Press Releases
Federal Budget Approval Represents Breakthrough in Forest Management, Wildfire Funding
March 23, 2018
(Read more)
Diverse Voices Respond to Increased Tree Mortality
December 11, 2017
(Read more)
Conservation, Water, Forestry and Rural Communities Agree on Ecologically Sound Forest Management
January 26, 2017
2018 Farm Bill
In the News...
Commentary: Ready or Not, Wildfires Are Coming
A Special to the PublicCEO
Published: Monday, May 6, 2019
California is home to nearly 40 million residents, the world's 5th largest economy, and a collection of cutting edge and entrepreneurial leaders in the arena of public policy.
Commentary: California Coalition Outlines Wildfire Policy Recommendations Following Governor-Elect's Swift Action
A Special to the PublicCEO
Published: Friday, December 14, 2018
Less than 48 hours after being elected the 40th Governor of California, Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency in Butte County due to the Camp Fire.
The way Congress funds firefighting is a disaster California lawmakers should fix
A Special to the Sacramento Bee
Published: Thursday, December 14, 2017
California continues to experience the worst wildfires in its history, with tragic loss of life and devastation to communities, a disaster for our state by any definition.
Congress has an opportunity to act now to reduce the risk of future such disasters.
Record 129 million dead trees in California; U.S Forest Service, working to address forest health
Lake County News
Published: Tuesday, December 12, 2017
The U.S. Forest Service on Monday announced that an additional 27 million trees, mostly conifers, died throughout California since November 2016, bringing the total number of trees that have died due to drought and bark beetles to a historic 129 million on 8.9 million acres.
The dead trees continue to pose a hazard to people and critical infrastructure, mostly centered in the central and southern Sierra Nevada region of the state.
Op-Ed: Three Actions We Need to Take Now to Save California’s Forests
Redding Record Searchlight
Published: Thursday, September 15, 2016
The wildfires raging across the state, together with an epidemic of dead trees from drought, insects and disease,
have created a crisis of catastrophic proportions in California's forests.
Fortunately, we need not stand idly by. This crisis has galvanized a broad range of interests to launch the California
Forest Watershed Alliance (CAFWA), an urban-rural coalition representing water interests, local government, the
conservation community, agriculture and the forestry sector, aligned to seek new solutions to promote proactive,
science-based and ecologically sound forest management practices.
Op-Ed: Don’t rob from healthy forest programs to fight wildfires
Special to The Bee
Published: Saturday, July 5, 2014
California’s devastating wildfires continue to burn up our national forests and national budgets.
While 2013 was a year of record drought and wildfires in California, with the Rim fire burning more than 250,000 acres alone, 2014 is well on its way to become another record-setting year.
Drought and forests: Managing California forests is crucial to water supply and quality
Special to Mercury News
Published: Feburary 10, 2014
2013 was a year of record drought and wildfires in California, and the risks of droughts and wildfires are only expected to increase in the coming years. Although there are no easy answers, understanding the relationship between healthy forests and downstream water supply should be part of the solution.
Viewpoints: Rim fire shows we need to rethink how we manage forests
Special to The Sacramento Bee
Published Sunday, Sep. 15, 2013
Yosemite is one of our nation’s most treasured gems, and it sits in our very own backyard. However, when it comes to defending our rural neighbor from catastrophic wildfire, California’s ability to protect this international tourist destination has proven to be limited.