An Honest Economy for Mendocino County
Rugged coast, redwood forest, vineyard country — and communities fighting to hold on
Mendocino County has everything — world-class wine, towering redwoods, a wild Pacific coastline, and some of the most productive farmland in California. But the timber industry collapsed. The cannabis market crashed. Fort Bragg's fishing families can't survive another closed season. Ukiah and Willits need good jobs. Inland communities don't even have a hospital. These three bills are where the comeback starts.
A County That Has Everything — Except a Fair Economy
Mendocino's problems are connected. When fishing closes, coastal towns lose income. When farms can't compete against industrial agriculture, families sell to developers. When healthcare disappears from inland communities, young families leave. These three bills attack the root causes — not with campaign promises, but with drafted federal legislation that has real funding, constitutional analysis, and sunset provisions. Read them yourself.
Pacific Coast Fisheries Resilience Act
Fort Bragg's waterfront built this coast — this bill makes sure it survives
Fort Bragg was a fishing town before it was anything else. But three straight years of salmon closures and crab seasons cut short by toxic algal blooms have pushed fishing families to the breaking point. Boats are being sold. The next generation is leaving. This bill provides immediate salmon disaster payments so families can keep their homes while the fishery recovers, crab fleet resilience support to keep boats maintained and captains ready, and a Fisher-to-Kelp-Farmer transition program that helps commercial fishers diversify into regenerative aquaculture. Fort Bragg is specifically named in the North Coast Fisheries Pilot Region — meaning it's first in line for kelp farming grants, waterfront investment, and fleet support. Bull kelp forests along the Mendocino coast have been 95% destroyed. This bill restores them while keeping fishers on the water.
American Farmland Transition and Small Farm Opportunity Act
Mendocino's farms and vineyards aren't a luxury — they're the backbone of this county
Mendocino's small organic farms, vineyards, and ranches are what make this place special. But corporate consolidation is eating family agriculture alive. Costs go up, margins disappear, and the next generation can't afford to take over the land their parents worked. This bill fights back with rent-to-own pathways that help beginning farmers transition from corporate-held lands into independent ownership. It provides SBA-backed loans specifically for small farms — not industrial operations — with priority for first-generation farmers and veterans. It funds soil-friendly machinery innovation so small producers can compete without destroying the soil. It protects indigenous agricultural sovereignty and traditional land practices. And it includes a complete title on pastoral scenic beauty and community well-being — because Mendocino's agricultural landscape isn't just an economy, it's an identity worth protecting.
Rural Prosperity and Security Act
You shouldn't have to drive two hours to see a doctor or get your kids online for school
Mendocino's inland communities — Ukiah, Willits, Laytonville, Covelo — face the interconnected crises of rural America all at once. No hospital in huge stretches of the county. Insurance companies fleeing fire-prone areas. No broadband in communities where kids need internet for homework. No workforce housing for the doctors, nurses, and teachers you're trying to recruit. This bill tackles all of it as the connected system it is. It funds healthcare workforce recruitment with loan forgiveness for providers who stay in rural areas. It stabilizes the insurance market so families can actually protect their homes. It invests in broadband, roads, and water security — the basic infrastructure that makes a community function. And it creates workforce housing so the people Mendocino needs can actually afford to live there.
Every Bill Meets These Standards
Not talking points — tested principles. Every bill was drafted with constitutional analysis, fiscal scoring, and real accountability built in.