• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) recently highlighted the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s approval of a bill to upgrade federal protections for Central Coast public lands, the first-ever action taken by the U.S. Senate on his legislation. The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which Carbajal reintroduced earlier this year during the wildflower super blooms he’s seeking to protect, would designate approximately 250,000 acres of public land in the Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument as wilderness, the highest form of federal protection available, according to a statement from Carbajal’s office. A wilderness designation would protect the land from future oil or gas drilling. “I am thrilled that the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act continues to gain momentum in Congress. After passing the House in bipartisan votes over my previous terms, it is exciting to see the Senate sharing our interest in adding these protections for our public lands,” Carbajal said in the statement. “One of the best things about living on the Central Coast is our access to beautiful public lands, like the Carrizo Plain National Monument and Los Padres National Forest. The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act will help preserve these public lands for future generations to enjoy and continue to bolster our local economy.”
• U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) led 12 senators in calling on the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service to finalize guidance for and maximize inclusive access to the 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, according to a Dec. 15 statement from Padilla’s office. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) included an extension of this tax credit, which provides billions of dollars for eligible refueling infrastructure investments, such as zero-emission truck stops, intermodal facilities, and warehouses. Compared to a more restrictive threshold, the recommendations of the letter would expand eligibility to cover an estimated 32 million additional people, including 4.7 million rural residents, 2.1 million people living in poverty, 2.2 million Black people, and 3.6 million Latinos, according to the senator’s office. In the letter the senators wrote, they request that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel adopt temporary safe harbor conditions in their guidance to protect taxpayers who already installed infrastructure over the last year and to minimize negative impacts on future investment and planning decisions. “Effective implementation of Section 30C is critical to realizing the administration’s goal of deploying 500,000 chargers by 2030 and facilitating the swift decarbonization of our transportation sector,” the letter stated.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom—in partnership with U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and the late Dianne Feinstein (both D-California)—led an effort that resulted in Congress authorizing and accelerating the transfer of seven C-130 aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard to Cal Fire, expanding California’s world-leading firefighting fleet to protect Californians, according to a Dec. 14 statement from the governor’s office. Even before this, California had built up the largest firefighting fleet in the world, according to the governor’s office. These new C-130s will be strategically located throughout the state at Cal Fire bases to be mobilized when needed, adding to Cal Fire’s helicopters, other aircraft, and firefighters. This is part of California’s effort to use innovation and technology to fight fires smarter by leveraging artificial intelligence, satellites, and more. “These are aircraft that can mobilize quickly and attack wildfires to better protect our communities. This was a collaborative effort with our partners Padilla, the late Feinstein, and others to deliver for Californians,” Newsom said in the statement. If President Joe Biden signs the bill into law, the planes will be transferred to the state, with the first of the seven planes likely ready in time for the height of the 2024 fire year.
This article appears in Dec 21-31, 2023.