Official Ballots have been mailed for upcoming Presidential Primary Election
By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach/Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department
Ballots for the March 5th Presidential Primary Election have been mailed to Contra Costa voters. If you do not receive your ballot by February 20th, call 925-335-7800.
Here’s what you need to know about voting in the upcoming election:
To ensure you receive a ballot in the mail, confirm that you are registered to vote and that your address is correct at MyVotingInformation. After February 20th, registration must be in person at one of the County’s early voting sites, the Elections Division in Martinez, or at a polling place on Election Day.
No stamp is required to return your ballot! Great news! Your return envelope is postage paid. Just put your completed ballot in the envelope, seal it, sign it, and mail it to us. Voted ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within seven (7) days after the election to be considered timely.
You can drop your ballot at one of the County’s 40 Official Drop Boxes. Official drop boxes are ready to receive ballots. Dropping your ballot at an official drop box is just like dropping it at the Elections Office and saves taxpayer dollars by reducing the cost of return postage. Voters can find the most up to date list of convenient drop-box locations here. Ballots must be dropped off no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Be sure your vote is included in the Election Night results– Vote early and mail or drop off your ballot so the Elections Office receives it before Election Day.
Five regional early voting sites will be open across the County on Friday, Saturday, and Monday leading up to Election Day. On Election Day, 147 polling locations will be open. Every voter will be assigned a polling place which will be listed on the back of their Voter Information Guide. For those who wish to vote in person, you can minimize the time spent waiting by reviewing your ballot options ahead of time and arriving ready to vote.
“Registered Voters in Contra Costa County should all have their Vote By Mail Ballots by now.” said Registrar of Voters, Kristin B. Connelly. “Our Election team is ready to receive and process ballots and there are many different ways to cast your ballot early.”
You can track your ballot! Ballot tracking is a Secretary of State service that will send you notices about your ballot, including when it’s mailed, received, and counted. Know where your ballot is every step of the way! Sign up at https://WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.
More information and locations of each voting option can be found on the Contra Costa Elections website or call 925-335-7800.
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Elward in SD3, Kalb in SD7 and Wilson in AD15
By Chris Thomas, Climate Action California
Climate Action California – the only statewide group basing endorsements for the March primary solely on a candidate’s positions on climate – has announced its endorsements. With more than 7,500 supporters around the state, Climate Action California is endorsing a total of 15 candidates for the California State Assembly and 13 for the State Senate. Climate Action California’s rigorously vetted endorsements assure voters that these candidates are climate champions committed to continuing and expanding California’s clean energy policies and global climate leadership as we work to address the climate crisis.
Jackie Elward for State Senate District 3
Climate Action California believes Jackie Elward can be counted on to fight the fossil fuel industry in Sacramento—and reach a 100% renewable future as soon as possible. Elward supports California’s 2045 net zero goals and encourages their acceleration, prohibiting natural gas in new building construction, incentives to remove gas infrastructure during retrofits, and ensuring people in impacted sectors have every opportunity for gainful employment in a similar field for a just transition. She also sees protection from climate impacts such as wildfire, extreme heat, drought, and increased flooding in the district as one of her top priorities.
Elward has served the North Bay community as an educator and labor organizer as well as Rohnert Park City Council member (since 2020) and Mayor. She is also a board member for Sonoma Clean Power (Sonoma County’s ground-breaking Community Choice Aggregator for clean energy), the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the Regional Climate Protection Authority (alternate), Sonoma County Continuum of Care (provider of homeless services), and North Bay Jobs with Justice.
A first-generation immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Elward has first-hand experience of the disease and devastation wrought by bad environmental policies.
All of Climate Action California’s endorsees – including Jackie Elward – have declared addressing climate change to be among their highest priorities and are committed to bringing about key legislation our state needs in the crucial years ahead.
Senate District 3 includes portions of far Eastern Contra Costa County. Read more about Elward on the CAC website.
Dan Kalb for State Senate District 7
Dan Kalb has spent his entire career as an advocate on climate, environment, and social justice issues and as a public servant, leading efforts to protect our environment and combat climate change. He is now running for an open seat in the state Senate, as Senator Nancy Skinner terms out after 12 years in Sacramento. Skinner, a climate warrior since long before joining the legislature, leaves a legacy of far-sighted climate policies passed into law. California needs an equally committed climate champion in that seat, and Climate Action California is confident that Dan Kalb is the right person for the job.
Kalb has served on the Oakland City Council since 2013, where he’s led the council on climate and environmental issues. His accomplishments include:
- Requiring divestment of fossil fuel portfolios from city funds
- Requiring new buildings to be all-electric
- Banning gas-powered leaf blowers
- Guiding adoption of Oakland’s equitable climate action plan through the Council
- Authoring ordinances banning storage and transport of coal through Oakland
Before joining the Oakland City Council, Kalb worked as the California Policy Director for the Union of Concerned Scientists for nine years, leading their efforts to pass early climate legislation in Sacramento. Based on Kalb’s long track record leading decarbonization efforts at the local and state level, Climate Action California is confident Kalb will be one of our strongest voices taking on climate change in the California State Senate.
Janet Cox, Climate Action California CEO, who lives in Dan’s district and has known him for many years, says, “Dan is exactly the kind of committed, focused climate leader we need in Sacramento. I know we’ll be able to count on Dan to take on the tough issues and work with colleagues to pass essential climate measures.” She adds, “Now it’s up to us to get to work to make sure Dan and his fellow endorsees win in March and November. This is how we can keep California moving at the speed and scale necessary to reduce our emissions and bring on the low-carbon economy we need.”
Senate District 7 includes portions of Western Contra Costa County. Read more about Kalb on CAC website.
Monica Wilson for Assembly District 15
In 2012, Monica Wilson was the first African American woman elected to the Antioch City Council, and she is currently serving her fourth term. As a councilwoman, she successfully enacted an ordinance banning oil and gas drilling within Antioch’s city limits. She and the council also voted to end a lease for a natural gas line that runs through Antioch.
Her priorities are:
- Delivering environmental justice, ensuring access to clean water and air for all communities, especially those disproportionately affected by pollution
- Meeting California carbon neutrality goals of 100% by 2045
- Reducing CO2 emissions from the transportation sector
- Ensuring a just transition from fossil fuels so that the workforce is retrained and the tax base is made whole as a result of the zero carbon transition
Monica was born in Washington, D.C., where her parents marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She grew up in San Rafael, where she was one of the few African American children at her school. For the past two decades, she has served the people of Contra Costa County as a community organizer, nonprofit manager, and leader in the fight for safe neighborhoods and healthy families.
Climate Action California believes that Monica has demonstrated her support for working people and a commitment to playing a role in the fight against climate change.
The climate can’t wait! California must elect climate champions.
Despite Democratic supermajorities in both the assembly and senate, the California legislature has struggled to pass many important climate bills. In 2023 alone, important climate bills addressing pension fund divestment from fossil fuels (SB 252) and bidirectional charging for electric vehicles (SB 233) failed to move out of the legislature. The climate cannot wait while the legislature holds tightly to the status quo. California needs more climate champions in the Assembly and the Senate to take on the climate crisis with the urgency that it deserves.
Assembly District 15 includes portions of Contra Costa County. Read more about Wilson on the CAC website.
Climate Action California (formerly the 350 Silicon Valley legislation/policy team) is a statewide, volunteer-led, 501(c)(4) social welfare organization (EIN 88-4217994). Our members understand the importance of California and our legislative initiatives to the rest of the nation – and the world. Visit our website for the full list. For further information, contact the Climate Action California Elections team at elections@climateactionca.org.
Read MoreBy Allen D. Payton
The Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction (CFEC) issued a warning this week about Project Labor Agreements being considered by local governments throughout the state, including two in Contra Costa County, as well as by the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (East Bay MUD).
PLA’s First Implemented in Contra Costa County
According to CFEC, “In 1992, California construction trade unions were given a new scheme for regaining their severely-eroded market share and making extra money on projects. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that governments could act as a ‘market participant’ to negotiate and sign Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and then require contractors to sign those union agreements as a condition of work.
In 1994, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 for the first government-mandated Project Labor Agreement in California. At the instigation of unions, local governments throughout the state soon followed, with their own Project Labor Agreement mandates on public works contracts. These Project Labor Agreements were discouraging bidders, increasing costs, and reducing bid participation from minority and women-owned small businesses.”
CFEC Executive Director Eric Christen claims “PLA’s rob workers of their hard earned pay” and explains the organization’s position in a YouTube video from a presentation to the San Gabriel Unified School District which “illustrates how the non-union worker loses out on over $10,000 in hard earned pay working under a PLA as opposed to working without one.”
Less Than 11% of Construction Workers Nationwide are Union Members, 21% in Contra Costa
The organization offers a variety of studies about the costs of union-only PLA’s. They also shared a Jan. 31, 2024, report entitled, “A Record 89.3% of the U.S. Construction Industry Is Not Part of a Union”. It claims, “According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 Union Members Summary released Jan. 23, 2024, a historic low of 10.7% of the construction industry belongs to a union, a decline from 11.7% in 2022.”
Asked for the statistics in Contra Costa County Christen responded, “according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CC County has a 21% union density level in the construction industry.”
CFEC warns of three agencies considering PLA’s including, “City of Hercules: This Bay Area city has begun looking into the use of a PLA. Mount Diablo Unified School District: This Contra Costa County school district is considering a Project Labor Agreement for all its bond work. East Bay MUD: This Bay Area entity continues to look into the use of a PLA for some of its work. CFEC and our allies have worked hard to keep it PLA-free for decades.” The organization asks for those interested to contact them to help keep the local governments “PLA-free”.
ABOUT CFEC
Non-union and union contractors, business and community leaders, and taxpayer advocates recognized Project Labor Agreements as a looming threat to fiscal responsibility, fair and open competition, and freedom of choice in training in California. In May 1998, state leaders attended a strategic conference in Sacramento to develop a plan to protect fair and open competition in the awarding of construction contracts.
By the end of the year, the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction (CFEC) was incorporated. Its sole responsibility: protect fair and open bid competition on construction contracts through education. When the California Supreme Court in 1999 permitted the San Francisco Airport Commission to continue its Project Labor Agreement mandate, the educational role of CFEC became extremely important to stopping this union favoritism.
The Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction is dedicated to guaranteeing genuine accountability and results for taxpayers by ensuring a fair and competitive construction industry. CFEC educates taxpayers and public officials about waste, fraud and abuse associated with lobbyist brokered Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). It’s our right and responsibility to hold our elected officials accountable for pushing special interest backroom deals that favor special interests over the public interest. That’s what we do.
Through education and advocacy, CFEC stands up for taxpayers, construction workers, contractors and developers so that the public can get the best quality work at the best price. To learn more visit http://opencompca.com/.
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Including machine guns, assault rifles, silencers, suspected grenades
By Office of California Attorney General
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced today, Thursday, February 15, 2024, the arrest of a suspect in Richmond with a large cache of illegal firearms, including assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and approximately one million rounds of ammunition. The suspect is alleged to be legally barred from owning weapons.
“This arrest demonstrates exactly why the Armed and Prohibited Persons System is vital for the safety of our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “In our efforts to retrieve guns from a prohibited individual, we found hundreds of allegedly illegal weapons and approximately one million rounds of ammunition. I am grateful for our Bureau of Firearms agents’ and local law enforcement partners’ work in getting these illegal weapons out of the hands of this prohibited individual.”
On January 31, 2024, agents from the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Firearms (BOF) Contra Costa Anti-Violence Support Effort (CASE) Task Force assisted by the BOF Dublin office and Contra Costa County Probation Officers served a search warrant at the suspect’s residence in Richmond. During the search, several suspected grenades were discovered, and the Walnut Creek Police Department Bomb Squad and Travis Air Force Base Bomb Squad were asked to respond, and the grenades were found to be inert. After a thorough search of the residence, DOJ agents seized approximately 11 military-style machine guns, 133 handguns, 37 rifles, 60 assault rifles, 7 shotguns, 20 silencers, 4 flare guns, 3,000 large capacity magazines, approximately one million rounds of miscellaneous caliber ammunition, and dozens of rifle receivers and pistol frames. (See video.)
In 2006, California became the first state in the nation to establish a system for tracking firearm owners who fall into a prohibited status. The APPS database works to identify individuals who lawfully procured firearms and later became prohibited from owning or possessing them. In general, prohibited persons in APPS include individuals who were convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, were placed under a domestic violence or other restraining order, or suffer from serious mental illness.
The 2022 APPS Report was released in April of 2023 and the 2023 APPS Report will be released in March 2024. DOJ’s BOF serves the people of California through education, regulation, and enforcement actions regarding the manufacture, sale, ownership, safety training, and transfer of firearms and ammunition. BOF staff are leaders in providing firearms expertise and information to law enforcement, legislators, and the general public in a comprehensive program to ensure legitimate and responsible firearm possession and use by California residents. BOF is looking to hire additional special agents and more information on assessments for relevant job openings can be found on DOJ’s website at oag.ca.gov/careers/exams.
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Hundreds of students, workers, tenants participate at 7 UC campuses; claim UC is major shareholder in $3.5B controversial private equity investment trust that’s been linked to state’s housing affordability Crisis
On Valentine’s Day, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, students, the University of California’s (UC) union of low-wage frontline service and patient care workers – members of AFSCME Local 3299 – alongside Blackstone tenants and community members with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) called on UC Chancellors to “Break up with Blackstone” and invest in affordable housing. The global Wall Street private equity firm Blackstone has become the largest landlord in America and has been accused of worsening high housing costs and evictions.
Actions were held across the state in seven locations on the campuses of UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego. The renewed call to divest from Blackstone follows the announcement of its $3.5 billion acquisition of Tricon Residential Inc. UC invested $4.5 billion in Blackstone’s BREIT in 2023 to boost investor confidence amid a wave of shareholder redemptions.
Blackstone went on an aggressive buying spree in 2021 and 2022, expanding its residential real estate empire, and adding over 200,000 housing units to its portfolio, including 5,600 naturally occurring affordable housing units in the San Diego area. ACCE released a report earlier this year with the Private Equity Stakeholder Project showing that Blackstone had raised rents in some units in San Diego between 43% – 64% in two years. Even before its announced acquisition of Tricon Residential, Blackstone owned more than 300,000 housing units, including a majority stake in the nation’s largest provider of student housing. As California becomes increasingly unaffordable, throwing more families into homelessness, Blackstone’s aggressiveness as one of the largest landlords in the state in hiking up rents for its thousands of units only adds to the problem.
UC acknowledged last year that its staff vacancy rate had tripled under the weight of California’s housing affordability crisis since the start of the COVID Pandemic, but has thus far failed to act on calls from students and workers to divest from Blackstone and invest in more affordable housing. The University currently houses just 38% of its students in places that cost 30% more, on average than comparable campus communities nationwide. Recent news reports have chronicled the struggles of UC’s low-wage service and patient care workers being forced to commute several hours or sleep in their cars to maintain their employment.
AFSCME Local 3299 represents more than 33,000 Service and Patient Care Technical workers at UC’s 10 campuses, 5 medical centers, numerous clinics, research laboratories, and UC Law, SF.
The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action is a grassroots, member-led, statewide community organization working with more than 16,000 members across California. ACCE is dedicated to raising the voices of everyday Californians, neighborhood by neighborhood, to fight for the policies and programs we need to improve our communities and create a brighter future.
Read MoreCampaigning to restore common sense, integrity, transparency to state government, on issues of parental control in education, public safety, reducing taxes and regulations on business.
My name is Wanda Wallis, I have been a Solano County and Suisun City resident for 20 years. I am a mother to one adult son, and I have been happily married for 20 years. As a businesswoman, I am running a grassroots campaign in my election for CA State Assembly District 11. It is time to bring back common sense, integrity and transparency.
Families are the foundation of society and you, the parents, are the best advocates of your child’s education and wellbeing. Every parent has the right to make decisions about what is best for their child. My opponent has authored, and voted for legislation, which would usurp parental authority and transfer it to teachers, “professionals,” elected and unelected bureaucrats (AB 957, AB 665, AB 1078). I will fight to support parents as the ultimate decision-making authority regarding the well-being of their children and oppose any bill that intrudes on those rights.
Education such as reading, writing and math serve as a deterrent to criminal behavior in youth. For young men and women who cannot read, perform basic math or write, joblessness is a future leading to crime as a way of survival. Instead of focusing on legislation that encourages basic reading, writing, and math, my opponent voted in support of willful defiance in the classroom. I will support legislation that encourages academic success, not disabling capable students due to others disruptive behavior.
People deserve to be safe in their homes, businesses, and in the community. Soft on crime legislation, like Prop. 47 and no-cash bail policies, combined with the lack of prosecution has created a revolving door for criminals making our neighborhoods unsafe and endangering the lives of law enforcement officers and EMT’s. When thieves get off easy, more than likely, they will steal again and are emboldened to commit more crimes.
My opponent is more concerned about the comfort of criminals than the safety of our communities. We have many laws already on the books to hold criminals accountable, but we lack enforcement. My opponent thinks there ought to be more laws, I think we ought to enforce the law.
Smash and grab crimes are rampant in California. Lax enforcement policies and failure to prosecute criminals has created a crime sanctuary, a safe haven for criminal behavior.
It’s time for a new voice in the California legislature and I am the new voice of the people. It is time for your voice to be heard and I will work for you to support families, safer communities, and promote economic policies that work for the working class of Solano and East Contra Costa Counties.
I have not forgotten our vets, in many cases homeless and forgotten. My goal is to give them back their dignity. With housing and the benefits, they deserve.
I am Wanda Wallis and I ask for your support in time, talent and treasure. Please contact my campaign to schedule meet and greets, speaking invitations, volunteer opportunities at wanda@votewanda.com and contribute at www.votewanda.com.
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As the City of Pleasant Hill transitions to a District-Based Election system, a new online tool will allow residents to know their voting district.
Following the request in early 2023 for the City to move from an at-large to a district-based system, the City Council held several meetings to determine a map that would split the City into separate districts, each with its own City Council representative. On July 17, 2023, the City map was approved and will take effect in the November 2024 General Election.
To help residents know what district they are voting in and who their representative will be, the City has unveiled a new online tool for determining what district an address will be in. To use the tool, residents can go to www.pleasanthillca.org/mydistrict and type their address into the search bar.
Read MoreAs part of President Biden’s American Climate Corps, USDA launches new program placing at least 100 young people in jobs across the country
Will also focus on equity and environmental justice
Webinars Feb. 15 & 20; deadline to apply is March 8
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 12, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a new effort to train the next generation of conservation and climate leaders. As part of President Biden’s historic American Climate Corps initiative, the Working Lands Climate Corps will provide technical training and career pathway opportunities for young people, helping them deliver economic benefits through climate-smart agriculture solutions for farmers and ranchers across the country, now and in the future. The Working Lands Climate Corps, in its first cohort, will aim to create service opportunities for more than 100 young people. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is working in partnership with AmeriCorps, The Corps Network and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) in this effort. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small made the announcement at the National Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting in San Diego. To date, more than 50,000 people have expressed interest in joining the American Climate Corps – and over the past several weeks, 2,200 people have participated in American Climate Corps listening sessions.
“As part of President Biden’s historic American Climate Corps initiative, USDA’s new Working Lands Climate Corps will train a new generation of Americans to help tackle climate change in rural communities across the country,” said Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small. “This program will provide a pathway to continue to build a workforce of people who understand these programs and their promise to support the delivery of billions of dollars in climate-smart agriculture funding made available through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, putting them on a pathway into good paying careers at the US Department of Agriculture.”
“From the Heartland to the coasts, President Biden’s American Climate Corps is mobilizing the next generation of Americans to tackle the climate crisis while putting young people on pathways to good-paying careers,” said Ali Zaidi, President Biden’s National Climate Advisor. “USDA’s Working Lands Climate Corps demonstrates how the President’s historic initiative is on the frontlines of addressing some of the most urgent challenges facing our agricultural communities, ensuring that farmers and ranchers continue to play a central and growing role in developing innovative climate solutions. Through the President’s pathbreaking initiative, the Biden-Harris Administration will empower the next generation of climate-smart agriculture leaders while strengthening our commitment to working hand-in-hand with America’s rural and agricultural communities.”
“Born amid the Dust Bowl crisis of the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps revitalized farmlands across the nation. Today, farmers are facing new a threat — climate change and droughts,” claims Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps. “With equity at its core, President Biden’s American Climate Corps is addressing this new crisis by training a new generation for good-paying jobs in climate resilience and clean energy. AmeriCorps is proud to partner with USDA, The Corps Network, and the National Association of Conservation Districts to launch the Working Lands Climate Corps — a new American Climate Corps program — which will mobilize Americans across the country to restore soil health, promote sustainable farming practices, and tackle the disproportionate impacts that climate change has on the farming industry and our food.”
“Managing and protecting our natural resources is a shared responsibility. The work NRCS does in collaboration with partners to improve the resilience of private lands is increasingly important as we see the mounting effects of climate change,” claims Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President and CEO of The Corps Network. “Engaging young adults in this work through a Corps model offers a way to expand the reach of NRCS, train future workers in climate-smart agriculture practices, and develop a new generation of climate and community leaders. The Corps Network is proud to work with the Biden Administration to stand up the Working Lands Climate Corps, a new initiative through the American Climate Corps that will help deliver on critical workforce and climate priorities. From four decades of experience working at the intersection of conservation, service, and workforce development, we know this initiative has the potential to have an important impact on our lands and in developing the climate-ready workforce we need.”
“Conservation Districts have a long history of partnership with the USDA and original Civilian Conservation Corps that dates back to the Dust Bowl era,” said National Association of Conservation Districts President Kim LaFleur. “The new Working Lands Conservation Corps allows us to renew and strengthen this partnership, while offering important conservation career developmental opportunities to young adults across the country. We are thrilled to provide training that will support the voluntary, locally led conservation delivery system and supplement ‘boots on ground’ training programs.”
The Working Lands Climate Corps is part of the American Climate Corps, a workforce training and service initiative that is working to ensure more young people have access to the skills-based training needed for good paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy.
The Corps Network, National Association of Conservation Districts, AmeriCorps, and USDA will hold webinars on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. ET and Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. ET to provide additional information for organizations interested in applying. To learn more, visit www.corpsnetwork.org/WLCC.
The request for proposals is available at www.corpsnetwork.org/WLCC. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 8, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET.
The National Association of Conservation Districts will be a core partner in supporting the program, organizing and structuring trainings for the members of the Working Lands Climate Corps. This will include mentorship opportunities, on-the-job training, and job experience needed to prepare Working Lands Climate Corps members for careers in climate-smart agriculture and conservation.
The Corps Network is also announcing an initial investment for the Working Lands Climate Corps from the Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation and will continue to leverage additional and critical philanthropic funds.
More Information about the Working Lands Climate Corps
Members will receive technical skills training, education awards and career pathway opportunities. They will conduct outreach and education around the availability of climate-smart agriculture assistance and support conservation technical assistance and resilient planning activities for working farms and ranches.
Through the first cohort of members, more than 100 young people will serve with state and local host organizations across the country, receiving on-the ground experience and training with partners and organizations who conduct programming to support the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and systems.
Eligible host organizations, who can apply through the request for proposal, may include organizations that operate at the state and local level in cooperation with NRCS to provide conservation assistance and other climate-smart agriculture programs, including outreach and education to reach new farmers and ranchers across the country.
Projects proposed by organizations based in the communities they serve, as well as those in partnership with existing Service and Conservation Corps or Soil Conservation Districts, are encouraged to apply.
The Corps Network will review applications and will award subgrants to selected organizations to host the first class of Working Lands Climate Corps members across the country, who will also be part of the first class of the American Climate Corps.
The National Association of Conservation Districts will organize, and structure trainings provided to all Working Lands Climate Corps members, including information on climate-smart agriculture practices, conservation and resilience planning, environmental justice, outreach with farmers and rural communities, leadership development, and more. Trainings will be provided through a variety of forums including meetings, online resources and support through host organizations.
More Information About the American Climate Corps and the USDA
President Biden launched the American Climate Corps to train young people in high-demand skills for jobs in the clean energy economy. The American Climate Corps will put a new generation of Americans to work conserving our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, advancing environmental justice, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and tackling climate change. American Climate Corps members will gain the skills necessary to access good-paying jobs that are aligned with high-quality employment opportunities after they complete their paid training or service program.
USDA is one of the seven agencies that signed a memorandum of understanding to shape the American Climate Corps, which will serve as a blueprint for the multiagency program. The memorandum of understanding lays out the mission, goals, priorities, and next steps for implementing the American Climate Corps.
The American Climate Corps will also focus on equity and environmental justice – prioritizing communities traditionally left behind, including through outreach and climate-smart agriculture assistance, leveraging the talents of all members of our society and prioritizing projects that help meet the Administration’s Justice40 goal. The American Climate Corps also delivers on the President’s America the Beautiful Initiative by training the next generation of land and waters stewards.
Recent listening sessions highlighted the demand for American Climate Corps opportunities from young people across the country, including in climate-smart agriculture.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, promoting competition and fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across USDA by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of the Nation. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
Read MoreBeloved animal rescue organization celebrates the human-animal bond this Valentine’s Day and beyond; also hosting community adopt-a-thon Feb. 17
WALNUT CREEK, CA: After 32 years as the Animal Rescue Foundation, one of Contra Costa County’s longest-serving animal rescue and adoption nonprofits got a new name and makeover today. Animal Rescue Foundation will now be known as Joybound People & Pets.
“If you’ve ever seen a dog give a happy wag or a cat lovingly nuzzle up to its person, you’ve seen Joybound in action,” said CEO Susan Lee Vick. “The name Joybound reflects our longstanding commitment to forming and supporting strong human-animal bonds to bring greater health and happiness to dogs, cats, and their human families.”
At a ceremony on the Walnut Creek campus starting at 11am this morning, animal guests will receive the “red carpet” treatment before an audience of devoted volunteers, staff, and supporters. Walnut Creek Mayor Loella Haskew will read a proclamation and State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan will present a resolution to commemorate the name change. Other officials in attendance to usher in the next era for this beloved community organization include State Assemblymember Tim Grayson, Walnut Creek City Councilmembers Kevin Wilk and Cindy Silva, and representatives from the offices of State Senator Steve Glazer, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, and Contra Costa County Supervisor Ken Carlson.
“Anyone with a pet can tell you they are like family,” said State Senator Steve Glazer. “I congratulate Joybound on this milestone and look forward to hearing more stories about how pet adoptions are enriching so many more lives.”
The celebration will continue on Saturday, February 17, with an “Unleash the Love” Adopt-a-thon and Celebration, featuring adorable animals from more than a dozen Northern California rescue and adoption groups. This family-friendly event will offer free microchipping for the first 100 pets (whether adopted at the event or already a member of a family), therapy animals on hand to spread love, food trucks, music, face painting, free ice cream, and other giveaways.
Joybound People and Pets, previously known as the Animal Rescue Foundation, was founded in 1991. Joybound’s many programs support people and pets through the life of their relationship. Services include training and veterinary care, food and supply assistance, therapy and service-animal programs, and rich learning resources for all pet families.
“The shared emotional experience of the human-animal bond continues long after the act of rescue,” said 14-year volunteer Carol Ross. “Ultimately our work is to help pets and people form and sustain joyful lifelong relationships.”
As Joybound, the organization plans to expand its services forging and supporting human-animal bonds beyond Contra Costa County and the Bay Area. In addition, Joybound will be introducing pet-related vocational training programs for people interested in careers such as pet grooming, dog training, and veterinary nursing.
About Joybound
We are Joybound People & Pets Alliance, formerly ARF, a privately-funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Walnut Creek, California. With dog and cat rescue and adoption at the heart of its mission, Joybound forms, supports, elevates, and celebrates the human-animal bond through services such as training and veterinary care, food and supply assistance, therapy and service-animal programs, and rich learning resources for all pet families. We serve our community through programs for children, seniors, Veterans, and animal guardians who need a helping hand to keep their pets in safe, healthy, forever homes. Joybound’s goal is for every adoption story to become a lasting tale of friendship, love, and mutual happiness.
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$202.7K from Office of Traffic Safety
Contra Costa Health (CCH) announced today that it has received a $202,692 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support its Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program. This grant will allow CCH to promote safe practices for pedestrians and bicyclists and provide education about the importance of sharing the road.
Local data show an increase of nearly 30% in fatal crashes involving pedestrians over the past 10 years in Contra Costa County, and that pedestrians and bicyclists are 2.4 times more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a traffic crash compared to drivers. The OTS grant funds multiple efforts to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Everyone deserves a safe environment to travel, regardless of how people get to places,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “The safety of people walking and biking on our roads is a high priority. Education plays a pivotal role in creating a strong road safety culture that prioritizes traffic safety, especially for our most vulnerable road users.”
Grant funds will support a variety of activities focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety:
- Support for local jurisdictions to include public health in road safety plans and address the community conditions that create unsafe environments for non-motorized road users.
- Local bicycle and pedestrian safety campaigns.
- Community bicycle and walk “audits” of streets with high rates of pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities and serious injury crashes.
- Bicycle training courses that teach youth on how to stay safe on the road.
- Community events that promote bicyclist and pedestrian visibility and the importance of sharing the road, slowing down, and staying alert to bicyclists and pedestrians while driving.
Area Goals for the OTS program include:
- Reduce the total number of pedestrians killed.
- Reduce the total number of pedestrians injured.
- Reduce the number of pedestrians killed under the age of 15.
- Reduce the number of pedestrians injured under the age of 15.
- Reduce the number of pedestrians killed over the age of 65.
- Reduce the number of pedestrians injured over the age of 65.
- Reduce the total number of bicyclists killed in traffic related crashes.
- Reduce the total number of bicyclists injured in traffic related crashes.
- Reduce the number of bicyclists killed in traffic related crashes under the age of 15.
- Reduce the number of bicyclists injured in traffic related crashes under the age of 15.
- Increase bicycle helmet compliance for children aged 5 to 18.
The grant program will run through September 2024.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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