As California Battles 500,000+ Acres of Wildfires, House Committee Unanimously Approves Rep. Carbajal’s Bill to Reduce Wildfire Risk in National Forests

Today, bipartisan legislation to reduce wildfire risks written by Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) was approved by a unanimous vote of the House Natural Resources Committee. The vote comes as firefighters are battling more than 500,000 acres of wildfires in National Forests and communities across California.

Rep. Carbajal's Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act would reduce procedural steps for removing hazardous vegetation near power lines, cutting red tape to allow for a more streamlined process when tackling wildfire risk.

"As hundreds of brave firefighters, first responders, and forest rangers work around the clock to respond to the massive wildfires burning across California, I'm working in Washington to approve the federal policy changes that can help us prevent these increasingly-destructive fires," said Rep. Carbajal. "Our bipartisan bill is a no-brainer for the Western states that have seen the rising risk of fires year after year, and I'm proud to see it approved by the Committee less than a year since it was first introduced. While no one change in policy will eliminate wildfire risk entirely, cutting red tape by removing the unnecessary administrative need for a timber sale will undoubtedly help protect the communities I represent."

The legislation advanced today would allow the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management to approve the removal of hazardous trees near power lines on federal land - including national forests like Los Padres National Forest - without requiring a timber sale, easing a serious threat that has in the past been a major cause of destructive wildfires.

Currently, the utility companies are required to keep trees and branches away from powerlines on federal land. But fallen or dead trees cannot be cleared currently without a timber sale, creating an administrative step that can slow clearing of hazardous fuel and potential triggers for a wildfire on federal land.

"Today marks a critical step toward the enactment of much-needed wildfire prevention legislation. By streamlining the ability of electric utilities to remove hazardous wood waste from under high-voltage power lines within federal forests, this legislation helps to protect our environment and ensure the safety of Californians who live in these regions of our state. I commend Congressman Salud Carbajal and the House Natural Resources Committee for recognizing the importance of this critical issue to our state and for their tireless efforts to work toward the prevention of devastating wildfires," said Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne.

The Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act would:

• Allow the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management to provide standing permission for electrical utilities to cut and remove hazardous trees near power lines without requiring a timber sale.
• Require any utility that sells marketable forest products from hazardous trees removed near power lines to return any proceeds to the U.S. government.

The bill now heads to the full U.S. House of Representatives where it is available for consideration for approval and advancement to the U.S. Senate.

Carbajal introduced the bill in October 2023 with Western Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), and David Valadao (R-CA-22). The legislation has a companion in the U.S. Senate, which was introduced last year by California's late Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Alex Padilla.

Earlier this year, the Natural Resources Committee held the first-ever hearing on this bill. The hearing can be viewed here.

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