Assembly Bill 524, authored by Assembly Member Frank Bigelow (R-Madera), is headed to the Assembly Floor for consideration after passing out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. The measure, which is an urgency bill requiring 2/3 approval to take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature, redirects approximately $8 million in funds collected from citations against utility companies found negligent in the 2015 Butte Fire to CAL FIRE’s State Responsibility Area Fund and Tree Mortality Grant Program.
While members of the Committee were supportive of the action in light of the Governor’s 2015 Emergency Proclamation on tree mortality and the magnitude of work that still needs to be done to mitigate the public safety threats from the 102 million dead and dying trees in the Central and Southern Sierras, the Department of Finance opposed the bill on the grounds that funds were already made available for tree mortality mitigation activities in the State Budget Package. AB 524 now awaits action on the Assembly Floor.