RCRC representatives, including Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams, meet with Congressman John Garamendi in Washington D.C. Photo by RCRC.

WASHINGTON D.C. — This week, Supervisor Lee Adams joined a delegation from the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) traveling to Washington D.C. to meet with Congressional Members and Federal Agency leaders on Capitol Hill to raise awareness of challenges and opportunities in California’s rural communities. The RCRC is a forty-member county service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. It provides legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels and services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties. Both RCRC and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) engaged in the National Association of Counties (NACO) annual Legislative Conference that was held in DC Feb 9-13, which approximately 2,000 counties across the country attended.

The RCRC delegation includes the organization’s Chair, Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez; 1st Vice Chair, Modoc County Supervisor Geri Byrne; Immediate Past Chair, Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter; and Board Members Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams, Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrel; and RCRC staff. Supervisor Adams has been a part of this annual delegation eight times.

During their visit, the delegation engaged in productive discussions in Washington D.C., meeting with Representatives Kevin Kiley, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Thompson, Jim Costa, John Duarte, Doug La Malfa, and John Garamendi, as well as Senator Alex Padilla. Important topics of discussion included:

• Reauthorization of the Farm Bill, preservation of rural healthcare funding
• USDA Rural Partners Network
• Secure Rural Schools funding (SRS).
• Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) programs.
• California’s home insurance crisis.
• Federal forest policy and USFS firefighter pay.
• Rural transportation issues.
• Rural broadband expansion.
• AT&T’s request to be removed as the Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) in California.

During their action-packed visit, Adams also met with Katie Wheeler Matthews (Governor Newsom’s representative in D.C.), the staff of USDA Rural Development, Congressman Adam Schiff’s office, and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. The delegation also met with White House staff, including the Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs and U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore.

Supervisor Adams said they voiced particularly strong concerns about AT&T’s attempt to end COLR responsibility to every person they met in D.C. but were continually reminded that they had no real influence over the CPUC. Adams said he had “received more calls and emails from Sierra County residents on this single issue than any other issue during his fourteen years as Supervisor.” He stressed that residents must reach out to our public leaders and voice every concern possible. The more people they hear from, the better. Adams also commented, “Sierra County is so unique. We are a county of just over 3,000 in a state with 40 million, and 70% of our land mass is managed by the federal government. It’s vital that they understand our perspective.”