Gavin Newsom signs bill to rush spending on California wildfire prevention as drought sets in

California is adding more than half a billion dollars in wildfire prevention spending this year after Gov. Gavin Newsom formally approved the money Tuesday ahead of the state’s peak fire season.

Under the legislation, the state will spend $536 million on preventing fires through forest and vegetation management, clearing fuel around rural homes and retrofitting buildings in high-risk areas to help them survive fires.

Newsom, a Democrat, has promised that this year his administration will focus on preventing fires with “a greater sense of urgency than ever in contemporary California history.”

He traveled to Lake Oroville in Butte County to sign the bill, where he gestured to a historically low reservoir level as he warned of coming dry fire conditions.

Lawmakers in both the state Senate and Assembly unanimously passed the legislation, Senate Bill 85, the day before.

“We need to prepare for fire season like we are preparing for an impending hurricane,” said Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Santa Rosa. “Once the fire starts, it’s too late. That preparation work needs to start happening right now.”

Lawmakers and Newsom advanced the bill ahead of the traditional budget process to get the money out the door quickly. In January, Newsom had proposed appropriating $323 million early in the year for wildfire prevention, but increased the funding to $536 million after negotiations with lawmakers.

With Newsom’s signature, the state can start spending the money quickly, instead of waiting until the July 1 start of the fiscal year, when the next state budget will take effect.

Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in supporting the bill, although some voiced concern that it does not go far enough to manage forests and clear dry and dead vegetation that fuels fires.

“I believe that we as a Legislature could focus more on prevention, on fuel reduction, forest management projects,” said Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido. “That being said, this bill is definitely a step in the right direction.”

Newsom has noted that drought conditions are exacerbating the threat of wildfires this year, pointing to the disappointing annual snowpack survey earlier this month.

This year represents the second year of drought conditions in California. Newsom said last week he anticipates making “many different announcements in that space in the coming days” but doesn’t plan to declare a drought emergency as some Central Valley lawmakers have asked him to do.

California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said Thursday that this year’s dry winter means California can expect a fire season similar to last year, when a record number of acres burned.

“I’m very concerned. We are seeing drought conditions,” Cal Fire director Thom Porter said at the Lake Oroville event with Newsom.

Lawmakers pointed to the threat of another devastating fire season when they passed the funding bill Monday.

“This early investment throughout the state will help prepare us for another devastating wildfire season,” Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, said. “We know that the seasons are getting longer and more devastating, and we’ve all experienced them closer and closer to home.”