Equitable Governance: 2022 NACo DEI County Convening, Strategies for Governing with Equity
The National Association of Counties hosted a full-day diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) county convening before NACo’s 2022 Annual Conference to discuss the importance of equity in governance and how to strategically align efforts at the county level. The convening brought together over 50 participants from over 20 counties who sent a team comprised of a DEI practitioner, county administrator and elected official. Throughout the convening, attendees discussed the unique challenges and opportunities they see in their distinct roles and explored how to advance the principles of DEI by considering community data differently. Equitable Governance: 2022 NACo DEI County Convening, Key County Roles, Opportunities and Strategies for Governing with Equity lays out key takeaways from the convening.
County News
County News Spotlight: DEI Strategies
U.S. Department of Agriculture announces new environmental review regulations
On May 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced that its programs will officially adopt USDA’s new National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, marking a significant shift in how environmental reviews will be implemented across USDA agencies.
NACo endorses bill to support, finance transit-oriented development projects
On April 20, NACo endorsed the Build Housing, Unlock Benefits and Services (Build HUBS) Act (H.R. 7062/S. 3636).
U.S. Forest Services opens nominations to establish Resource Advisory Committees for SRS funding
On April 30, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) published a notice of intent to establish new Resource Advisory Committees (RACs) for the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. RACs provide advice and recommendations to Forest Service units on how they should use Title II funds under the SRS program.
NACo Hails New FEMA Public Assistance Dashboard Requirement as Major Win for Counties
Landmark provision in U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding bill mandates real-time public visibility into disaster reimbursement, delivering accountability counties have long sought.
New Law Brings Long-Sought Transparency to FEMA Disaster Reimbursements
A new federal law requires FEMA to publish a publicly accessible, interactive dashboard tracking all Public Assistance reimbursement requests, giving counties unprecedented visibility into disaster recovery funding.