CALABASAS – At its first meeting in Southern California, the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force met today with local leaders across the region to discuss their top issues and priorities, and to showcase $70 million in new investments to support regional landscape and community protection programs. The new funding supplements state and federal investments of more than $500 million in Southern California during the last three years.

“Governor Newsom and our Legislature have invested almost $3 billion to take proactive, upfront actions to reduce catastrophic wildfire risks, protect communities, and restore the health of our landscapes,” said California Natural Resources Secretary and Task Force Co-Chair Wade Crowfoot. “Our job on the Task force is to make sure this funding translates to fire-prepared communities, and safe and healthy landscapes. This meeting in Southern California is hugely important. It helps us understand the unique wildfire threats in this region and how we can best support local leaders and the projects that will make a difference building our resilience to wildfires.”

The announcement included the following investments:

• Approximately $30 million through a new partnership between the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the National Forest Foundation
• $20 million from the California Department of Conservation’s Regional Fire and Forest Capacity Program
• $10 million from the USFS Wildfire Crisis Strategy
• $10 million from CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Grant Program

Read the announcement from CNRA here