California Fast-tracks 300 Critical Wildfire Projects in 300 Days
March 19, 2026 – Following Governor Newsom’s emergency proclamation on wildfire, State agencies including the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), have coordinated to cut red tape and fast-track critical wildfire safety projects across the state, all while maintaining vital environmental safeguards. Through this streamlined process, projects are now being approved in as little as 30 days, saving a year or more of review and red tape for more complicated projects.
Thanks to these efforts, over 350 projects across nearly 80,000 acres have been approved in all reaches of the state. This streamlining process has been a game changer for a wide range of state and federal agencies, tribes, resource conservation districts, firesafe councils, private landowners and more, to get critical work done faster. Fast-tracked projects are protecting vulnerable communities, improving defensible space, creating evacuation routes, and restoring ecosystems. We are already seeing a major impact on the ground with notable projects including:
- a collaborative 600+ acre fuels reduction project protecting communities in the Los Angeles area near the Palisades footprint led by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority;
- the 450 acre Prosper Ridge Community Wildfire Resilience Project that is incorporating cultural burning and prescribed fire for community protection in Humboldt County;
- the nearly 3,000-acre Scott Valley/Callahan Fuels Reduction Project to restore ecosystem health and protect vulnerable rural communities in Siskiyou County; and
- a project offering defensible space assistance for seniors and at-needs residents in Tuolumne County.
Thanks to the Governor’s extension of the emergency proclamation, project streamlining applications are being accepted through May 1, 2026. Visit the Task Force’s Project Streamlining webpage to learn more, view all approved projects and submit your application.