U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, along with U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, met with Forest Service Regional Foresters (Foresters) earlier this week to officially begin preparations for this year’s significant wildfire potential.  The briefing comes as the national wildfire season officially begins, and was held to address a variety of issues including the unprecedented tree die-off in California and the resulting increased wildfire risk across the state.  

Secretary Vilsack also reminded the group that he will not be authorizing transfers from restoration and resilience funding this fire season, a practice known as “fire borrowing,” renewing a commitment he made to Congress and a group of California stakeholders, including RCRC, late last year.  Instead, he directed Foresters to continue using funds as they were intended, including for forest restoration and management work. 

Meanwhile, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Chief Ken Pimlott is also in DC this week raising awareness of California’s looming wildfire season on the heels of CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Awareness Week campaign.  On Wednesday, Chief Pimlott took part in the White House Wildfire in the Wildland Urban Interface Roundtable, which was held to address the important issue of mitigating wildfires in the Wildland Urban Interface where citizens are at high risk.