July 18, 2024

Last week, the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force met for their quarterly business meeting. California State Association of Counties (CSAC) receives one seat on the task force to provide the local perspective, with Siskiyou County Supervisor Ed Valenzuela sitting on the executive committee.

About the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force

This task force was created by Governor Newsom in 2021, in response to the growing number of deadly and catastrophic wildfires the state continues to face every year. This task force is tasked with aligning tribal, local, state, federal, and private wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts to better ensure the protection and wellbeing of California’s wildlands and forest, while strengthening the resilience of communities continually threatened by wildfires. The task force brings together a coalition of leaders from all levels of government, representing an array of agencies including the California Environmental Protection Agency, Cal Fire, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, California Natural Resources Agency, and United Stated Forest Service.

July 12 Task Force Meeting

Last week, the task force heard from three panels of local, state, federal, non-profit and private leaders representing the US Forest Service, Cal Fire, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, PG&E and a local resource conservation district, to name a few. The panelists’ conversations focused on challenges and next steps the task force can take to align the numerous efforts being made to fight wildfires and harden communities. Supporting regional needs is an ongoing theme of the task force and was at the center of the panelists’ discussion. During these conversations, CSAC representative Supervisor Ed Valenzuela brought awareness to the task force of the importance of listening to the rural perspective and keeping those communities in mind when making these consequential decisions.

The State’s current financial predicament was acknowledged, as well as a strategy to continue the efforts by the task force. The State’s financial standing is far graver than it was when the task force was created in 2021. During that time, the state invested an unprecedented amount of money and resources into fighting fires and promoting preparedness. The task force’s work will continue, despite the state’s budget shortfall as addressed in the 2024 Budget Act.

The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force’s Approach and Guiding Principles

The task force approaches wildfire mitigation and resilience strengthening through a regional lens, acknowledging the geographic, biological and topographic diversity within California. The shift away from a “one-size fits all” approach recenters local leaders at the forefront of conversations of what’s best for their at-risk communities. Four main themes emerge when assessing the task force’s efforts to build-up community and individual resilience to wildfire in the state:

1. The Change Up: The relationship between fire protection agencies and the forest is changing. For too long, all types of fires have been treated and viewed the same- as destructive and harmful. The taskforce continues to strengthen its partnership with tribal leaders to gain a deeper understanding of their time-tested practices of forest stewardship. 2024 is on track to be a record year for the number of acres burned through prescribed burn programs, with just over 40,000 acres burned so far.
2. Sum of the Whole: Wildfires’ catastrophic impact is far reaching; understanding the inputs and outputs of wildfires are key to a more resilient future. Wildfires will always be a natural part of forest health, and how humans interact with this natural cycle is crucial. To be successful at wildfire mitigation and resilience, the whole system must be addressed, from the inputs of fire ignition to the outputs of effected activity following a catastrophic fire.
3. Leaning on Local Leadership: Leadership around fire response has been dictated by state agencies and state-wide fire experts, when in reality, those on the ground in these communities know best for their communities. Local leaders are being empowered to be prominent partners in this statewide fight.
4. More Bang for your Buck: Over the past decade, there has been a historic investment by the state to fight fires. To learn about these investments, read CSAC’s bulletin from September 2021. The challenge is stretching these dollars even further, especially in times of financial woes.

What’s Next?

The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force’s next meeting will be October 10-11 in South Lake Tahoe. Recordings of last week’s task force meeting can be found here.

Please direct questions regarding the task force to Catherine Freeman, CSAC Senior Legislative Advocate, at cfreeman@counties.org.