• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla wrote to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Department of Commerce to express their strong support for swiftly designating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary while facilitating the development of offshore wind energy, according to a July 26 statement from Carbajal’s office. If designated, the sanctuary would be the first tribally nominated sanctuary in the United States, and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians would serve as a co-steward. Specifically, the lawmakers advocated for a phased approach to the sanctuary designation—as supported by indigenous communities, Morro Bay offshore wind leaseholders, and environmental organizations—that will set the initial northern boundary of the sanctuary south of Diablo Canyon and north of Port San Luis and Avila Beach. This designation would allow for the co-existence of the marine sanctuary as well as the responsible development of offshore wind. The offshore wind projects in development off the coast of California would be the nation’s first-ever floating offshore windfarm and support California’s goal of producing 25 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2045. “As strong supporters of the administration’s goal of protecting 30 percent of U.S. oceans by 2030, we urge the Department of Commerce and NOAA to finalize the designation of the Chumash Sanctuary using this phased approach to establish robust protections for cultural and ecological resources off the Central Coast, while providing certainty for responsible offshore wind development, operations and maintenance,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter.
• U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-California) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced The Strengthening Supports for Youth Act and The Prevention Services for Youth Act, two mental health bills that would support the expansion of family and peer-focused mental health supports and prevention services for youth, according to a July 25 statement from Butler’s office. Across the country, experts are raising alarm bells as the United States combats a worsening youth mental health and substance use crisis, according to Butler’s office. “Young people in California and in communities all across America often face significant gaps in access to adequate mental health resources. This package of legislation would equip caregivers and families with tools to ensure every young person gets the care they urgently need,” Butler said in a statement. “If we want to address the youth mental health crisis, we need to ensure supports and services are in place to help those grappling with mental health challenges, and to prevent challenges before they occur.” The two bills aim to combat mental health and substance use challenges among children, adolescents, and young adults; and support opportunities to expand youth-focused prevention services. The Strengthening Supports for Youth Act would establish a pilot program for caregivers to help address mental health and substance use challenges among children and direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study and report on youth peer support services. The Prevention Services for Youth Act would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to states on establishing an effective continuum of mental health and substance use disorder prevention services for youth under Medicaid and Children Health Insurance programs.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) to help ensure the availability of resources to suppress the Park Fire burning in Butte County, according to a July 25 statement from Newsom’s office. The fast-moving fire near Chico had burned more than 368,000 acres and was 12 percent contained as of July 29, according to Watch Duty—a nonprofit wildfire tracking system. The FMAG, which is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund on cost-share basis, will assist local, state, and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75 percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs. The program, which is administered through the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), provides rapid financial assistance to communities impacted by fires. Already this wildfire season, California has secured FMAGs for the Thompson, French, and Hawarden fires that burned nearly 5,000 acres.