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Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Private governments coming to an area near you
Lake Tahoe on April 22, 2024. (Photo: Jeff Anderson/ USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service) Imagine you want to create and control a large pool of capital predominantly financed by grants and other people's money. Simply define a geographic boundary, let's call it a 'district,' and get a few business colleagues to decide what mandatory fee or compulsory assessment you're going to collect to benefit your private business agendas. Next, petition a state senator and county commissioner; most are eager to curry favor with deep-pocketed business donors. Create a nonprofit to which you will funnel the dollars. Small business owners will be required to collect the fee at the point of sale in your district. You hold the cards because you've engineered the framework and set the fee percentage. Sounds a bit Sopranos-like, doesn't it? Schemes like this – blandly called Business Improvement Districts or BIDs – are undemocratic but legal ways to levy fees (effectively a sales tax when businesses pass the cost of the fees on to consumers) that benefit the few over the many. BIDs first appeared in the 1970s, but have become a controversial power grab for business interests and developers in recent years to finance tourism destination dreams and pet projects outside of public control or view. BIDs represent a particular risk for unincorporated areas because there are no elected mayors or city councils to hold public meetings or be answerable. All citizens and small business owners should be concerned. A few influential businesses or developers can band together and force new recurring costs on an entire community – tacked on at the point of sale. Worse still, the International Journal of Public Administration noted: 'BIDs have arisen as a new form of 'private government.' As they expand their menus of services, often including land-use planning, and approaching more general-purpose government status, BIDs have begun to raise issues of accountability.' Where might you begin such a monetary diversion maneuver in Nevada? Follow the play book of Nevada Democratic state Sen. Skip Daly, who, at the behest of unelected people – such as Julie Regan, executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), tourism executive Andy Chapman, now Chair of the Tahoe Transportation District, and TRPA government affairs manager Devin Middlebrook along with legal consulting firm Civitas Advisers – successfully advanced a BID proposal to a panel of his fellow legislators during an interim meeting last year. Put forward by TRPA (a bi-state agency with lots of political sway), their business cronies who will determine BID details — such as where to draw geographic boundaries, how much to levy and where to spend funds — also promoted the bill. If this is the first time you've heard about this fast-moving state legislation, Senate bill 420, that's by design. Tax-like enabling legislation that will negatively impact constituent wallets is best kept under wraps. SB420 needs state-level approval because there's no existing legal path to create a BID in unincorporated portions of a Nevada county. Existing Nevada law (like NRS 271A for Tourism Improvement Districts) focuses on cities and municipal projects. As called out in the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship plan (p. 38), 'legislation would need to be pursued' as 'there is currently no statute enabling this sort of improvement district in Nevada,' Hence, testimony from Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada, on April 4: 'Senate Bill 420 will create the ability for local businesses within the Nevada portion of the Tahoe Basin to petition the relevant county to create a Business Improvement District (known as a BID), which could only be created with the support of the business community AND approval by the County Commission.' The goal for this improvement district mechanism is to create a long-term funding solution for issues in Nevada's Lake Tahoe area. This type of improvement district legislation exists already in California. As written SB420's BID model is funded through the levy of assessments on business. However, it's not clear what businesses this bill will encompass or exempt. Section 6.1 defines 'business' as all types of businesses, including, without limitations financial institutions and professions.' That means if a business license address lies inside the proposed boundary, that business license holder could be assessed. SB420 includes a broad scope of what activities can be undertaken, but residents don't have a voice. If signed into law, SB420 could create a template in Nevada for future quasi-governmental taxation in counties, virtually unregulated by the legislature or department of taxation. If other broadly written BIDs elsewhere are any indication, more surprises lie ahead. Residents of Rochester, New York, characterized a proposed BID there 'as a shadow government.' While told that businesses would pay for the BID, reporters learned, as residents suspected, it would be mostly taxpayers who would fund the BID managed by 17 'movers and shakers in business and political circles' — members of a nonprofit established to control the Rochester BID. BIDs are hard to undo. When formed BIDs become legal special districts, in Nevada's case, under state law. Dissolving a BID, governed by a management plan written by consultants like Civitas who obtain multi-year contracts, usually requires approval from the same body that created it. Who likes to relinquish money and power? Businesses – particularly tourism outfits with multiple locations or headquartered elsewhere – can get away with charging added fees because of high-turnover visitors. BID members can even use money generated by the fees to market themselves. Self-dealing at its worst. Residents who shop, dine or recreate within a 'district' always pay the fee. Communities effectively subsidize private agendas. Residents in San Diego revealed how Civitas' founder has a history of creating legal loopholes (p. 14). Civitas Advisors as of March 2013 had pocketed $546,016 and counting from San Diego alone; lawsuits followed. The Sacramento-based firm has expanded overseas but now wants to make Nevada its newest client. SB420 took shape August 16 at the interim Legislative Committee for the Review and Oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Marlette Lake Water System. None of Northern Nevadans' public concerns about public safety and the environment are mentioned or considered in the recommendations for legislation. Instead Daly, at the sixth and final meeting along with other legislators, agreed to advance TRPA's wish list, including the BID legislation. In the meeting (1:51:24 on the recording), Civitas – the legal firm that stands to profit handsomely to administer BIDs – testified, not surprisingly, in support of it. Senator Robin Titus (minutes, p.16), however, saw the scheme for what it is: 'I am going to be a 'no' on this when it comes to a vote. I truly cannot accept—I think [it's] a taxation.' Assemblymember Ken Gray shared the concerns: 'I want to echo Senator Titus' comments as well.' Citizens (not business owners) who participated in the April 4 Senate working session opposed the BID legislation and its lack of specificity. BID activities in SB420 include promotion of events, marketing and economic development, transportation and other services that confer 'benefit upon assessed businesses in the district.' If this isn't a tax why does the state legislature need to have a bill that involves the Department of Taxation to facilitate what businesses should be managing or funding on their own. Is SB420 really in the best interests of Nevada residents? This should be a red flag for other state legislatures who've been lobbied to create similar legislation. Transportation alone is a heavy lift. Even the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration agrees. Among BID disadvantages it lists: 'BIDs are not public agencies and cannot be directed to accomplish transportation goals, services or facilities desired by elected officials and agencies. 'BIDs, as private entities, will not fund public goods or services that provide benefits outside the BID boundaries. Also due to sunset provisions, they are not typically structured to facilitate the development of large infrastructure facilities that require financing.' Many residents first read the SB420 language amendments only after the bill was advanced out of committee as one of 48 bills reviewed by the Senate Government Affairs Committee April 11. No matter; public comment was reserved for the end of the meeting after voting had ended. Two senators, Lisa Rogich and Lisa Krasner, went on record to say they reserved the right to change their vote later. Rogich went further, 'I'm hoping the parties can continue to have conversations with the community and get the residents on board.'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Southern Nevada set for ‘lean water year,' while northern Nevada snowpack in ‘good shape'
Overlooking Lake Tahoe from Incline Peak, Nevada on April 2, 2025. (Photo Credit: Jeff Anderson/USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service) Water officials have raised concerns about anticipated water levels in Southern Nevada this summer, following a disappointing winter snowpack that threatens to stall progress made during last year's wetter-than-average season. Snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which provides streamflow for the two largest reservoirs in the United States — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — has underperformed this winter, reinforcing long-term drought challenges facing the west. Snowpack is a crucial source of water for Nevada and the West. As snowpack melts, it recharges ecosystems and replenishes reservoirs that provide drinking water for millions of people and irrigation water for millions of acres of farmland. Despite two consecutive decent water years, both reservoirs could see gains reversed, according to the monthly Nevada Water Supply Outlook Report from the Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. 'Southern Nevada should expect a lean water year with less than normal streamflow predicted for the Virgin River and the Colorado River inflow to Lake Powell,' reads the report. According to the report, the Upper Colorado Basin's snowpack only reached 89% of the historical median this April, which is considered the month when the snowpack reaches its highest snow water total before melt begins. That could spell trouble for water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell which are already suffering deficits due to drought impacts and high water demands. Water officials estimate that streamflow for Lake Powell will be at about 74% of the historical median, according to the report. Lake Powell's water levels directly affect Lake Mead because streamflow to Lake Powell is eventually released to Lake Mead. Combined storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead as of March is down 691,000 acre-feet compared to the same time last year, or enough water to supply 1.3 million households. Both reservoirs combined are at 33% of capacity as of April. Snowpack in Southern Nevada's Spring Mountains has also underperformed this winter, hitting only 30% of its historical median. Snow melt from Spring Mountains is the largest source of groundwater for Southern Nevada and provides some limited water to Lake Mead. However, Spring Mountains did receive much needed rain in March, hitting about 229% of the historical median as of March. Despite deficits in Southern Nevada, other parts of the state are looking at a more robust water year. Snowpack in the Eastern Sierra is about normal at 105% of median, compared to 134% at this time last year. Snowpack in several basins that supply water for the Reno-Sparks area — including the Walker River, Carson River, Truckee River and Lake Tahoe basins — are at about normal as of April. Combined all four basins hit nearly 98% of their historical median. Snowpack is well above normal in other parts of Northern Nevada, especially in regions along the Oregon-Nevada border. That snowmelt will also help bolster already healthy reservoirs in northern Nevada. Most reservoirs in northern Nevada were near normal to well above normal storage as of March, according to the report. Snowpack in the Humboldt, Owyhee, Snake, Clover-Franklin basins — largely located in Elko County — reached well above normal snowpack at 122% to 151%. The Humboldt Basin has now seen three consecutive winters with snow water peak amounts above normal. There hasn't been a three-year period with better consecutive snowpacks in the Humboldt Basin since the mid-1980s. The Humboldt Basin is a major course of water for Humboldt, Elko, Lander, and Eureka counties Snowpack in the Northern Great Basin, located largely in Humboldt County, also reached well above normal at 151% median as of early March. Precipitation in March in the Northern Great Basin was also about normal at 96%. Snowpack in Eastern Nevada — which covers the majority of White Pine County and part of Eureka County — improved dramatically from 55% in early March to 86% by early April. While March significantly improved snowpack in Eastern Nevada, snowpack in the region is still below the historical median, hitting 86% of median. Snowpack in the region was also not distributed evenly. 'Eastern Nevada is a mixed bag with better mountain snowpack conditions near Austin, Eureka and Ely, but well below normal snow in Great Basin National Park,' read the report. 'It should be noted that snow percentages in Eastern Nevada vary widely from site to site ranging from twice normal to less than 50%.' Above normal rain also helped improve conditions in Eastern Nevada, reaching well above normal at 182% in March, Above normal precipitation in March also reduced drought severity on the US Drought Monitor Map in Elko, Churchill, Lander and Eureka counties over the last month. But areas of extreme and exceptional drought in southern Nevada remain unchanged from last month. Dry conditions in Southern Nevada followed a pattern of drought throughout the Southwest this winter, according to the latest National Water and Climate Center report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Southwest experienced a snow drought and precipitation deficit this season, with well-below normal streamflow from snow melt expected for the spring and summer period, according to the National Water and Climate Center report. Above-normal springtime temperatures are also causing a rapid melting of high-elevation snowpacks across the entire West, which could impact streamflow as snow melts before it's most needed in the summer. In Nevada, snowmelt started early due to a week of warm temperatures in late March. Daily average air temperature at snow monitoring sites across Nevada peaked at 48 degrees Fahrenheit on March 26th, very close to a record for that date. Those conditions are expected to continue in Nevada in the long term. The National Weather Service predicts there is a 40 to 50% chance most of Nevada will see above average temperature from April through June, according to the National Water and Climate Center report. Climate scientists predict Nevada will also see below average precipitation during that same period.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bills banning foreign ownership of NC farmland advance
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service photo by Brandon O'Connor. Two committees in the North Carolina General Assembly voted Tuesday morning to approve legislation banning certain foreign entities from acquiring farmland in the state. The House Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs Committee took up House Bill 133, 'NC Farmland and Military Protection Act.' About an hour later, the Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee approved the upper chamber's counterpart, Senate Bill 394, 'Prohibit Foreign Ownership of NC Land.' Both measures now head to subsequent panels — House Commerce and Economic Development and Senate Judiciary, respectively. At a time of rocky international relations due to the Trump administration's tariffs, the legislation could signify a move toward increased tension with foreign countries. HB 133, sponsored by Reps. Jennifer Balkcom (R-Henderson), Neal Jackson (R-Moore, Randolph), Jeff Zenger (R-Forsyth), and John Bell (R-Goldsboro), would prohibit 'adversarial' foreign governments from purchasing, acquiring, or leasing agricultural land in North Carolina, according to the bill text. The restrictions would also apply to land situated within a 75-mile radius of a military installation — a number influenced by national defense recommendations, Balkcom said — such as Fort Bragg near Fayetteville. A complete list of applicable installations is outlined in the bill text. 'If it was up to me, I'd do the entire state,' Balkcom said. 'But this doesn't infringe on private property rights. You can sell it to anybody but a foreign national that's an adversary against the United States.' Rep. Celeste Cairns (R-Carteret, Craven) asked for clarification on the bill's parameters. She asked if people would be able to sell property to individual citizens of the 'adversarial' countries without connection to their government. Balkcom responded in the affirmative. In response to a question from Rep. Wyatt Gable (R-Onslow) about how the 'adversarial' governments are defined, she said there's guidance from the U.S. Department of Defense. Although the bill doesn't list specific countries, it refers to governments subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Over in the upper chamber, Sens. Bob Brinson (R-Beaufort, Craven, Lenoir), Bobby Hanig (R-Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell), and Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson, Polk, Rutherford) serve as the primary sponsors for SB 394. The measure explicitly refers to the 'adversarial' nations by name: China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Brinson described the legislation as a state effort to protect national security, because 'food security is national security.' 'The key purpose of this bill is to both safeguard our agricultural integrity and to protect our national security,' he said. 'This bill ensures that North Carolina farmland does not come under international adversarial control, and also prevents adversarial nations from acquiring land near sensitive military installations.' SB 394 is more restrictive than its House counterpart. The proposal bars the prohibited foreign parties from making claims to land situated within a 25-mile radius of a military installation or land underneath special use airspace as designated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) pointed out there is a growing population of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans in the state. She asked if the bill would ban someone from purchasing land if they are a legal resident of the U.S. with Chinese citizenship. 'If they're a resident alien of the U.S., they have the same right to acquire or hold land as a citizen, as long as they're a resident in the state,' Brinson said. 'As long as they are a legal resident alien, they should have the same land ownership rights as a citizen.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Nevada snowpack improves, but deficits persist
Hole in Mountain SNOTEL, East Humboldt Mountains, Clover Valley Basin, February 27, 2025 (Photo Credit: Logan Jamison, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service) A string of storms in California and Nevada brought some moisture back to the West this winter, improving snowpack in the region, but not enough to erase deficits in the state. Snowpack is a crucial source of water for Nevada and the West. As snowpack melts, it recharges ecosystems and replenishes reservoirs that provide drinking water for millions of people and irrigation water for millions of acres of farmland. Most of Nevada's water supply starts as snowpack that accumulates in high elevations during the winter before melting in the spring, meaning substandard snowpack can leave the state with a weak water supply outlook. Nevada has seen above normal snowpack the last couple of winters, but this year researchers are seeing a wide range of conditions that could negatively impact Nevada's water supply this summer — including well below normal snowpack in eastern and southern Nevada, as of March. Last month, snowpack in the state fell well below normal for that time of year, following disappointing snowfall and persistently warm temperatures. Those conditions greatly improved this month, after a flurry of late-February storms helped push snowpack in Nevada and the Eastern Sierra to about normal at 94% of historical median. Still, that snowpack improvement has not been distributed evenly, according to the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service. Snowpack across the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Upper Colorado Basin — two major water sources for Reno and Las Vegas, respectively — have remained below normal for this time of year, according to the agency's Nevada Water Supply Outlook. There is still time for conditions in Nevada to improve, say federal water managers. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's outlooks favor a likely colder and wetter pattern over the next month in the West, which could be favorable for snow accumulation and help improve conditions for the state. 'Weather forecasts look promising for additional storms through the middle of March. Hopefully the storm track benefits the entire state, especially eastern and southern Nevada where drought conditions have worsened in recent months,' reads the report. Snowpack in the Upper Colorado Basin — the largest source of water for Lake Mead — improved slightly since last month, but remains below normal for this time of year. The Upper Colorado Basin's snowpack is at 88% of the historical median, up 3 points from last month. Precipitation in the region was also about normal in February. However, several basins in the Upper Colorado River have recorded low snowpack that could impact water supply to Lake Powell and Lake Mead if they do not improve. Lake Powell's water levels directly affect Lake Mead because water from Lake Powell is eventually released to Lake Mead. Based on historic data there is less than a 10% chance the Upper Colorado will reach a normal peak snowpack by early April. Reservoir storage in Lake Mead and Lake Powell is also at just 36% of capacity. The Spring Mountains in Southern Nevada — the biggest source of groundwater for the region — finally got the first significant snowstorm on Valentine's Day. Snowpack for the mountains reached 55% of the historical median in March, but it is becoming 'very unlikely' the mountains will reach normal snowpack by April, according to the report. As of March, extreme drought has also persisted in a majority of Clark, Lincoln, and Nye counties. Snowpack in several basins that supply water for the Reno-Sparks area — including the Walker River Basin, Carson River Basin, and Lake Tahoe Basin — have also remained below normal despite recent February storms. Fortunately, robust reservoir storage in the region is expected to supplement water supply this summer, according to the report. Lake Tahoe is currently storing enough water to meet demands on the Truckee River, hitting 73% capacity in March. Water levels at Lake Tahoe are also projected to rise about another foot during snowmelt this spring and summer. Moderate drought conditions extended into parts of Washoe, Lyon, Churchill, and Storey counties in March. Other basins in northern Nevada greatly benefited from February storms, which significantly boosted snowpack and precipitation in regions along the Oregon-Nevada border. February storms pushed snowpack in the Northern Great Basin — and the Humboldt, Owyhee, Snake and Clover Valley basins — above historical medians. Hydrologists also said they expect incoming storms forecasted in March to push snowpack in those basins above their normal peak snow amounts by April. Snowpack in Eastern Nevada — which covers the majority of White Pine County and part of Eureka County — has also failed to improve despite February storms. Snowpack in Eastern Nevada is well below normal at 55% of median, compared to 115% at this time last year. While February storms brought drought improvements to western Nevada, in eastern Nevada where dry conditions persisted in February severe drought expanded into White Pine and Eureka counties. Three of the four main snow accumulation months are over making it 'very unlikely' that eastern Nevada will reach normal snowpack by April, said hydrologists in the Nevada Water Supply Outlook.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill targeting ESG for farmers advances to next NC House committee
A farmer harvests soybeans. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service photo by Brandon O'Connor. The North Carolina House Agriculture and Environment Committee voted Wednesday to approve legislation targeting socially responsible lending in agriculture, moving the measure to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Sponsors explain House Bill 62, the 'Farmers Protection Act,' as a measure to prevent banks and credit unions from using discriminatory practices against farmers in the state. It's sponsored by Reps. Neal Jackson (R-Moore, Randolph), Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin, Wayne), Jennifer Balkcom (R-Henderson), and Karl Gillespie (R-Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon). Rather than race or gender, the bill targets 'ESG' — short for 'environmental, social, governance,' a method for evaluating sustainability performance. The proposal purports to ban banks and credit unions from denying service to agriculture producers based on their greenhouse gas emissions, use of fossil-fuel derived fertilizer, or use of fossil-fuel powered machinery, according to the bill text. 'It says you cannot deny cancel financial services based upon a farmer's ESG score or rating,' Jackson said. 'Figure it based upon if they have good credit or not, but not based upon their ESG score.' The House Judiciary 1 Committee approved the legislation at the end of February. Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) reminded members of the earlier discussion, where Jackson offered the bill is a preventative measure. 'You indicated in that discussion that there wasn't any evidence of this happening right now among North Carolina banks and with North Carolina farmers, but it was part of a national effort anticipating what might happen,' she said. Mark Swallow spoke during the bill's public comment section as a representative of Democracy Out Loud. He said there's a reason ESG exists — as a protective measure, not a punitive one. 'It's meant to make sure, as the climate is changing, that we can survive in it, including farming,' he said. 'To try and de-incentivize bankers, you should be incentivizing farmers to do what they need to do to live up to those standards, because if they want to continue farming, they need to make those changes.' On Wednesday, the committee also voted to advance HB 164, 'Protect North Carolina Sawmills,' to the House Rules Committee.
