California Assembly Republican Caucus
A Fire Safe California
For decades, California has mismanaged its forests and caved to radical special interests that oppose nearly every project to thin the trees that fuel wildfires.
This has left the forests heavily overgrown and highly vulnerable to devastating wildfires.
Forest Management
AB 297 (Fong) Fire Prevention Projects – Advanced Payments
Extend CalFire’s legal authority to provide up to 25% of awarded funds for healthy forest and fire prevention grants, which is set to expire January 1, 2024. Increases access to fire prevention efforts to eligible applicants who may not have the funds to operate expensive fire prevention/healthy forest projects because they do not have the cash on hand to wait for CalFire reimbursements. Status: Assembly Third Reading
AB 397 (Essayli) Wildfire Emissions: Accurate Emission Reporting
Incorporate Wildfire Emissions in State Emission Reporting: Require the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to include greenhouse gas emissions from wildlands and forest fires in its scoping plan. (Principle Coauthor: Senator Dahle; Assembly Coauthors: Assembly Members Alanis, Chen, Megan Dahle, Flora, Gallagher, Mathis, Jim Patterson, and Joe Patterson; Senate Coauthors: Senator Seyarto) Status: Assembly Natural Resources Committee
AB 570 (Gallagher) Special District Fire Response Funding Expansion
Includes a county service area formed exclusively for fire protection services to be able to receive grants under the FIRESCOPE Program. Status: Senate Governmental Organization Committee
AB 1099 (Dahle & Gallagher) Goat Herder Wage
Makes the alternative minimum wage for goat herders permanent by deleting the January 2024 sunset date. Allows goat herder employers to avoid significant wage increases resulting from newly applied overtime wage requirements, and protects those employers from retroactively owing overtime pay.
AB 1554 (Patterson, Joe) Reforestation CEQA Exemption
CEQA Exemption for Reforestation: Expand existing California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for prescribed fire, thinning, or fuel reduction projects undertaken on federal lands and reviewed under NEPA to include reforestation efforts. (Coauthors: Gallagher)
ACA 2 (Alanis) Guaranteed Funding For Healthy Forests & Water
Constitutional Amendment for Base Level of Funding for Water, Forests: Require 3% of General Fund revenues for the State’s water infrastructure needs (1.5%) and for Healthy Forest and Wildfire prevention activities (1.5%). Places guaranteed funding for critical investments needed to ensure available water for the environment and people. Places guaranteed funding for environmental health of our forested lands, which will combat wildfire risk and spur workforce development in rural areas of the state. Status: Assembly Water Parks & Wildlife Committee