Swift Action to Expand Beneficial Fire Statewide
Following Governor’s Executive Order, California Takes Swift Action to Expand Beneficial Fire Statewide
Just six months after Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing state agencies to reduce red tape and expand tools to safely deploy beneficial fire, State agencies have moved quickly to provide immediate on-the-ground support to local governments and fire practitioners to maximize beneficial fire use.
California has expedited beneficial fire projects, expanded partnerships with Native American tribes, strengthened alignment with air quality entities, and built capacity for practitioners through updated policies, streamlined processes, and training initiatives. Since July 2025, CAL FIRE has treated over 17,000 acres with prescribed fire and State Parks has rapidly expanded its prescribed fire program—treating over 1,000 acres, seizing key burn windows to complete high-priority projects in iconic parks, and strengthening capacity through new leadership and training for hundreds of staff and partners. Learn more about California’s progress on expanding beneficial fire.
Here is a list of actions taken to date in response to the order.
Expediting beneficial fire projects
- Assisting local agencies: CAL FIRE issued a Temporary Directive to all employees defining the terms “assigned,” “assist,” and “stand by” to clarify the role of CAL FIRE’s resources and provide consistency when collaborating with other entities such as prescribed burn associations, cultural burn practitioners and local agencies. The Temporary Directive will be replaced by CAL FIRE Handbook Policy and Procedure to ensure the language of the Directive is enduring. (EO Action 1)
- Updating agreements and forms: CAL FIRE has updated its agreement and right of entry forms for prescribed fire projects on private, state, and federal lands to clarify and streamline the process for working with cooperators on beneficial fire projects. (EO Action 1)
- Suspending required site visits: To reduce allow projects to be implemented more quickly, CAL FIRE issued a Temporary Directive stating that site visits or inspections are not required when burn permit applications are received from qualified beneficial and cultural fire practitioners. The Temporary Directive also encourages relationships with beneficial fire practitioners. (EO Action 2)
- Expanding participation in the Liability Claims Fund: To enable additional qualified entities to participate in the Prescribed Fire Liability Claims Fund Pilot Program, CAL FIRE updated the Prescribed Fire Claims Fund FAQ document posted on its website to affirm that volunteer fire departments or districts and Resource Conservation Districts can enroll in the Claims Fund. (EO Action 3)
- Updating CAL FIRE’s prescribed fire guidebook: CAL FIRE’s Prescribed Fire Committee is in the process of updating the CAL FIRE prescribed fire guidebook to be inclusive of non-CAL FIRE beneficial fire practitioners. This is intended to more effectively support prescribed fires that are primarily planned and / or conducted by non-CAL FIRE entities. In the meantime, the existing guidebook posted on the CAL FIRE website encourages non-CAL FIRE practitioners to use the guidebook as a reference in the development of their projects. (EO Action 4).
- Developing template agreements: CAL FIRE has updated all template agreements between CAL FIRE for projects on private, state, and federal lands to facilitate efficient and effective coordination. (EO Action 5)
- Fast-tracking projects: CNRA and CalEPA continue to explore options for establishing a durable process to fast-track beneficial fire projects beyond the end of the State of Emergency proclamation. (EO Action 6)
Expanding partnerships with native american tribes
- Improving collaboration with tribes: In March 2026, CNRA launched the state’s first-ever Tribal Stewardship Policy, establishing a statewide goal of expanding tribal stewardship over at least 7.5 million acres of lands and coastal waters in California. The Policy sets clear standards to institutionalize meaningful and durable tribal-state partnerships and advance tribal stewardship through tribal access, collaboration, and ancestral land return. (EO Action 7)
Strengthening alignment with air quality entities
- Collaboration with air districts: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is actively participating in two key interagency forums that support the implementation of beneficial fire: the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force Beneficial Fire Workgroup and the California Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) Prescribed Fire Committee. Through the Beneficial Fire Workgroup, CARB is providing updates on the Smoke Management Program, presenting information on systems such as the Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS) and engaging in ongoing discussions to streamline air regulatory processes. Through the CAPCOA Prescribed Fire Committee, CARB is working to address permitting, smoke monitoring, communications, and training. Recently, CARB staff have been using these meetings to engage the districts on opportunities for expanding burn window authorizations. (EO Action 8)
- Identifying best practices for consistent permitting and smoke management: CARB has developed draft smoke management best practices to support program implementation. These drafts address key areas such as reporting requirements, burn day declarations, and communication guidelines and will be incorporated into the statewide training sessions. (EO Action 9)
- Developing longer burn authorization windows: CARB has completed internal analysis on the efficacy of 48-hour burn windows and is currently developing procedures to implement the longer burn windows that will better facilitate larger beneficial fire projects and the staging of resources. Additionally, Smoke Management Guidelines (Title 17, California Code of Regulations, section 80100 et seq.) provide flexibility to support larger-scale beneficial fire projects. The Guidelines include provisions that allow burning on CARB-declared no-burn days and grant discretion to CARB forecasting staff in applying meteorological criteria when determining burn day status. (EO Action 10)
- Improving access to technology: CARB is upgrading its Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS) and is in the testing phase, with operational release anticipated by the end of 2026. The upgraded system is being developed within the Esri software environment, enabling alignment with land management agency systems, including the CAL FIRE permitting system. The new platform will provide a more streamlined and user-friendly experience for practitioners, and CARB will offer training for land managers and air district users following deployment. (EO Action 11)
Building capacity for practitioners
- Distribute funding in advance of beneficial fire work: Building on Climate Bond program guidance and statutory authority under Government Code Section 11019.3, departments under CNRA are incorporating advance payment options into their program structures to ensure grantees – including those conducting beneficial fire and fuels reduction activities – have the upfront resources needed to initiate wok without delay. (EO Action 12)
- Simplify processes for grant funding: CNRA has initiated cross departmental coordination efforts to simplify and align grant funding processes that support beneficial fire projects, consistent with the Governor’s Executive Order. Building on the collaborative structures already in place through ongoing Climate Bond program development and wildfire/vegetation management coordination, CNRA departments are working together to identify redundancies, build consistency across application requirements, and improve clarity in guidelines and supporting materials. This work emphasizes reducing administrative burden for grantees while maintaining necessary accountability measures, with a focus on improving access for practitioners. (EO Action 13)
- Launching the Beneficial Fire Training Network: CAL FIRE has requested Proposition 4 Climate Bond funding to support a virtual “Prescribed Fire Training Hub” external to CAL FIRE for broad sharing of training resources and opportunities between current and prospective beneficial fire practitioners. It is intended that this Hub serve as a building block for a Beneficial Fire Training Network with available resources for practitioners, air districts, local health jurisdictions and regulators across California. (EO Action 14)
California Earthquake Authority Publishes Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Report
California Earthquake Authority Publishes Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Report
April 7, 2026 – The California Earthquake Authority, in their capacity as Administrator of the California Wildfire Fund, delivered their report, Enhancing California’s Resiliency to Natural Catastrophes as required under SB 254. The legislation required the Authority to evaluate policy options to reduce damages to life and property, accelerate post-disaster recovery, and equitably allocate the costs of natural catastrophes in California, including catastrophic wildfires. The report identifies three overarching Policy Pathways, each of which are supported by multiple strategies and actions.
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- Commit to community wildfire risk reduction: Focuses on greater state coordination, guidance, and resources for local governments; increased capacity at the community level, developing shared data and information to support local mitigation planning, and setting some new requirements that further support existing priorities related to electric utility safety, accountability, and reporting.
- Equitably allocate catastrophe burdens: Addresses existing cost-sharing structures that are not fit-for-purpose to manage the extreme wildfires, including issues such as investor-owned utilities being burdened with inverse condemnation, disproportionate contributions to wildfire mitigation from residential ratepayers, access to property insurance, and delivery of post-disaster compensation payments.
- State roles for addressing catastrophe resiliency: Focuses on financing strategies to respond to catastrophic events as well as new public and private financing strategies to facilitate wildfire mitigation, such as home and community hardening, defensible space, and vegetation management.
- Commit to community wildfire risk reduction: Focuses on greater state coordination, guidance, and resources for local governments; increased capacity at the community level, developing shared data and information to support local mitigation planning, and setting some new requirements that further support existing priorities related to electric utility safety, accountability, and reporting.
USDA Announces Over $61 Million to Process Forest Biomass and a New Facility Opens in Tuolumne County
USDA Announces Over $61 Million to Process Forest Biomass and a New Facility Opens in Tuolumne County
USDA Announces $61.25 Million for California Projects from the Timber Production and Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program
March 23, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $115.2 million in loans through the Timber Production and Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program to support projects in eight states that will help sawmills and other wood processing facilities establish, reopen, expand, or improve their operations. $61.24 million was allocated to three companies in California:
- Blue Mountain Electric Company, LLC ($25M) to support the construction and operation of a 3MW gasification plant in Wilseyville in Calaveras County, which plans to convert forestry biomass waste into synthetic natural gas.
- Alpenglow Timber, LLC ($18.5M) to establish a new sawmill in the North Tahoe/Truckee area, which is expected to create new jobs in a community with a 4.7% unemployment rate.
- Sierra Forest Products Holdings, Inc. ($17.75M) to expand and modernize operations, improve efficiency, and increase timber processing capacity.
New Biomass Facility Opens in Tuolumne County
March 12, 2027 – The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) announced the completion of the federally funded Community and Watershed Resilience Program with the opening of the Tuolumne BioEnergy facility in Sonora, which, alongside the Tuolumne Biomass facility, utilizes forest-restoration material to create jobs and produce wood products while reducing wildfire fuels. The program, funded through a $70.4 million National Disaster Resilience Competition grant following the 2013 Rim Fire, included forest- and watershed-health projects on 14,000 acres, creation of two community resilience centers, and strategic fuel breaks to protect communities and landscapes. By converting excess biomass into usable products and supporting large-scale fuels reduction, these facilities enhance forest resilience, lower wildfire risk, and provide long-term economic and ecological benefits to Tuolumne County.
CNRA Launches Policy to Expand Tribal Stewardship for at Least 7.5 Million Acres in California
CNRA Launches Policy to Expand Tribal Stewardship for at Least 7.5 Million Acres in California
March 17, 2027 – The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) launched the state’s first-ever Tribal Stewardship Policy, establishing a statewide goal of expanding tribal stewardship over at least 7.5 million acres of lands and coastal waters in California. The Policy sets clear standards for all CNRA departments, conservancies, commissions, boards, and many other non-tribal partners to institutionalize meaningful and durable tribal-state partnerships and advance tribal stewardship through tribal access, collaboration, and ancestral land return. The Policy is supported by a companion toolkit containing training materials, templates, webinars, and technical resources designed for tribes, agency staff, and partners. The forthcoming 2026 California Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Action Plan will support, build upon, and align with CNRA’s Tribal Stewardship Policy.
Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition Releases 2025 Progress Report, Showing Accelerating Restoration Efforts
Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition Releases 2025 Progress Report, Showing Accelerating Restoration Efforts
April 3, 2026 – The Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition (GSLC) released its 2025 Progress Report, showcasing significant advances in protecting the world’s remaining giant sequoia groves from shifting climates, catastrophic wildfire and emerging threats such as bark beetles. GSLC partners have conducted restoration activities in 44 of the world’s 94 sequoia groves since 2022, reducing the risk of extreme wildfires and improving overall forest health. In 2025, Coalition members conducted forest resilience treatments on 4,508 acres across 25 groves, advancing the momentum of this collaborative effort. Since its formation following the devastating 2020 and 2021 fire seasons—when the Castle Fire, KNP Complex Fire and Windy Fire killed thousands of ancient sequoias—the Coalition has treated a total of 23,251 acres and planted more than 682,000 native trees.
Additionally, a new scientific study from the GSLC reveals the current state of California’s giant sequoia range and quantifies the alarming extent of damage caused by extreme wildfires over the last decade. More than 17% of all mature giant sequoias have been killed by wildfire since 2015, while less than 1% perished in the 30 prior years. Most of the losses since 2015 occurred during the megafires of 2020 and 2021.
U.S. Forest Service Announces Reorganization with New Headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT and State Office in Placerville, CA
U.S. Forest Service Announces Reorganization with New Headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT and State Office in Placerville, CA
March 31, 2026 – The U.S. Forest Service announced it will move its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, and begin a restructuring of the agency. Alongside the relocation of its headquarters, the Forest Service will begin transitioning to a state-based organizational model supported by shared operational service centers and a unified national research enterprise.
For California, the state office will be located in Placerville. Nationwide, 15 state directors will replace the previous 9 regional foresters and oversee forest supervisors, operational priorities, and relationships with states, tribes, and partners. Each state office will include a small leadership team responsible for legislative affairs, communications, and intergovernmental coordination. The Forest Service’s current facilities in Vallejo, CA will be repurposed as a national training center.
Additionally, the Forest Service will shift many functions currently housed in regional offices to a network of operational service centers to be established in Placerville, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Athens, GA; Fort Collins, CO; Madison, WI; and Missoula, MT. The Forest Service will also reorganize the various research stations into one in Fort Collins, CO. In California, six of the eight Forest Service research facilities will be shut down with facilities in Placerville and Riverside remaining open.
California Fast-tracks 300 Critical Wildfire Projects in 300 Days
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.
Six Months After the LA Fires, California Continues Unprecedented Recovery Campaign
Six Months After the LA Fires, California Continues Unprecedented Recovery Campaign
July 7, 2025 – On the six month anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades fires, Governor Newsom announced the substantial completion of the public debris removal program from more than 10,000 fire damaged parcels. The near-completion of the public debris removal program comes months ahead of schedule. The LA Fires cleanup is the second largest in state history after the Camp Fire and was jointly managed by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and United States Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well Los Angeles County and City of Los Angeles. Of the 12,048 total properties destroyed in the twin fires, 9,873 opted to participate in the cost-free public cleanup program.
Following cleanup, the Governor signed Executive Order N-29-25 to accelerate rebuilding homes and schools impacted by the fires by suspending local permitting laws and building codes. To further spur rebuilding the Governor and the California Department of Housing and Community Development announced the release of $101 million to help rapidly rebuild critically needed, affordable multifamily rental housing in the fire-devastated LA region.
CAL FIRE Releases Vegetation Burn Severity Online Viewer
CAL FIRE Releases Vegetation Burn Severity Online Viewer
July 15, 2025 – CAL FIRE’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) released the California Vegetation Burn Severity Online Viewer, a public geospatial tool that displays burn severity data for wildfires across all land ownerships that burned at least 1,000 acres in California from 2015 to 2023. In accordance with Senate Bill 1101, FRAP developed this viewer to enhance public understanding of post-fire conditions and ecological impacts. It offers insight into the severity of impacts to vegetation across both forested and non-forested landscapes. The viewer will support post-fire recovery planning, inform habitat management and conservation efforts, enhance safety through insights for fire suppression planning, and improve preparedness by helping prescribed fire practitioners plan treatments based on past burn severity and fuel changes. Users can view fire perimeters, severity maps, and proportional area statistics for each fire. The viewer will be updated annually to include new fires under 1,000 acres.
California Allocates $9.5 Million for Wildfire County Coordinator Program
California Invests $9.5 Million for Wildfire County Coordinator Program
July 31, 2025 – With the support of Governor Newsom and the California State Legislature, the 2025-26 budget will provide $9.5 million for the Wildfire County Coordinator Program. Delivered in partnership between the California Fire Safe Council and CAL FIRE, the program establishes critical local capacity in 47 California counties with dedicated coordinators to secure funding, implement mitigation projects, engage vulnerable populations, and build resilience in high-risk communities. Coordinators serve as the crucial link between state strategy and local execution—ensuring California communities are better prepared, better connected, and more resilient to wildfire. The program will continue:
- Operationalizing California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan at the county level;
- Accelerating home hardening, defensible space implementation, and public education;
- Standardizing data collection to track local and statewide wildfire resilience progress; and
- Improving public safety, community insurability, and wildfire preparedness in California’s highest-risk regions.
Impact of the Wildfire County Coordinator Program
Investments in community capacity through the program have already produced substantial mitigation and resiliency benefits:
- Secured over $85M in funding for local wildfire mitigation projects;
- Coordinated with over 10,000 organizations to increase collaboration, break down silos, and leverage resources for community mitigation;
- Hosted over 3,800 events for community engagement and education;
- Educated and empowered over 800,000 residents to take action for wildfire resilience; and
- Established more than 100 new FireWise Communities and Fire Safe Councils.
Testimonials from the Wildfire County Coordinators
“The Program has allowed Del Norte County Fire Safe Council to protect many underserved residents and coordinate with other wildfire mitigation groups to maximize impact. Our County Coordinator has brought nearly $4 million in federal funding to Del Norte County, created defensible space around 372 homes, and completed 1,500 home assessments.”
– Aaron Babcock, Del Norte County
“A small investment in capacity can lead to sustainable, long-term improvements for any organization. Because of the County Coordinator Grant, Plumas Fire Safe Council had the capacity to obtain a $6.8 million dollar grant dedicated to hazardous fuels reduction and assessment.”
– Liam Gallaher, Plumas County
“The County Coordinator Grant has supported collaboration in our county by allowing us to create a collaborative meeting of 14 fire prevention agencies in the county to better inform the public and improve our ability to leverage funds and labor.”
– Jon Cottington, Madera County
“We’ve been able to significantly expand our youth education impact by implementing three new school programs and getting back into the classroom with students for the first time since the 2018 Camp Fire.”
– Lauren de Terra, Butte County
“The program has given us the time and opportunity to strengthen our outreach countywide while implementing critical fuel reduction programs. We’ve also been able translate educational materials into Spanish, expanding our outreach to underserved populations.”
– Marika Ramsen, Sonoma County
“We’ve reduced redundancy, supported capacity and collaboration for other Fire Safe Councils, and boosted community engagement through Firewise USA. We also learn from other County Coordinators & implement those lessons learned.”
– Stephen Watson, Ventura County