$536 Million for Wildfire Prevention Proposed in California

After a series of horrible fire seasons and another lackluster rainy season, the state of California is in need of new approaches to wildfire suppression and prevention.

1 minute read

April 13, 2021, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


California Wildfire

Jeff Turner / Wikimedia Commons

California Governor Gavin Newsom last week revealed a plan to spend $536 million to prevent wildfires.

The news follows a string of record setting wildfire years in the Golden States and at the tail end of a rainy season that fell well below average totals for precipitation in every corner of the state, setting the state for another terrible wildfire season.

According to an article by Marisa Kendall, the new wildfire plan "would help boost forest health, improve defensible space and protect homes against fires while also investing in fire prevention grants and workforce training." The plan also "includes vegetation management on public and private lands, community-focus prevention efforts and economic relief for the forestry economy."

The plan, packaged in Senate Bill 85 and Assembly Bill 79, would speed up the deployment of more than half of an unprecedented $1 billion in fire prevention and suppression spending included in Gov. Newsom's proposed 2021-2022 budget.

Thursday, April 8, 2021 in The Mercury News

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