State wildfire resilience funding energizes Sierra Nevada leaders

May 25, 2021 | Regional Updates

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy was awarded $20 million in the state’s early action wildfire resilience package with $50 million more proposed in the Governor’s California Comeback Plan. We spoke with five county supervisors, who also sit on our Governing Board, about what this landmark funding means for their communities, the Sierra Nevada, and California.

Lori Parlin, El Dorado County Supervisor, is glad to see legislators stepping up to protect communities from wildfires by approving state funding for forest health projects in the Sierra Nevada.
Ron Hames, Alpine County Supervisor, emphasizes that as the drought progresses this state funding is critical for his small county to stay ahead of the wildfire dangers that are coming.
Nathan Magsig, Fresno County Supervisor, underscores the importance of state funding to help manage and protect California’s treasured forested landscapes, especially in the aftermath of last year’s Creek Fire.
Rosemarie Smallcombe, Mariposa County Supervisor, is excited to continue the county’s partnership with the SNC to implement critical wildfire resilience projects.
Paul Roen, Sierra County Supervisor, still has last year’s North Complex and Loyalton fires on his mind. He is grateful for emergency state wildfire funding so we can implement shovel-ready projects that will protect Sierra Nevada communities.

Next steps

SNC put out a request for proposals the day the Governor signed the budget bill and received applications for nearly double the $20 million SNC was authorized in just two weeks.

We’re having to make some hard decisions but there is no doubt our region rose to the occasion when the call for projects went out.

The forest health and wildfire challenges that we face today are more than a century in the making, but this move by state policymakers represents a paradigm shift for forest management in the Sierra Nevada.

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