June 17, 2021

The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) will be conducting a hearing for the rulemaking entitled “State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations, 2021.” At the hearing, counties may present statements on the regulations orally or in writing.  The Board requests, but does not require, that those who make oral comments at the hearing also submit a written summary of their statements. 

June 3, 2021

May 27, 2021

Coming up in June are two opportunities for county staff to join state and federal partners for virtual meetings and workshops on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers processes, and separately FEMA and DWR floodplain management principles and Risk Rating 2.0.

National Water Conference’s Regional Spotlight: California on June 1-2, 2021 (virtual):

May 20, 2021

The Bureau of Cannabis Control’s Cannabis Advisory Committee is hosting three virtual meetings in May. The committee advises the BCC and the other licensing authorities – the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Department of Public Health – on the development of regulations that help protect public health and safety and reduce the illegal market for cannabis.

May 13, 2021

The California Fish and Game Commission and California Department of Fish and Wildlife are conducting the second webinar in their series “Coyotes in the Urban Environment” on Friday, May 28, 2021, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

The first webinar discussed the increase of reported conflicts between humans and coyotes in California. The second is targeted at local governments and will discuss coyote management plans, outreach, and education strategies to help address potential conflict.

April 23, 2021

Governor Newsom released a two-fold announcement today to move towards a full ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) by 2024 and study phasing out oil production in the state. The Governor-directed Department of Conservation’s Division of Geologic Energy Management (CalGEM) will initiate regulatory action to end the issuance of new permits for fracking by January 2024.

April 15, 2021

April 8, 2021

The CSAC Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources policy team request comments on two bills of importance to counties.

SB 612 (Portantino) – Community Choice Aggregators

April 1, 2021

Governor Newsom has tapped the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFIRE) Emergency Fund to authorize $80.74 million to accelerate action on emerging fire season dangers.These actions align with the Governor’s recently publishedWildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan and early action budget proposals.

March 18, 2021

March 11, 2021

February 25, 2021

The Board of Forestry conducted a workshop on February 24 regarding the latest version of the proposed Fire Safe Regulations. CSAC and other local government advocacy groups have been closely monitoring the development of these regulations for the past several months. This has included participation in several workshops and a local government stakeholder meeting to discuss the proposed changes and direct meetings with the Board of Forestry members and staff.

February 25, 2021

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a decision on February 18 adopting wireline provider resiliency strategies. The decision (21-02-029) requires California’s facilities-based wireline providers to develop comprehensive resiliency strategies to prepare for catastrophic disasters and power outages. These requirements are for wireline facilities in Tier 2 and Tier 3 High Fire Threat Districts (HFTDs). The decision: 

February 11, 2021

The CSAC AENR team would like input on the following pieces of introduced legislation relating to resiliency and wildfires. If you have any comments or feedback, please email Nick Cronenwett, Legislative Analyst.

February 4, 2021

January 28, 2021

January 28, 2021

January 14, 2021

This week, the Board of Forestry (BOF) held a public workshop to discuss proposed changes to the state’s Fire Safe Regulations. The discussion primarily focused on the first article of the regulations dealing with applicability. CSAC staff has been closely monitoring the development of these regulations for months and appreciated elements of the discussion and comments from Board members and staff around developing reasonable regulatory triggers related to development size in State Responsibility Area and Local Responsibility Very High Fire Severity Zones.

January 7, 2021

December 17, 2020

The Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has announced that it will hold a public workshop on proposed changes to the state’s fire safe regulations on December 22nd from 9 AM to 5 PM. Please find the workshop notice here. 

December 3, 2020

November 20, 2020

November 5, 2020