On Wednesday, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla along with Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel) introduced the Wildfire Emergency Act, a bill with the goal of reducing catastrophic wildfires in the West. The Wildfire Emergency Act has three primary provisions: forest restoration projects; critical infrastructure and energy flexibility; and, research, training and disadvantaged communities. RCRC Senior Regulatory Affairs Advocate Staci Heaton was quoted in the press release in support of the legislation. “RCRC has continually advocated for a commonsense approach toward reducing the effects and severity of wildfires that have plagued California over the past decade. This bill would work to accomplish this objective by encouraging landscape scale projects to reduce wildfire risk in federal forests, involving the non-profit sector in addressing forest health and resilience, building a more robust forest workforce, creating opportunities for disadvantaged communities to benefit from land stewardship activities, and creating more resilient communities and energy grids.” The House bill is also co-sponsored by RCRC’s California Delegation Representatives John Garamendi (D-Wlanut Grove), Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Jim Costa (D-Fresno), and Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena).
