California has approved more than 300 wildfire projects across nearly 57,000 acres within 300 days of an emergency proclamation to fast-track forest management.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) confirmed on March 20 that agencies coordinated to reduce review times for critical safety work.
Some projects now receive approval in as little as 30 days.
This streamlined process aims to address the ongoing risk of catastrophic fires threatening communities throughout the state.
The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force shared these updates following a regional meeting in the Sierra Nevada on March 19.
Task Force Director Patrick Wright said: “Across California, Task Force partners are proving that when we remove barriers and work together, wildfire resilience can happen faster and at the scale our communities and landscapes need.
“From the Sierra Nevada and beyond, agencies, tribes, local leaders, and innovators are showing how collaboration, workforce development, and new funding approaches can turn momentum into real progress on-the-ground to protect communities and restore landscapes.”
The expedited approvals support work by state and federal agencies – tribes – resource conservation districts – and private landowners.
California has increased the fire protection budget for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) from $2 billion to $3.8 billion since 2019.
Staffing levels rose from 5,829 positions to 10,741 positions during this period.
The state recently added a third C-130H Hercules airtanker to its fleet to strengthen aerial firefighting capabilities.
These large aircraft deliver high volumes of fire retardant and are stationed at bases across the state for rapid mobilization.
Cal OES also increased its own staffing from 1,139 to 1,879 positions since 2019.
The agency assigned five new Type-6 fire engines to the Los Angeles City Fire Department to form a specialized strike team.
These four-wheel drive units carry 300 gallons of water and are designed for steep or remote locations.
The state manages a fleet of more than 270 fire engines assigned to over 60 local agencies through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System.
The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) released the first statewide Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets covering forest and vegetation conditions.
The state processed more than 100 million acres of data to map terrain and identify where fuels have accumulated.
This high-resolution view provides consistent data for prevention and on-the-ground decision-making.
In the Jackson Demonstration State Forest – the state installed two research towers to measure carbon dioxide and water vapor.
These towers provide real-time data on how redwood forests respond to environmental changes and management.
The state also deployed $170 million in voter-approved Proposition 4 funding for resilience projects.
Over $48 million of this Climate Bond funding has been awarded through state conservancies to date.
Approximately $38 million of those funds are directed toward reducing risk in Southern California.
This includes $20 million for projects near the Palisades Fire and $10 million for work in areas impacted by the Eaton Fire.
