RCRC supports Assembly Bill 388, authored by Assembly Member Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael), which requires the Department of Conservation (DOC) to establish guidelines and regional investment strategies for larger landscape level projects that contribute to the achievement of the goals of the implementation strategy for the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
Landscape-scale, regional fuels treatment projects are a vital part of decreasing the state’s overall risk of catastrophic wildfire. Currently, California lacks a comprehensive, cohesive strategy for investment and coordination to promote forest resilience efforts across local boundaries or to regionalize projects, even as the state continues to set ambitious forest resilience goals.
AB 388 would improve the health of California’s forests and wildlands by enabling larger, landscape scale forest resilience projects. DOC already has the structure through the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program to advance regional resilience projects; AB 388 would require DOC to further use the program to develop regional investment strategies and regional funding guidelines while enabling California Natural Resources Agency departments and agencies to award block grants to regional entities to implement regional, landscape-scale projects.
The bill recently passed out of the Assembly is awaiting action in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. RCRC’s letter of support is available here. For more information, please contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Staci Heaton.