Santa Barbara County Supervisor Salud Carbajal Appointed to Lead National Committee

NACo President Lenny Eliason of Athens Georgia formally appointed Carbajal to Chair the largest committee of the National Association of Counties at their Annual Conference Executive Committee meeting. Carbajal previously served as Vice chair of the Environment, Energy and Land Use Committee as well as Chair and Co-chair of their Air Quality Sub Committee. During his service on the committee Carbajal was instrumental in crafting policy to advocate for reduced marine vessel emissions along our nation’s coastline and has brought the concerns of Santa Barbara County into the national debate. This appointment comes on the heels of Carbajal’s recent appointments to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) as well as a personal appointment by US EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, to chair the Air, Climate and Energy subcommittee of LGAC.

The Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee, comprised of five subcommittees, addresses all matters pertaining to air, water, and noise pollution control; solid and hazardous waste management and disposal; the preservation and proper utilization of water resources; energy; and the use of land resources, including comprehensive planning, coastal zone management, growth management, energy facilities siting, and recreation. NACo President Eliason stated, “Salud has a unique blend of talent, skills and abilities as well as a passion to serve and a desire to address complex issues which makes him a perfect choice to lead the EELU committee.” “The work of this committee embodies much of what I as a County Supervisor have worked to address in Santa Barbara County. As chair I will have the opportunity to further address these issues at a federal level and ensure that Santa Barbara County has a seat at the table when formulating national policy in the area of environment, energy and land use matters. The Counties of our nation are highly diverse communities with immense variation in natural resources, social and political system and economic circumstances. They are the primary service providers and have a responsibility to protect the health welfare and safety of our residents and to maintain and improve their quality of life. I am looking forward to working with counties across the country, serving on this committee, to address their issues. I am very honored to have been selected by NACo President Eliason for this position”. The National Association of Counties (NACo) is the only national organization that represents county governments before the Administration and Congress. NACo provides essential services to the nation’s 3,068 counties.