California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation to allocate over $170 million in state funding for forest and vegetation management to prevent wildfires. This initiative is part of a larger effort to protect communities as peak fire season approaches, especially after the devastating January fires in Los Angeles. The funds will be distributed to six conservancies across California, with a focus on Southern California and the Sierra Nevada, according to CalMatters.
The funding is sourced from a $10 billion bond measure approved by voters last year and will be used to remove vegetation and thin forests. Governor Newsom also signed an executive order to expedite these projects by easing environmental permitting, as reported by the State of California.
The funding distribution includes $31 million each for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, State Coastal Conservancy, and the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. The California Tahoe Conservancy and the San Diego River Conservancy will receive $23 million each.
Despite the urgency, some environmental groups, like the Center for Biological Diversity, have criticized the plan, arguing it prioritizes logging over more effective wildfire safety measures, such as home hardening, according to Water Education Foundation.
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