March 10, the U.S. House and Senate passed a $1.5 trillion appropriations package to fund federal government programs through the end of the fiscal year. President Biden is expected to sign the bill.
Passage of Fiscal Year 2022's appropriations package fosters certainty in federal programming through September 30, when the federal fiscal year ends. The process included the comeback of the earmarks process, labeled as "Community Project Funding" in the House and "Congressionally-Directed Spending" in the Senate. These programs will return or the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) process, which now begins.
Districts with "ready-to-go" projects or programs that may be considered locally or regionally significant that can receive support of community stakeholders are strongly encouraged to reach out to their congressional representatives' offices on their potential earmark requests.
CSDA business affiliate The Ferguson Group contributed an article covering what to expect on the FY23 earmarks process in the November-December 2021 edition of California Special Districts magazine. Click here to read the article.
Click here to find out how to contact your representative.
Contact Cole Karr, CSDA Federal Advocacy Coordinator, for questions and more information at colek@csda.net
Call for Nominees to the New Federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission
An opportunity for California's fire protection districts, resource conservation districts, and others experienced in wildfire mitigation, response, and remediation is now open to join a newly-established federal commission focused on developing recommendations to policymakers on wildfire mitigation and recovery.
The Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission is charged with recommending short- and long-term policies and strategies to federal lawmakers for preventing, mitigating, suppressing, and managing wildfire. The U.S. departments of Agriculture (USDA), Homeland Security (DHS), and Interior (DOI) will coordinate the commission, which will also offer recommendations for the rehabilitation of fire-ravaged lands.
Special district representatives with expertise and experience in wildfire preparedness, mitigation, suppression, or management are encouraged to consider answering the Administration's call for nominations. The application period opened March 10 and closes March 25. Click here to access the application via Microsoft Forms.
Eighteen non-federal applicants will be named to the commission. Additionally, the commission will consist of each department's leadership; representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and representatives from the National Wildfire Coordination Group and Resource Support Function Leadership Group. Applicants from "high-risk" states will receive preference - including California.
Selected individuals should anticipate committing 10-15 hours per month for commission duties, which will include attending meetings, strategic planning, and development of the congressional reports to be completed over the course of 12 months. USDA, DHS, and DOI will provide resources to assist members with coordination and facilitation of their duties through the duration of the commission.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorized the committee. The law also allows more than $3 billion in resources to address wildfire mitigation and forest management, which is among the provisions the National Special Districts Coalition, of which CSDA is a founding member, highlighted in an August letter to Congressional leadership supporting IIJA.
More information on the commission and the nomination process is found on the USDA's commission webpage.
Districts with questions regarding the commission or that are applying for the commission are encouraged to contact Cole Karr, CSDA Federal Advocacy Coordinator, at colek@csda.net.
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