California

State and federal agencies in California are joining forces to address the decline of monarch butterflies and other pollinator species in the state. The Multi-Agency Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative aims to facilitate long-term conservation of the western population of the migratory monarch butterfly and its habitats, as well as other pollinator species in the state.  “Monarchs and other pollinators are critical to […]

San Francisco — Fishery managers, in a presentation given to the salmon industry in Oregon on February 27, estimate there are only 169,800 Sacrament Basin fall run salmon in the ocean now. This is likely too few to allow much, if any, fishing in 2023.  The same information will be delivered to the California salmon […]

People often say things like Phoenix has always been dry; Seattle has always been wet; and San Francisco has always been foggy. But “always” is a strong word.  A study from the University of California, Davis, synthesizes climate trends across the Western U.S. during a relatively young period of Earth’s history — the Holocene Era, […]

Washington, D.C. – Yurok Tribe in northern California has been selected as the first pilot location for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative, as part of the agency’s plans to develop tribally-led collaborative partnerships to proactively examine public safety issues – particularly those involving missing endangered children.  Utilizing virtual and in-person […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. February 22, 2023 — Environmental and public health groups have filed a legal challenge seeking to close the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s loophole allowing crop seeds treated with pesticides to avoid regulation as pesticides. Nationwide, treated seeds are a major source of pesticide contamination of soil, water and ecosystems. This includes contamination from neonicotinoid insecticides, […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. February 21, 2023— U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that California will receive nearly $36 million through the first round of funding from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. This program—which was signed into law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—was modeled off the Reconnecting Communities Act that Padilla co-led in 2021. The […]

The Governor of CaliforniaPresident pro Tempore of the SenateSpeaker of the AssemblyState CapitolSacramento, California 95814 Dear Governor and Legislative Leaders: As directed by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, my office conducted an audit of the California School Finance Authority (CSFA). Our assessment focused on the Charter School Facility Grant Program (Facility Grant Program) and the […]

Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement announcing she will not run for reelection in 2024 but will continue to serve out her current term in office:             “I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the […]

SACRAMENTO — The California Energy Commission (CEC) has launched a $30 million incentive project to bring fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to 30 counties in Eastern California, the Central Valley and the Central Coast. Applications are due by March 10. The Golden State Priority Project, a part of the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project […]

SACRAMENTO—State Controller Malia M. Cohen today announced that homeowners throughout California have extra time to apply for Property Tax Postponement (PTP) for the 2022-23 tax year. While the standard application deadline is February 10, 2023, homeowners statewide have until April 14, 2023, to apply.  “Due to the impacts of weather-related and other emergencies, the Controller’s […]

Washington—The Internal Revenue Service announced on Friday that economic relief payments distributed by California will not be subject to federal income tax. The IRS guidance is available here (and below).             The announcement came after Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.) called on the IRS last week to not tax these payments.             […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to postpone a decision on whether to permanently protect western Joshua trees under the California Endangered Species Act. The commission agreed to wait to see whether a new bill proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration becomes law. Western Joshua trees will stay protected under California’s endangered species […]

Black History Month offers an opportunity to explore the full history of the Black experience in the United States and beyond. But even as the 2023 observation is underway, the teaching of Black history remains under attack in the U.S. Since 2021, according to Education Week, 42 states have introduced legislation that would restrict the teaching […]

Stanford, CA, February 9, 2023 – A coalition of California Tribes and Bay-Delta Environmental Justice groups submitted comments on 2/8/23 regarding the Draft Scientific Basis Report for proposed Voluntary Agreements (VAs) for the Sacramento River, Delta, and Tributaries Update to the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Quality Control Plan.  The comments were filed with the State Water Board […]

February 9, 2023 – University of California Cooperative Extension invites English- and Spanish-speaking adults in California and natural resource professionals to complete a 15-minute anonymous survey to inform the development of wildfire-related education and outreach programs. Results of the survey will guide local and statewide programming at UCCE and be used to inform organizations, policymakers […]

SACRAMENTO, February 8, 2023 – Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) announced today that he has introduced Senate Bill 352, a bill to create a formula that calculates a real living wage that a worker must make to afford basic housing in their region. California has one of the nation’s highest minimum wages at $15.50 per […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – During a ceremony held on Friday, February 3, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom recognized California Highway Patrol (CHP) OfficersRyan Ayers and Kenneth Weckman for their actions that went above and beyond the call of duty by awarding them with the Governor’s Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor.  This honor is the highest state award […]

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) today unveiled Safety Sam as their new safety cone mascot. The name was selected in a statewide student contest and is part of the campaign to expand public safety awareness to protect highway workers throughout the state.   Huntington […]

California water agencies that rely on the Colorado River today proposed a modeling framework for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate as it considers actions to help stabilize reservoir elevations and protect critical infrastructure to ensure the Colorado River system can continue to support 40 million people, nearly 6 million acres of agriculture, and […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In support of expanding recreational opportunities to California’s communities, California State Parks has recommended $4.68 million in federal grant funding for seven local non-motorized trail projects. Cities such as Glendale, Napa and Riverside applied for the funding in hopes to improve the quality of life for their communities by enhancing access to […]