LaMalfa Statement on Newsom Signing California Wildfire Bill

Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), a member of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, issued the following statement after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation aimed at preventing wildfires.

Rep. LaMalfa said, "I appreciate Governor Newsom visiting the North State and signing a bill that includes support for several worthy programs to protect our forests. Although these measures alone will not solve this issue, the Governor's attention to the critical need of wildfire mitigation is welcomed. However, to make the progress we desperately need, we need the Governor and many in government to much more strongly embrace logical, science-based forest management on a meaningful scale. We need streamlining or elimination of extreme and counterproductive regulations and lawsuits that typically restrict and slow forest management efforts year after year. Additionally, we need a much firmer commitment of action and targeted funding by both the state and the U.S. Forest Service if we are to catch up and get ahead of the huge backlog of inventory and its resulting fire danger. Proper management that reduces fuel load is the most impactful and immediate step to prevent massive, devastating fires, and I will continue advocating on the federal level for the necessary reforms to protect the homes, residents, and resources of the North State."