California makes historic climate investments in forests & natural lands

California invests nearly $300 million of climate and fire safety funding for forests

Great news: In the closing days of the California Legislative session that ended September 15, 2017, the state made major investments in forests and other lands for climate mitigation, adaptation, and to improve the safety of communities challenged by fire. Governor Jerry Brown made it official by signing the budget into law this past weekend.

The $1.5 billion appropriated by the state includes:

• $200 million to CAL FIRE for forest and fire related grants
• $15 million to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for the Wetland and Watershed restoration program
• $20 million to the Wildlife Conservation Board for natural resource adaptation investments
• $20 million for CAL FIRE’s urban forest program, and
• $26 million for an urban greening program at the Resources Agency.

The majority of the $200 million to CAL FIRE will likely go to the existing Forest Health grant program, which granted $22 million for climate mitigation earlier this year. The State Responsibility Area grant program will also make a new round of grants to local jurisdictions, and there will be increased investments in the use and understanding of prescribed fire. This funding is all for state and local jurisdictions – federal land projects are not eligible. This means that the state will likely fund more projects like PFT’s Mt. Shasta Headwaters Forest Health and Resilience Project announced last month.

In addition, the Legislature established requirements that the climate investments by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Wildlife Conservation Board be equivalent to those for CAL FIRE, with climate benefits persisting for at least 50 years, to help ensure that these investments achieve meaningful and enduring results.

The Pacific Forest Trust is proud that, because of the strength we get from our loyal supporters, we can work to pass and implement policies that protect forests and other lands to ensure the many benefits they provide will be there for future generations as well.