April 12, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sara Floor 916-327-7500, ext. 516; 916-926-8769 mobile

SACRAMENTO – CSAC joined a broad coalition of fire victims, local governments and insurers to respond to Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan for addressing wildfires in California. View that release here.

“The system is not perfect, and we agree with Governor Newsom that we all need to work together on disaster planning, preparation and response. CSAC and our member counties have taken an early lead in these efforts to keep communities safe at the local level with focused discussions on planning and preparedness, support for increased defensible space around homes, improved emergency alert systems and more,” said CSAC Executive Director Graham Knaus. “We look forward to continuing this critical work and partnering with the administration to help our communities rebuild and help provide direct assistance to victims.” 

California counties are committed to the Governor’s principles of reducing risk, protecting victims, ensuring for safe and affordable power and holding utilities accountable. CSAC also agrees with Governor Newsom that inverse condemnation is a constitutionally protected liability standard. Furthermore, inverse condemnation helps to decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires by incentivizing safety while also protecting victims.  

CSAC has already been involved in discussions with Governor Newsom’s office to convene the 2019 Emergency Preparedness Summit in June. The Summit will allow disaster-impacted counties the chance to highlight and share the best practices and resources that have worked in rebuilding and increasing resiliency. CSAC stands at the ready to work with this Administration and partners to further develop and strengthen the networks needed for ongoing preparedness improvements.

CSAC remains committed to creating a safe, fair and stable system that protects victims and ratepayers, meets electricity needs, and protects against future tragedies. Looking forward to the work ahead, CSAC thanks the Governor for his commitment to this critical issue and to building a stronger and more resilient California.

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