Sacramento, CA — Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) and Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) have introduced new legislation to transform and streamline how wildfire mitigation investments are evaluated and coordinated across California.
SB 326, the Wildfire Mitigation Strategic Planning Act, establishes a comprehensive framework to better align state, federal, industry, and private wildfire prevention efforts, ensuring that every dollar spent delivers maximum protection for communities.
“Wildfires strike without regard to county lines or utility service areas, so we need a coordinated and comprehensive approach to keeping California safe,” Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) said. “We’ve made a lot of progress in recent years, but climate change continues to compound challenges and underscores the need for us to be thoughtful about how we do the most good, as quickly as possible, with our investments. By bringing everyone to the table—state, federal, industry, and private entities—we can be better prepared to respond to natural disasters like the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.”
“The growing frequency and intensity of wildfires continue to pose a serious threat to communities along the Central Coast, from past devastation in Santa Cruz and Big Sur to the most recent fires in Los Angeles. SB 326 represents a crucial advancement in wildfire management by establishing a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework through the Office of the State Fire Marshal, strengthening our ability to coordinate disaster response and enhance cost-effectiveness,” said Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz). “A comprehensive approach across all levels of government is essential to accurately assess and forecast wildfire risks, allowing us to take proactive measures that safeguard lives, property, and California’s natural resources.”
“Preventing catastrophic wildfire requires strong coordination between all of our investments,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University. “Building on current efforts, this bill would create a planning structure to maximize the effectiveness of California's work to reduce the impacts of wildfire. As California spends more to prevent catastrophic wildfires, we should also make sure that these investments go as far as possible in keeping residents safe. SB 326 creates a planning structure that does just that and ensures that all our efforts are well coordinated.”
Year-Round Wildfire Risk is a Growing Threat to Communities
Wildfires continue to impose devastating costs on the state. In 2007, approximately 800,000 acres of California were classified as “very high” wildfire hazard zones. Today, more than two million acres have been categorized as “very high,” according to the Governor’s office.
California’s commitment to protecting the public from wildfire risks builds on previous legislation that addresses climate resilience and public safety. Over the past four years, CAL FIRE investments have expanded significantly, with $2.5 billion in wildfire resilience since 2020 and an additional $1.5 billion to be committed beginning this year for proactive projects that protect communities from wildfires and promote healthy natural landscapes. Additional efforts include increasing CAL FIRE’s firefighting force, investing in innovative detection technologies, and building the largest civilian aerial firefighting fleet in the world.
Why is SB 326 Needed?
Despite state law requiring electric utilities to submit annual Wildfire Mitigation Plans as part of their safety oversight process, which detail investments and activities to reduce wildfire risk, no comprehensive framework currently exists to evaluate how all stakeholders interact or how these efforts might be optimized.
What Does SB 326 Do?
SB 326 requires the Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation, within the Office of the State Fire Marshal, to prepare a Wildfire Risk Mitigation Planning Framework every three years. This framework will:
- Quantify risk reduction benefits: Evaluate the effectiveness of wildfire mitigation activities by state, federal, utility, and private actors.
- Improve coordination: Align efforts across multiple stakeholders to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
- Ensure cost-effectiveness: Provide data-driven insights to ensure wildfire mitigation spending delivers maximum protection.
SB 326 is part of the Senate’s major wildfire legislative package entitled, “The Golden State Commitment,” led by Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire and a coalition of Senators representing diverse regions across California.