In the News
Humboldt County venues receive $1.7 million in COVID relief funds
by Isabella Vanderheiden
Humboldt County arts organizations and venues have received more than $1.7 million in COVID relief funds from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. The program, established through the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package passed in December 2020, provides support to small businesses in the music and entertainment sector that were forced to shut their doors because of pandemic restrictions. North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) said 62 venues within his district have secured more … Continue Reading
August 06, 2021
Sonoma County entertainment venues get helping hand
by KATHLEEN COATES AND DAN TAYLOR
Things were looking bleak for the Cloverdale Arts Alliance a month ago. Their rainy day fund had run out and they had to cut back all their programs because of the pandemic. Then the organization, which runs a downtown arts center and sponsors an outdoor concert series, received a $90,452 federal grant through a program called Shuttered Venue Operators Grants. "We were running out of money, so we took out a loan from the Small Business Association," said Mark Tharrington, executive director. … Continue Reading
August 05, 2021
Mendocino County theaters, concert venues receive more than $1 million in Covid-relief funds
More than $1 million in federal grants have been awarded to seven Mendocino County theaters and concert venues as part of a Covid-19 relief bill, the office of Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced this week. According to a press release from Rep. Huffman, 62 venues in his California district "have received a total of over $35 million in Shuttered Venue Operators Grants, (a program) which provides support to hard-hit businesses in the music and entertainment sector that were forced to … Continue Reading
August 04, 2021
Marin arts organizations get influx of pandemic aid
by Richard Halstead
Twenty-nine arts organizations in Marin County will receive federal aid totaling more than $17 million to help them recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat whose district includes Marin, released a districtwide list of funding recipients Wednesday under the federal "Shuttered Venue Operators Grants" program. Huffman announced more than $35 million in grants throughout the district. "We were thrilled," said Lesley Currier, founder and managing … Continue Reading
August 03, 2021
Groups Welcome Biden Review But Demand Congress Permanently Protect Arctic Refuge From Drilling
by Jessica Corbett
Indigenous and environmental groups on Tuesday welcomed the U.S. Interior Department's decision to review the Trump administration's controversial move opening up previously protected land in Alaska to drilling despite threats to local communities and wildlife as well as the global climate. The department's notice says the new environmental review of the leasing program for oil and gas drilling in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) will "identify the significant … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
New MSA bill addresses climate change
by Margaret Bauman
New legislation to reauthorize the primary law governing federal fisheries management and conservation introduced in the U.S. House would boost tribal participation in the regional council process. Past efforts to update and reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act have languished in Congress in part because many in the industry were generally happy with the law as it is, said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., who noted his bill includes several provisions that … Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
New Legislation to Reauthorize Magnuson-Stevens Act Introduced in U.S. House
New legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), is now before the U.S. House of Representatives.The Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act was introduced by Representatives Jared Huffman, D-CA, and Ed Case, D-HI, in the wake of a listening tour by Huffman to collect comments on issues facing numerous entities that depend on healthy fisheries.Huffman is the chair and Case is a member of the House Natural Resources Committee … Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
House Considers Important Illegal Fishing and Wildlife Trade Bills
In an answer to the biodiversity and climate crises, the House Natural Resources Committee (HNRC) will take up 16 bills on Thursday aimed at helping reverse these disasters. The hearing will include bills that address the global issues of wildlife trade and illegal fishing, both of which have huge impacts on our planet's species, undermine our resilience to climate change, and are connected to transnational crime, including human trafficking. Indeed, direct exploitation of species, including … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
DC - Huffman, Case Introduce the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act, Legislation to Update Federal Fisheries Management
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, and subcommittee member Ed Case (D-Honolulu) introduced the Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act, legislation to update and reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the primary law governing federal fisheries management and conservation that has made the U.S. a global leader in sustainable fisheries. This legislation is the culmination of a two year-long … Continue Reading
July 26, 2021
For first time, U.S. fishing law could include climate focus
by Rob Hotakainen
A long-awaited overhaul of the nation's primary fishing law would require NOAA to devise plans for "climate ready fisheries" to deal with shifting stocks, under a bill expected to be introduced later today. If approved, it would mark the first time that climate change received a mention in the landmark Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which Congress first passed in 1976. The law, which has not been reauthorized since 2006, governs fishing in all federal waters. It … Continue Reading
July 26, 2021
US Representative Jared Huffman files bill to reauthorize Magnuson-Stevens Act
by Steven Bittenbender
U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) announced on Monday 26 July, 2021, that he introduced a reauthorization bill for the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the federal law that oversees fishery management in the United States. In a statement, Huffman said it's time for a new reauthorization of the landmark legislation because of changes within the industry and the challenges it faces. "We know that the MSA has worked well, but new approaches are needed in this era of climate change, new technologies, … Continue Reading
July 23, 2021
ENERGY BRIEFING: Water Flashpoint Emerges on Infrastructure
by Kellie Lunney, Zachary Sherwood
California Democrats Release Water Rebate Tax Bill: California Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman and Judy Chu joined Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla in bicameral legislation to amend federal tax law so that homeowners wouldn't pay income tax on rebates from water utilities for water conservation and water runoff management improvements, according to a … Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Transit money emerges as a last major obstacle to bipartisan Senate infrastructure deal
WASHINGTON - Senators say they're on the brink of finalizing a huge, bipartisan infrastructure deal. But there's a major dispute holding it up: how much money to spend on public transit. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said the main point of contention in the five-year, $579 billion package was "the ratio" of money distributed between highways and public transit. Senators and aides say Democrats want 80 percent of the funds allocated for transportation projects for highways and 20 percent for … Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Congressman Seeks $1.6M For Petaluma Health Center Solar Project
by Maggie Fusek
PETALUMA, CA - U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman announced more than $10 million in potential federal funding for projects he nominated throughout California's 2nd Congressional District, including $1.6 million for energy upgrades at Petaluma Health Center. If awarded through the Community Project Funding program, the money would offset the costs of constructing and installing a carport solar panel system at Petaluma Health Center's parking lot and on the roof of its facility. The solar panels are … Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Congressman Huffman Pushes For Kelp Protections
Congressman Jared Huffman is proposing the passage of the The Keeping Ecosystems Living and Productive, or KELP Act to establish a new grant program to support projects aimed at conserving, restoring and managing kelp forest ecosystems, including those along the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts. The grant program would run for four years with a budget of $50 million per year, and include grants for local tribes, academic researchers, members of the fishing industry, nonprofits, and state agencies. … Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Rep. Huffman: $400,000 may be awarded to affordable housing initiative in Anderson Valley
An affordable housing initiative in Anderson Valley is just one local project that may receive federal funding as part of the Community Project Funding process included in the House Appropriations Committee's Fiscal Year 2022 funding bills, the office of Rep. Jared Huffman (D -San Rafael) announced this week. "In my role in Congress, it's an honor to work side-by-side with local governments, community organizations, and non-profits as we strive to improve the lives of people in our district. … Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Huffman seeks funding for Hammond Trail Bridge replacement, Burre Dental Center expansion
North Coast U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced he is seeking federal funding for at least two projects in Humboldt County. Huffman nominated the local projects - and funding totaling more than $10 million - as part of the House Appropriations Committee's fiscal year funding bills. The nominations are part of a new rule that went into effect this year, allowing individual representatives to recommend specific projects for the communities they serve. The bills that cover the … Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Huffman proposes first major investment in kelp forest restoration: $50 million annually for four years
by Mary Callahan
Efforts to restore the iconic kelp forest off the North Coast would receive a $50 million a year boost under a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, the first major investment in reviving an ecosystem that supports diverse and abundant marine life. The legislation introduced by the San Rafael Democrat last week would establish a new grant program under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It would be funded by $50 million a year over at least the next four years to … Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
Calls for water recycling grow louder in the US
In the US, water recycling is gaining momentum. Each day, about 3,4 billion gallons of water are recycled across the country. Close to 40% of water used for agricultural irrigation is recycled. Cities in the southern part of the state are investing in water reuse with Los Angeles planning to recycle 100% of its wastewater by 2035. Yet this only represents a small fraction of the total volume of generated wastewater. In the western states of the US, current droughts saw the largest … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Huffman: Automatic Child Tax Credits Will Fuel Economy, Help Struggling Families
by THADEUS GREENSON
Families with children under the age of 18 who have filed their 2019 or 2020 tax returns are slated to begin receiving monthly tax credit payments this month as a part of the American Rescue Plan.North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman sent an email to constituents today informing them of the payments and offering details of the payments, which will provide $300 a month per child for children under 6 and $250 a month for children ages 6 to 17, and will be direct deposited into families bank … Continue Reading