2018 Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County Photo credit: Inciweb
A livestream of the hearing will be available here.
August 20, 2019 - Washington D.C. - On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Rep. Harley Rouda, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, and Rep. Katie Hill, the Vice Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, will hold a field hearing focused on government accountability and the environmental and health impact of wildfires in California.
WHERE: Council Chambers of Simi Valley City Hall
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063
WHEN: Tuesday, August 20, 2019
TIME: 10:00 a.m. PST
A livestream of the hearing will be available here.
PURPOSE & BACKGROUND
The 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons were the two deadliest wildfire seasons in U.S. history. Forecasters predict the potential for large-scale wildfires in 2019 to be higher-than-average in California and in other areas of the country.
This hearing will examine the status of recovery efforts from the 2017 and 2018 California wildfire seasons as well as the state and federal government’s preparation and response to the 2019 California wildfires. The hearing will also explore both state and federal government wildfire mitigation strategies and examine the health and environmental impacts of longer, more destructive wildfire seasons.
WITNESSES
Panel One
Robert Fenton
Region IX Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Randy Moore
Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region
USDA Forest Service
Mark Ghilarducci
Director
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Dan Johnson
Southern Region Chief
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection
Panel Two
Max Moritz, Ph.D.
Cooperative Extension Wildfire Specialist
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
University of California, Santa Barbara
Afif El-Hasan, M.D.
Pediatrician
Kaiser Permanente, California
Brent Berkompas
Director of Governmental Affairs
Orange County Professional Firefighter Association
Lisl Spangenberg
Affected Resident
116th Congress
Source:Subcommittee on Environmen