Bay Area Council Helps California with Wildfire Resilience

The Bay Area Council met recently with senior members of the Newsom Administration to discuss ways the private sector can help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in California. Fueled by dry, hot weather and an abundance of fuel strewn across forest landscapes, a record 4 million acres burned in California in 2020 including five of the six largest wildfires in state history. The Administration is pursuing an ambitious goal to complete 1 million acres of forest management projects annually, but with ownership of only three percent of California’s forested landscape, the state needs to partner with the federal government (which owns 58%) and private landowners (39%).

Bay Area Council members discussed ways to reduce wildfire risks while spurring economic development in rural areas through the growth of industries reliant on woody forest byproducts, such as cellulosic fuels, biomass energy, and cross laminated timber. The discussion was co-hosted by the Bay Area Council, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and the Governor’s Office of Planning & Research. To engage in the Council climate resilience work, please contact Vice President Adrian Covert.