August 19, 2026 – The Indigenous Stewardship Network (ISN) held their first in-person convening at the CNRA building this with over 100 people in attendance. The convening focused on Indigenous stewardship and cultural fire across California. While ISN has held virtual convenings prior to 2026, this year the CNRA building in Sacramento was chosen to connect the Indigenous Stewardship network to spaces where environmental funding and policy decisions are discussed and made. Convening topics covered SB310 agreements, funding opportunities with the Department of Conservation Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program (DOC RFFC), the CNRA Tribal Stewardship Toolkit, intergenerational learning and workforce development for cultural fire. The convening received support from the DOC RFFC program, the Resource Legacy Fund, and the Karuk Tribe.

July 24, 2026 – the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Applegate Field Office approved two forest resilience projects in the Fall River Valley in Shasta County, aimed at improving forest health, reducing wildfire risk, and strengthening community preparedness. Work on both projects is expected to begin in fall 2026. The Day Fire Pre-Commercial Thinning Project builds on recovery efforts following the 2014 Day Fire, which burned more than 13,000 acres of primarily private timberland and a portion of BLM-managed public land. The Cassel–Fall River Road Woodland Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project expands upon fuels reduction work conducted from 2020 – 2026 and will continue removing hazardous vegetation on roughly 1,400 acres of BLM-managed public land near Fall River Mills, using hand crews, mechanical equipment, and prescribed fire.

Program Capacity and Project Development Grants: The Forest Legacy Program Capacity and Project Development Grant Solicitation is available for eligible applicants to prepare and develop potential working forest conservation easement or fee title acquisition projects. This solicitation aims to increase organizational capacity and support the development of high-quality forest conservation projects. This grant solicitation does not fund acquisitions; instead, it supports the preparation and development of potential projects for future acquisition. Applications are due September 30, 2026.

Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program: CAL FIRE’s Forest Legacy Program is accepting applications for the USDA Forest Service’s Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, which provides up to $600,000 for communities, Tribes and eligible nonprofits to acquire and conserve forests that provide public access, recreation, wildlife habitat, water supply and other community benefits. Applications are due October 13, 2026.

August 6, 2026 – The Watershed Research and Training Center recently added 2025 data to its Community-Based Beneficial Fire Data Project which compiles and analyzes data from beneficial fire burning activities across the state of California. The project is demonstrating how California is strengthening its partnerships and expanding workforce development capacity for cultural and prescribed fire. 2025 was an active year for the community-based beneficial fire movement. Across California, Tribal cultural fire practitioners, Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs), nonprofit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts, agencies, and private landowners are continuing to build the relationships, skills, and policies needed to return good fire to the landscape. In 2024 and 2025, nearly 9,500 people participated in training events focused on prescribed fire, cultural burning, ecological restoration, and land stewardship. During the same period, community partners completed more than 1,280 prescribed and cultural burns, treating over 9,100 acres while engaging nearly 16,000 participants.

August 19, 2026 – The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved the final draft of Zone 0 defensible space regulations, marking another critical step in the state’s ongoing effort to better protect homes and communities from wildfire. The new regulation adds to California’s growing list of wildfire resilience efforts and focuses on practical wildfire safety actions for the first five feet around homes and structures—an area where professional experience and research indicate that homes are most vulnerable to ignition from embers.

The new regulation was informed by extensive public input and reflects a practical approach that empowers homeowners and local governments to take action. The approved policy includes a phased-in implementation approach that prioritizes education and outreach over a 5-year period. While Zone 0 requirements will apply to new construction upon adoption of the regulation, existing homes and structures can implement actions in phases over time within different areas of Zone 0:

• PHASE 1 (Implemented within the first 3 years): Includes removing combustible items such as firewood, dead leaves and branches, mulch, and wood chips within 5 feet of the structure. Cleaning gutters, removing dead and dying plants, trimming trees according to regulations, and implementing or adjusting for allowable vegetation during this time period.
• PHASE 2 (Implemented within 5 years): Local jurisdictions will assign a timeline, within 5 years of the effective date of the regulations, for the creation of an under-eave safety zone, replacing combustible gates, and making any necessary adjustments to sheds and fencing.

The policy applies to homes only in the State Responsibility Area (SRA) and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Areas (LRA). The goal is to give homeowners time, resources, and guidance to make changes effectively and affordably.