LegCon 2026: Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources Policy Committee Meeting Recap

The Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources (AENR) Policy Committee met twice on May 20, 2026, during CSAC’s 2026 Legislative Conference in Sacramento. The AENR Policy Committee leadership includes Chair Supervisor Jessica Pyska (Lake County) and Vice-Chairs Supervisor Tod Kimmelshue (Butte County) and Supervisor Doug Verboon (Kings County).   

AENR Policy Committee – Part 1 focused on wildfire and energy, featuring an update from Chief Joe Tyler, Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal FIRE). Chief Tyler was then joined by Melissa Boudrye, Resilience Branch Chief of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and Elizabeth Meyer-Shields, Acting Associate State Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a panel discussion on wildfire.  

Attendees then heard presentations from Greg Williams, the Executive Director of Sierra Buttes Trails Stewardship and John Wentworth, Board President and CEO of the Mammoth Lakes Trails & Public Access Foundation. Both speakers highlighted how their organizations are working to increase outdoor recreation trail access while simultaneously strengthening regional fire resilience.  

Part 1 concluded with a conversation on energy safety, reliability, and affordability featuring Tony Marino, Acting Director of the California Office of Energy Safety Infrastructure (Energy Safety) and Forest Kaser, Chief Deputy Executive Director of the California Public Utilities (CPUC). 

AENR Policy Committee – Part 2 was centered around agriculture and water, specifically discussing issues related to sustainable groundwater management. The committee heard presentations from Paul Gosselin, Director for Sustainable Water Management at the Department of Water Resources (DWR), Heather Shannon, Supervising Engineering Geologist in DWR’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Office, and Erik Ekdahl, Chief Deputy Director of the California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board). Topics of discussion included subsidence best management practices, departmental support available for the development and implementation of groundwater sustainability plans (GSP), and an overview of the GSP review process. 

The session continued with a legislative panel discussion on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The committee heard from Assemblymember Steve Bennett, District 38, and Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, District 33, on their thoughts on SGMA implementation and what’s needed to reach the state’s water sustainability goals. The panel included a robust Question & Answer period with the featured speakers and audience members.   

The second policy committee meeting wrapped up with a brief legislative update from CSAC staff on key legislation. To access the meeting materials, including meeting agendas and presentations, please visit CSAC’s Website. If you have any questions, please contact Caitlin Loventhal at cloventhal@counties.org.