Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) and Rep. Salud Carbajal (D–Santa Barbara) have reintroduced legislation to mitigate wildfire risk.
Carbajal reintroduced the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act on Wednesday, with Valadao signing on as a co-sponsor.
The big picture: The bill would give the U.S. Forest Service the ability to require utilities to remove hazardous trees near power lines on federal forest lands without a timber sale.
- That would make it easier to remove a serious threat that has previously been a major spark for wildfires.
- While the U.S. Forest Service requires utility companies to keep trees and branches away from power lines on federal lands, fallen or dead trees are not allowed to be removed without a timber sale.
- The bill has been added to the Fix Our Forests Act.
Flashback: The bill had previously been introduced in the 118th Congress and added to the House version of the Farm Bill, which ultimately was not passed.
What they’re saying: “Far too often bureaucratic red tape gets in the way of proper forest management, contributing to the destructive wildfires we see throughout our state,” Valadao said. “When dead trees aren’t cleared, wildfires burn more intensely, causing widespread devastation and directly impacting air quality across the Central Valley. This bill is a common sense, bipartisan step towards reducing wildfire risk, and I’m proud to join Congressman Carbajal in support.”
- Carbajal added, “As California continues to recover from catastrophic wildfires that ravaged the region earlier this year, we are reminded of the importance of responsible forest management to reduce future wildfire risk. Our bipartisan bill will expedite the removal of hazardous trees near power lines and is a common sense solution to protect our communities.”
