Environment

“I commend the efforts of Chief John Shalowitz and the Sutter County Fire Department in securing this grant to increase preparedness for disasters such as the Monticello Fire," Congressman Garamendi said.

“This commonsense bipartisan legislation would enable us to better protect our communities and land from the dangerous spread of wildfires. The historic drought in the West has turned California into a tinderbox. While these are both natural disasters, they are both within our control to effectively manage.”

In today’s letter, the members wrote, “Should spills or explosions occur, as we have seen over the last year, the consequences could be disastrous, costing lives, damaging property, and harming the environment. While we are pleased with the many actions that DOT has taken thus far and we believe that your agency is making steady progress, we must still emphasize the utmost importance of demonstrated compliance with federal regulations by the railroad and petroleum industries. We believe there must be accountability and comprehensive oversight, as well as adherence to the most stringent of standards.”

The Congressmen asked the Coast Guard to reactivate the Polar Sea icebreaker in a letter to Commandant Paul Zukunft. The U.S. currently does not have the icebreakers it needs to meet its responsibilities in the Arctic. Putting the Polar Sea back into service would better enable the U.S. to secure its national security, environmental and economic interests in the region.

Garamendi led a letter to the Agriculture Secretary urging him to designate the Bay-Delta watershed as a critical conservation area. This will make private companies, agriculture groups, universities, non-profit organizations, local and tribal governments and others eligible for conservation funding.

"On issues as global as wasteful spending in our nuclear weapons program to as local as supporting a thriving arts scene, Davis is driven to make things better," Garamendi said.

“This bill will help protect communities from devastating floods and threats to public health. It will also accelerate American business growth and job creation," said Garamendi.

"Protecting our great outdoors provides enormous benefits. ... When independent entities demonstrate a commitment and ability to manage conservation easements, states should be allowed to designate them as managers."