Gov. Newsom signs 22 laws to help California with wildfire preparation
The 22 new laws cover significant ground and are part of a push by the governor and the Legislature to help the state prepare for and prevent climate-driven wildfires. Four of the bills were authored by state Sen.
Dodd has authored 14 wildfire- related bills in the past two years and seen nine signed into law. The firestorms that killed 40
"When I woke up on
Dodd thanked Newsom for "making it a priority to address this growing threat to my home district and the entire state. We must get a handle on these destructive blazes before they claim more lives and property."
Newsom said wildfire countermeasures have been a top priority since he took office in January.
"Given the realities of climate change and extreme weather events, the work is not done, but these bills represent important steps forward on prevention, community resiliences and utility oversight," he said in a statement.
Three other
Dodd singled out two new laws that he believes will make an impact.
Senate Bill 209 establishes a wildfire warning center intended to enhance the state's ability to predict and prepare for wildfires using a statewide network of automated weather stations and fire detection cameras. The state-run center, actually a network of facilities, will be helmed by the
Its official name is the
"That's going to help us on the ground be prepared, be better," Dodd said. "We are never going to contain Mother Nature, but we sure as hell can do a better job of making sure we get to fires on a timely basis."
"Technology should be leveraged, whether it's cameras, weather stations, satellites -- all of that is helpful for situational awareness. I'm excited," Gossner said.
Godley said he was heartened by the spate of wildfire legislation coming "two years past our event."
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