The Riverside County Board of Supervisors took another step forward in its path to create a Community Choice Aggregation program, in which the county could provide electricity. In 2002, the Legislature passed legislation authorizing local governments to procure or develop electrical power for themselves, or their residents and businesses. In November, the supervisors passed Ordinance…

The U.S. Congress was much more sympathetic to the U.S. Forest Service’s funding needs and requests than the Trump administration’s revised fiscal year 2017-18 budget submission. Excluding wildfire funding, Congress appropriated $3.1 billion for the agency. This was nearly $625 million more than the prior-year funding and about $830 million more than President Donald Trump…

Borrowing of program funding ends The federal Omnibus 2018 funding bill also included changes to the way the funding for wildfire suppression will be made in the future. Currently, when suppression costs exceed Congress’ appropriated funding, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management must “borrow” funds from other programs, such as recreation…