include:
The California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) is extending the deadline
for the CFSC County Coordinators Grant Application by one month,
until Thursday, September 30 at 11:59 p.m.
to help accommodate counties currently struggling with the
impacts of this season’s wildfires. Even with the extension, the
CFSC is making every effort to keep the grant process on track
and provide prompt payment. The grant activity period is
anticipated to begin November 1.
The Legislature has just two short weeks left to finish their
business and dispense with any bills that remain active.
Yesterday, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees took a
major step in that direction by hearing bills held in their
suspense file, including several bills that the CSAC Agriculture,
Environment, and Natural Resources team have been tracking
closely. Below is a recap of some of the most pressing bills in
the AENR realm.
This week, California secured a Presidential Major Disaster
Declaration for the Dixie and River fires, currently burning in
Lassen, Nevada, Placer, and Plumas counties. A Presidential Major
Disaster Declaration opens the door for a wide range of federal
assistance programs to assist state and local governments in
responding to and recovering from natural disasters.
Chief Randy Moore, US Forest Service, earlier this week issued a
memo to all regional foresters temporarily halting “managed
fire” as a suppression strategy until further notice and
prioritizing fires that threaten communities and infrastructure.
The California Fire Safe Council (CFSC), in partnership with the
California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and the Rural
County Representatives of California (RCRC), will open
applications for the 2021 County Coordinators Grant Program on
Monday, August 2, at 9:00 AM PST. Applications
will close August 31, 2021, at 11:59PM PST. Grant awards will be
announced in September 2021.
This week, President Biden and Vice President Harris met
with Governors from Western States and announced that Sonoma
County will receive $37 million in wildfire mitigation
funds.
