On April 28, Sierra Business Council and the Sierra Nevada Alliance convened a contingent of more than 30 regional leaders, local elected officials, state policymakers, and in Sacramento for Sierra Day at the Capitol, an annual advocacy event that brings Sierra voices and perspectives to California’s lawmakers. 

This year’s format created space for deeper engagement, featuring a morning roundtable discussion that focused on two urgent and interconnected priorities: building resilient Sierra communities and balancing conservation, recreation and working lands. 

During the morning session, participants were joined by two Sierra-Cascade State Assemblymembers, Heather Hadwick from District 1 and David Tangipa from District 8, who shared insights on their current legislative priorities, which include rural hospitals, wildfire resilience, and natural resource stewardship.  

Armed with added context and proof points about the main priorities, the group broke into teams to meet with more than 35 lawmakers and legislative staff. 

The teams met with lawmakers and staff, including:

• Assemblymember Bennett, District 38 and Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation
• Assemblymember Hadwick, District 1 and Vice-Chair of the Assembly Agriculture and Emergency Management committees
• Assemblymember Rogers, District 2 and member of the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildfire Committee and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4
• Senator McNerny, District 5 and member of the Agriculture Committee and Budget Subcommittee #2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy

The specific policy priorities discussed in the meetings with lawmakers were:

Forest and Wildfire Resilience 

Scale proven Forest restoration to reduce Wildfire risk and protect communities and landscapes.

• Restore $200 million from GGRF for wildfire resilience 
• Increase this year’s Prop 4 wildfire resilience spending to $500 million 
• Pass AB 35 (Alvarez) to ensure Prop 4 dollars can be invested efficiently 
• Pass AB 1699 (Rogers) to reduce barriers to applying beneficial fire to landscapes 
• Pass SB 899 (Grove) to help protect Californians from harmful wildfire smoke

Biodiversity, Recreation & Community Benefits 

Balance support for outdoor access, wildlife conservation, and rural economies.

• Support proposed Prop 4 investments in safe drinking water, biodiversity, and outdoor access 
• Pass SB 1135 (Blakespear) to reduce human-wildlife conflict and improve coexistence
• Pass AB 2578 Rogers) to support outdoor recreation, including equitable access to parks and green spaces 

Watershed Health & Restoration 

Advance restoration and streamline implementation to improve water quality and ecosystem function. 

• Pass AB 2260 (Connolly) to streamline permitting for small-scale restoration projects– such as meadow, stream, and post-fire recovery efforts– accelerating opportunities to improve watershed health and reduce wildfire risk

Sierra Day at the Capitol is a joint effort between Sierra Business Council and our long-time partners at Sierra Nevada Alliance, and would not be possible without the support of our sponsors:

• Northern Sierra Partnership
• Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP
• North Fork Mono Tribe (North Fork Rancheria)
• Houston Magnani and Associates
• Truckee Donner Land Trust
• Sierra County Land Trust
• Sierra Institute for Community and Environment 
• Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter

Resources

View the leave-behind detailing the vital role the Sierra region plays in California state resilience and the team’s policy priorities here.

Download shareable photos from Sierra Day here.

Access the recap press release here.