July 2, 2023 - The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) reports RCRC supports Assembly Bill 388, authored by Assembly Member Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael), which requires the Department of Conservation (DOC) to establish guidelines and regional investment strategies for larger landscape level projects that contribute to the achievement of the goals of the implementation strategy for the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
Landscape-scale, regional fuels treatment projects are a vital part of decreasing the state’s overall risk of catastrophic wildfire. Currently, California lacks a comprehensive, cohesive strategy for investment and coordination to promote forest resilience efforts across local boundaries or to regionalize projects, even as the state continues to set ambitious forest resilience goals.
AB 388 would improve the health of California’s forests and wildlands by enabling larger, landscape scale forest resilience projects. DOC already has the structure through the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program to advance regional resilience projects; AB 388 would require DOC to further use the program to develop regional investment strategies and regional funding guidelines while enabling California Natural Resources Agency departments and agencies to award block grants to regional entities to implement regional, landscape-scale projects.
The bill recently passed out of the Assembly is awaiting action in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. RCRC’s letter of support is available here. Photo Credit: USDA
ABOUT RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA (RCRC)
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a thirty-seven member county strong service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. RCRC is dedicated to representing the collective unique interests of its membership, providing legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels, and providing responsible services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties. To learn more about RCRC, visit rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Source: RCRC