The Western Interstate Region’s (WIR) executive team, elected May 26, takes center stage in Deschutes County, Ore., site of the 2017 WIR Annual Conference. Pictured (l-r): Second Vice President Kevin Cann, Mariposa County, Calif. supervisor; First Vice President Tommie Cline Martin, Gila County, Ariz. supervisor; President Joel Bousman, Sublette County, Wyo. commissioner; and Immediate Past President Gordon Cruickshank, Valley County, Idaho commissioner. Photo by Charlie Ban - Source: NACo

June 3, 2017 - Last week, RCRC Delegate Supervisors Kevin Cann (Mariposa), Randy Hanvelt (Tuolumne), and Michael Kobseff (Siskiyou) joined RCRC staff at the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Western Interstate Region (WIR) 2017 Conference in Deschutes County, Oregon, where Supervisor Cann was installed as Second Vice President.

WIR is dedicated to the promotion of western state interests, and the WIR Conference brings together county officials, federal, state, and regional policymakers to focus on unique pressing issues affecting rural communities.  This year’s conference covered a number of issues, including federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes, reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools Act, and Waters of the United States.   

Cannabis also received much attention at the conference, and participants attended a tour of a cannabis grow/manufacturer site, immediately followed by a tour of a retail site.  This allowed for a first-hand viewing of Oregon’s licensing scheme, and the role municipal governments play.  A panel discussion was also held, whereby county personnel from Washington and Oregon provided their experiences within each state’s regulatory scheme.
Source: Rural County Representatives of California